Montreal Locomotive Works
Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian manufacturer of steam and diesel locomotives, railway vehicles, and military equipment that operated under several corporate identities from 1883 until locomotive production ended in 1985.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was one of Canada's principal locomotive manufacturers and a major industrial employer in Montreal. Its origins lay in the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal Limited, established in 1883 to serve the expanding Canadian railway market. The company supplied steam locomotives to railways including Canadian Pacific, Grand Trunk, Intercolonial, and, after the creation of the national railway system, Canadian National Railways. The company became part of the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1904. Alco used the Montreal operation to reach the Canadian market while complying with Canadian purchasing conditions and customs barriers that favored domestic production. The Montreal business was subsequently known as Montreal Locomotive Works and functioned for many years as an Alco-design production center. It built a substantial range of steam locomotives, including Canadian Pacific's 2800-series Hudson locomotives. One of these, Canadian Pacific 2850, hauled the 1939 royal train across Canada; later members of the class received permission to use the name Royal Hudson. During the Second World War, the Montreal plant was converted largely to military production. Its workforce, including many women recruited for wartime industrial work, produced Ram tanks, Grizzly tanks, and Sexton self-propelled artillery vehicles in addition to other matériel. After the war, MLW returned to railway manufacturing just as the industry began shifting from steam to diesel-electric power. From 1949 onward, MLW introduced diesel locomotives derived from Alco and General Electric technology. It built switchers, cab units, and road-switchers for Canadian and North American railways. Canadian National was an especially important customer, and Canadian procurement policies helped maintain competition among domestic manufacturers. MLW designs gained a reputation for strong low-speed adhesion, making them useful on steep grades and heavy freight routes. The company also developed equipment for export markets, including locomotives supplied to Sri Lanka. MLW briefly diversified into rapid transit and passenger equipment. In 1960 it won a contract for 36 M1 subway cars for the Toronto Transit Commission, the first rapid-transit vehicles designed and built in Canada. It later participated in the construction of TurboTrain and LRC passenger equipment, including LRC diesel-powered locomotives produced for Via Rail. MLW also worked with Pratt & Whitney Canada on the Turbo Train program and developed large Alco 251-series engine applications. Corporate changes repeatedly altered the company's identity. Alco's financial difficulties led to its acquisition by Worthington Corporation in 1964, after which the business became MLW-Worthington. Following Worthington's merger with Studebaker, Alco's locomotive designs were transferred to Montreal when the Schenectady locomotive plant closed in 1969. In 1975, Quebec-based Bombardier acquired a 59 percent interest in MLW and later fully integrated the operation. Under Bombardier, the company developed the HR-412 and HR-616 locomotive families for Canadian National, but these designs received limited orders and were criticized for reliability. Bombardier ended locomotive manufacturing in a 1985 reorganization, shifting its rail activities toward passenger rolling stock and its wider business toward transportation, aerospace, and recreational products. The former MLW facility was sold to General Electric in 1988 and closed in 1993. Much of the industrial complex was later demolished. The surviving 1911 administration building at 1505 Dickson Street is a remaining physical reminder of the company's Montreal presence. MLW is therefore defunct as a manufacturer, although many of its locomotives and passenger vehicles continued operating for decades after production ended.
History
Montreal Locomotive Works developed alongside Canada's national railway network. The Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal Limited was created in 1883, when railways were expanding rapidly and Canadian operators required locally manufactured equipment. Its early customers included Canadian Pacific, Grand Trunk, and Intercolonial. The company was later positioned to benefit from national railway purchasing policies after several private systems were absorbed into Canadian National Railways. American Locomotive Company was formed in the United States in 1901 through the consolidation of several locomotive builders. It acquired the Montreal company in 1904, seeking both access to Canadian demand and a local production base protected by Canadian tariffs. The Montreal subsidiary eventually adopted the MLW name and became an important producer of Alco-based steam locomotives. Its output included Canadian Pacific's Hudson locomotives, among them the engines associated with the 1939 royal train. The Second World War transformed the plant's role. Rather than concentrating on railway locomotives, the factory produced armored and artillery equipment for the Allied war effort. Its wartime products included the Ram tank, Grizzly cruiser tank, and Sexton self-propelled gun. The conversion also brought large numbers of women into industrial work as male workers served in the armed forces. After 1945, MLW returned to railway manufacturing during the transition from steam to diesel-electric power. It introduced switchers and cab-unit designs based on Alco and General Electric engineering, followed by road-switchers and passenger locomotives. Canadian National became a particularly important customer. Canadian trade policy and government-owned railway procurement helped MLW compete with General Motors Diesel Division and the Canadian Locomotive Company, while its locomotives were also exported to developing and decolonizing markets. MLW expanded beyond conventional locomotives. In 1960 it won the contract to build Toronto's M1 subway cars, a pioneering Canadian rapid-transit design. It also collaborated with Pratt & Whitney Canada on TurboTrain equipment and developed the LRC locomotive for Via Rail in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company continued to refine the Alco 251 diesel engine family and experimented with high-horsepower prototypes, including the M640. Ownership changed as Alco's competitive position weakened. Worthington Corporation acquired Alco in 1964, producing the MLW-Worthington name. After Worthington merged with Studebaker, Alco's Schenectady locomotive designs were transferred to Montreal when the American plant closed in 1969. Bombardier bought a 59 percent interest in MLW in 1975 and subsequently integrated the business. MLW developed Canadian National's HR locomotive designs, including the HR-412 and full-width HR-616. These units were built in small numbers and did not achieve the expected reliability or service life. Bombardier ended locomotive production in 1985. The former MLW plant was sold to General Electric in 1988, used briefly for locomotive rebuilding, and closed in 1993. The complex was largely demolished by 2004, although the 1911 administration building on Dickson Street remained. MLW's locomotives, subway cars, and passenger equipment continued to have historical and operational significance after the company itself disappeared.
