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A.G. TRUMBULL: LOCOMOTIVE DESIGNER

Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Magazine, Sep 2004 by Huddleston, Eugene L

Prior to 1929 the Chesapeake & Ohio, headquartered in Richmond, Va., made its own decisions about locomotive design and policy. Until 1927 the American Locomotive Company, headquartered in New York, had a major locomotive plant in Richmond. By virtue of its tonnage, the C&O was the dominant railroad in Richmond. Studying its locomotive orders from 1909 to 1929, one finds a dominance of C&O s orders going to American, whether in Richmond or Schenectady. This close kinship suggests a "revolving door" relationship among the senior engineers in both organizations, chough any records to substantiate this suggestion are long gone. Without warning to C&O's Mechanical Department in Richmond, in 1929 control of C&O's motive power designs and policy shifted to Cleveland, Ohio. The C&O still had lots of financial clout, but by hook or by crook, C&O had become part of the railroad empire controlled by brothers O.P. and MJ. Van Sweringen of Cleveland. The "Advisory Mechanical Committee" (AMC), formed in early 1929 for the four major roads under Van Sweringen control, was charged with rationalizing and standardizing the mechanical procedures and designs of the four roads, which otherwise still operated independently of each other.

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Since the AMC, from 1929 to 1949, was in complete charge of C&O's motive power destiny, the term "committee" is misleading if one thinks of the AMC as a group of pipe smoking, dignified, senior mechanical engineers. The AMC was far from being just a bunch of distinguished but nondescript senior engineers. Records reveal a "paper trail" from which one can infer a structure requiring a formal chain of command and an extensive body of employees to assure smooth flow of data. And what a collection of data it was! The "Standard Maintenance Equipment Instructions" (known as SMEI's) showed that the "Committee," between projects, was busy turning out detailed descriptions covering every aspect of car and locomotive upkeep, construction, and operation. What is more, the AMC's collection of drawings and printed matter shows that the Committee had practically complete control over construction of rolling stock and locomotives for C&O, Erie, NYC&StL (Nickel Plate), and Père Marquette (the order presented on AMC plans and documents).

Among the most notable of the locomotive designs were the 40 Texas and 60 Allegheny type locomotives for C&O, plus 80 Berkshires (2-8-4) for the Nickel Plate, built by Alco and Lima, that were copied so often and so successfully that in the words of English locomotive historian Philip Atkins, the Van Sweringcn Berkshires came nearest to "a modern U.S. standard steam locomotive design, although individual batches varied considerably in detail."

Most historical accounts of locomotive development either fail to mention the Committee or mention it without identifying its members. Because so little is known about the Advisory Mechanical Committee, the question arises as to the identity of the individual on that Committee most responsible for its great design achievements.

That person is Alon/o Trumbull, chief mechanical engineer of the Committee from its formation to 1947. But one would never know this from reading most accounts of the histories of locomotives turned out under AMC auspices. Either the accounts fail to mention the AMC, thereby forcing an assumption that the road's own mechanical department was in charge of the design or-since its chief designs were in the Super Power category and built by Lima Locomotive Works-that the Super Power originator at Lima Locomotive Works, Will Woodard, was responsible. Or, some accounts, genuinely trying to give the AMC its due, look to William G. Black, because of releases from C&O's publicity department that put him in the forefront.

Alonzo G. Trumbull had the education and experience to stand out from other men on the Committee, whether college-trained or self-cducaccd. Hc was also the only member of the Committee having the continuity of tenure to participate in the designs of all the Super Power locomotives that have the stamp of the AMC on them. Born in Hornell, New York, he attended Cornell University, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and where he met his future wife. He obtained his degee in mechanical engineering in 1899 and entered railroad service on the Erie. Cornell must have had a fine engineering program, for getting their degrees there in the same general period were Ralph Johnson, future chief engineer at Baldwin Locomotive Works and author of The Steam Locomotive (1944), and William G. Woodard, designer of the first Super Power steam locomotive.

In 1903 Trumbull was promoted to mechanical engineer and in 1905 became assistant mechanical superintendent" at the Erie's Meadville, Pa., shops. From there, beginning in 1907, he worked his way up in the motive power department to general mechanical superintendent. In 1922 he was named chief mechanical engineer, headquartered in New York. He kept the same title, when early in 1929 he moved to Cleveland, to serve on the AMC until 1947. Railway Mechanical Engineer for December 1929 documents Trumbull's authority: "Mr. Trumbull will have supervision over the mechanical engineering forces for the advisory mechanical committee, with headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio."

A.G. TRUMBULL: LOCOMOTIVE DESIGNER

Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Magazine, Sep 2004 by Huddleston, Eugene L

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