|
H. K.
Porter Company, Inc. During World War Two
Pittsburgh, PA
1866-1950
This page added 6-30-2025.
The H. K. Porter Company
carries the name of Mr. Henry Kirke Porter who along with Mr. John Y.
Smith formed the Smith and Porter Company. Over the years the
company eventually became the H. K. Porter Company, Inc. The
company was known for its manufacture of small locomotives that could
quickly be produced. This was due to the company using
standardized parts for the construction of its locomotives. With
the last locomotive built in 1950, the company had produced 8,000
locomotives during its 86 years of building this type of product.
The H. K. Porter Company won the Army-Navy
"E" Award two times during World War Two.
H. K. Porter Company,
Inc.'s World War Two Products: Table 1 shows that the company
had $15,752,000 in major contracts during World War Two. Of this
amount $12,528,000 was for locomotives and locomotive parts. The
U.S. Army was the largest customer of locomotives with $12,003,000 in
purchases and the U.S. Navy with $525,000 in locomotive purchases.
Table 1 - H. K.
Porter Company, Inc.'s
Major World War
Two Contracts
The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing
of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September
1945." This was published by the Civilian Production
Administration, Industrial Statistics Division, Requirements
and Progress Branch January 21, 1946. |
|
Product - Customer |
Contract Number |
Contract Amount |
Award Date |
Completion
Date |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
140-S-86703 |
$69,000 |
1-1941 |
6-1941 |
| Locomotives -
Army Ordnance |
101-ORD-765 |
$70,000 |
1-1941 |
9-1941 |
|
Shells - Chemical Warfare Section |
650-CWS-00010 |
$475,000 |
1-1941 |
9-1941 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
NOS-68084 |
$50,000 |
5-1941 |
11-1941 |
| Shells - Army
Ordnance |
761-ORD-1925 |
$391,000 |
6-1941 |
8-1942 |
| Shells - Army
Ordnance |
761-ORD-1925 |
$413,000 |
6-1941 |
11-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
102-S-33051 |
$54,000 |
10-1941 |
3-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
NOS-94672 |
$51,000 |
11-1941 |
1-1942 |
| Locomotives
Steam - Army Corps of Engineers |
978-ENG-274L |
$403,000 |
11-1941 |
9-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Army Ordnance |
727-ORD-1767 |
$77,000 |
12-1941 |
6-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Army Ordnance |
727-ORD-2178 |
$116,000 |
2-1942 |
8-1942 |
| Forgings -
Navy |
ORD-298 |
$179,000 |
3-1942 |
11-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Army Ordnance |
727-ORD-2538 |
$77,000 |
4-1942 |
12-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Army Ordnance |
727-ORD-2539 |
$79,000 |
4-1942 |
2-1943 |
| Locomotives - Army Corps of Engineers |
978-ENG-468L |
$529,000 |
4-1942 |
11-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
NOS-8035 |
$75,000 |
6-1942 |
12-1942 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
NOS-10553 |
$106,000 |
7-1942 |
8-1942 |
| Locomotives - Army Corps of Engineers |
978-ENG-6763 |
$806,000 |
9-1942 |
4-1943 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
XSS-14265 |
$66,000 |
10-1942 |
5-1943 |
| Locomotives -
Navy |
XSY-14268 |
$54,000 |
10-1942 |
5-1943 |
|
Gun Parts - Navy Ordnance |
ORD-705 |
$80,000 |
1-1943 |
6-1944 |
| Locomotives -
Army Transportation Corps |
2789-TC-515 |
$1,197,000 |
1-1943 |
11-1943 |
| Shells - Army
Ordnance |
761-ORD-2793 |
$140,000 |
1-1943 |
5-1943 |
| Mixers -
Army Corps of Engineers |
1101-ENG-6238 |
$85,000 |
2-1943 |
8-1943 |
| Locomotives -
Army Transportation Corps |
2789-TC-1260 |
$112,000 |
4-1943 |
12-1943 |
| Locomotives -
Army Transportation Corps |
2789-TC-1361 |
$709,000 |
5-1943 |
6-1943 |
| Diesel
Locomotives - Navy |
NXS-32155 |
$151,000 |
6-1943 |
3-1944 |
| Locomotives -
Army Transportation Corps |
2789-TC-1882 |
$1,571,000 |
7-1943 |
12-1944 |
| Locomotive
Parts - Army Transportation Corps |
33092-TC-483 |
$55,000 |
10-1943 |
1-1944 |
| Unit Winches
- Maritime Commission |
23991 |
$1,303,000 |
1-1944 |
5-1944 |
| Locomotives -
Army Transportation Corps |
33092-TC-2538 |
$4,582,000 |
6-1944 |
12-1945 |
| Diesel
Locomotives - Navy |
XSY - 73986 |
$55,000 |
8-1944 |
9-1944 |
| Steam
Locomotives - Army Transportation Corps |
33092-TC-3364 |
$500,000 |
12-1944 |
10-1945 |
| Cargo Ship
Winches - Maritime Commission |
1WSA-3354 |
$158,000 |
3-1945 |
1-1946 |
| Steam
Locomotives - Army Transportation Corps |
33092-TC-4198 |
$914,000 |
6-1945 |
3-1946 |
| Total |
|
$15,752,000 |
|
|
This 0-6-0T switch engine was built by H. K. Porter for the U.S. Navy in
1919 and served at the U.S. Navy's South Brooklyn Section for three
years before being sold to the nearby Brooklyn East District Terminal
Railroad. It is now owned by the Age of Steam Museum in Sugar
Creek, OH. While this is not a World War Two locomotive, it does
represent the small locomotives that were the company's products that
were purchased and used by both the Army and Navy during World War Two.
Author's photo.
This locomotive used bunker C fuel oil, not coal, and had two 900
gallon fuel tanks located on either side of the boiler. Author's
photo.
Author's photo.
|