- 2004
Remaining industrial complex is demolished
[1]Most of the former MLW complex is demolished, leaving the surviving administration building as a principal remnant.
- 1993
Former MLW plant closes
[1]General Electric closes the manufacturing facility acquired five years earlier.
- 1985
Locomotive production ends
[1]Bombardier closes the locomotive-manufacturing operation as part of a strategic reorganization.
- 1980
LRC locomotive production
[1]MLW begins building diesel locomotives for Via Rail's LRC passenger service.
- 1975
Bombardier takes a majority stake
[1]Bombardier purchases 59 percent of MLW from Studebaker-Worthington.
- 1972
M640 high-power prototype
[1]MLW produces an 18-cylinder, 4,000-horsepower prototype based on the Alco 251 engine family for Canadian Pacific evaluation.
- 1969
Alco locomotive designs move to Montreal
[1]After the Schenectady locomotive plant closes, its locomotive designs are transferred to MLW-Worthington.
- 1964
MLW-Worthington era begins
[1]Worthington Corporation acquires Alco, changing the corporate identity of the Montreal operation.
- 1960
M1 subway-car contract
[1]MLW receives an order for 36 M1 cars for the Toronto Transit Commission.
- 1949
Diesel-electric production begins
[1]MLW introduces Alco-General Electric-derived diesel locomotive designs.
Products and positioning
A Canadian, Alco-linked heavy-industrial manufacturer serving railways, government procurement programs, and selected international customers. MLW competed through domestic production, compatibility with Alco engineering, and designs suited to Canadian freight conditions, especially steep grades and demanding low-speed operations.
Railway locomotives · 1902
Steam locomotives
MLW and its predecessor produced steam locomotives for major Canadian railways from the early twentieth century through the steam era. Many designs were based on American Locomotive Company engineering but adapted for Canadian operators. The best-known examples include Canadian Pacific's 2800-series Hudson locomotives, including the engines later designated Royal Hudsons after the 1939 royal train.
Diesel-electric switchers · 1950
S-series diesel locomotives
Beginning in the early diesel era, MLW built S-series switchers derived from Alco S-1 and S-3 designs. These locomotives were intended for yard and local freight work and formed part of MLW's transition from steam production to diesel-electric manufacturing.
Rapid-transit vehicles · 1961
M-series subway cars
The M1 cars were built for the Toronto Transit Commission in 1961–1962. They were the first rapid-transit vehicles designed and manufactured in Canada and were lighter and faster than the preceding Toronto subway stock. MLW's rapid-transit business remained limited as the TTC later selected Hawker Siddeley Canada vehicles.
Passenger diesel locomotives · 1980
LRC locomotives
LRC, meaning Light, Rapid, Comfortable, was a high-speed passenger-train program developed for Via Rail. MLW began producing the diesel locomotives in 1980. Similar equipment saw brief use with Amtrak. The locomotives were ultimately retired by 2001, while the LRC coaches remained important to Via Rail's corridor operations.
Diesel-electric freight locomotives · 1970
HR-412 and HR-616
Developed at Canadian National's request, the HR series incorporated MLW's wide-nosed safety cab and, in the HR-616, a full-width carbody with the rear-visibility Draper Taper. Only a combined token order of 30 units was built. The locomotives were regarded as mechanically and electrically unreliable and did not become a successful replacement standard.
Armored military vehicle · 1941
Ram tank
During the Second World War, MLW manufactured the Canadian Ram tank as part of its conversion to military production. The program made the Montreal plant a significant contributor to Canadian and Allied armored-vehicle manufacturing.
Armored military vehicle · 1943
Grizzly I cruiser tank
The Grizzly I was a Canadian-built cruiser tank based on the American M4 Sherman design. MLW produced the vehicle for the Canadian and Portuguese armies during the wartime and immediate postwar period.
Self-propelled artillery · 1943
Sexton self-propelled artillery
MLW manufactured Sexton self-propelled artillery vehicles during the Second World War. The design used an M3 Lee-derived chassis and provided mobile artillery support for Allied forces.
Brand decisions
1985
Exit locomotive manufacturingStrategyBackground
Bombardier was reorganizing its businesses and placing greater emphasis on passenger rolling stock, aerospace, and recreational products.
Action taken
Bombardier ceased manufacturing locomotives through the MLW operation.
Aftermath
The MLW manufacturing identity ended. The facility was later sold to General Electric, which closed it in 1993.
1975
Join Bombardier's transportation groupM&ABackground
The Alco-related locomotive business had passed through multiple ownership changes, while Bombardier was expanding into rail passenger equipment.
Action taken
Bombardier acquired a 59 percent interest in MLW from Studebaker-Worthington and later fully integrated the operation.
Aftermath
MLW continued locomotive engineering and gained passenger-equipment opportunities, including LRC production, before Bombardier ended locomotive manufacturing in 1985.
1960
Diversify into rapid transitProduct launchBackground
The Toronto Transit Commission required new subway rolling stock and MLW sought to extend its railway manufacturing capabilities beyond locomotives.
Action taken
MLW won the contract to build 36 M1 subway cars.
Aftermath
The project established a Canadian rapid-transit manufacturing precedent, but MLW did not become the TTC's long-term vehicle supplier.
1949
Enter diesel-electric locomotive manufacturingOtherBackground
Dieselization was beginning to challenge the established steam-locomotive business, while General Motors was expanding its Canadian locomotive presence.
Action taken
MLW introduced Alco-General Electric-derived diesel designs, initially including switchers and later cab units and road-switchers.
Aftermath
Diesel locomotives became the company's principal railway product as Canadian railways largely completed dieselization by about 1960.
1941
Convert the plant to wartime productionStrategyBackground
The Second World War created urgent demand for armored vehicles and artillery equipment.
Action taken
MLW redirected much of its manufacturing capacity from locomotives to Ram and Grizzly tanks and Sexton self-propelled guns.
Aftermath
The plant became an important Canadian military-production site before returning to railway manufacturing after the war.
Recent events
- 1993
General Electric closes the Montreal plant[1]
Other
General Electric closed the former MLW manufacturing facility, ending its industrial use as a locomotive plant.
- 1988
General Electric acquires the former MLW plant[1]
M&A
The dormant Montreal manufacturing complex was sold to General Electric, which used it for a rebuilding program involving earlier road-switcher locomotives.
- 1985
Bombardier ends locomotive manufacturing[1]
Other
Bombardier ceased locomotive production in a corporate reorganization and redirected its rail business toward passenger rolling stock.
- 1980
MLW starts production of LRC locomotives[1]
Product launch · Product generation
MLW began manufacturing high-speed diesel locomotives for Via Rail's Light, Rapid, Comfortable passenger-train program.
- 1975
Bombardier acquires a majority stake in MLW[1]
M&A
Bombardier acquired 59 percent of MLW from Studebaker-Worthington, bringing the Montreal locomotive business into a Quebec-based transportation group.
- 1964
Alco is acquired by Worthington Corporation[1]
M&A · Leadership change
Declining business at Alco led to its acquisition by Worthington Corporation, and the Montreal operation became known as MLW-Worthington.
- 1960
Toronto Transit Commission orders M1 subway cars[1]
Product launch
MLW received a contract for 36 M1 subway cars, the first rapid-transit vehicles designed and built in Canada.
- 1949
MLW begins Alco-derived diesel locomotive production[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The company introduced its first diesel designs derived from Alco-General Electric technology as Canadian railways began moving away from steam.
- 1941
MLW converts production to wartime matériel[1]
Other
During the Second World War, the Montreal plant concentrated on military production, including Ram tanks and related armored vehicles.
- 1904
American Locomotive Company acquires the Montreal manufacturer[1]
M&A
Alco purchased the Montreal operation to establish a stronger Canadian manufacturing and sales presence. The subsidiary was later renamed Montreal Locomotive Works.
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