In 1866
Henry Kirke Porter formed a partnership with John Y. Smith, forming the company Smith & Porter. They opened a small machine shop on 28th Street in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and begin repairing and building industrial equipment. They received an order for their first locomotive on March 4, 1867, and built the
Joshua Rhodes for the New Castle Railroad and Mining Company. They went on to build 43 locomotives together, including the
Minnetonka which is preserved at the
Lake Superior Museum of Transportation. They specialized in four wheeled,
saddle tank locomotives for small
industrial railroads. On February 7, 1871 a fire broke out in the shop destroying twelve locomotives under construction, the shop, and 23 adjacent structures. The losses were estimated at $200,000, and the partnership was dissolved. Smith formed Smith & Dawson Locomotives, which became
National Locomotive Works. Porter formed a partnership with
Arthur W. Bell, called Porter, Bell & Co. and they built their first locomotive for the Jackson Furnace Co. of Michigan. They expanded their range to include light passenger engines and small freight engines, primarily for
narrow gauge railroads. They built 223 locomotives, until Arthur Bell died in May 1878. Porter continued the business on his own, as H.K. Porter & Co. He had established a reputation as a builder of rugged, specialized locomotives and the company could custom build a locomotive quickly and efficiently, with a system of
interchangeable parts; pistons, wheels and boilers in various sizes that can be combined to suit a customer's requirements. Some of the basic designs were kept in stock, and could be ordered
off the shelf. In 1890, Porter built their first
compressed-air locomotive, for a coal mine in Pennsylvania. Air was stored in two tanks, and used to drive the pistons instead of steam. Coal-fired locomotives were unsuitable for use underground because they produced dangerous fumes and could start fires. Porter went on to build over 400 compressed-air locomotives. Although other manufacturers built compressed-air locomotives, by 1900 Porter had captured 90% of the market. In 1899, the company was incorporated as H.K. Porter Co., Inc and built a new plant at 49th and Harrison Street in Pittsburgh. Production peaked in 1906, with almost 400 locomotives built that year. Porter built their first gasoline-powered locomotive in 1906, and in 1915 they built their first
fireless locomotive, using a large pressure vessel to hold steam and hot water in place of a boiler. These proved to be more useful than compressed-air locomotives, and soon Porter dominated this niche market. 1919: Porter was selected to build twenty 45-class mainline locomotives for the
Manila Railroad Company in the
Philippines to replace its aging British
tank locomotives. The class weighed and were one of the largest locomotives built by the company. Its efficiency and low cost of maintenance led the Manila Railroad to use the Porter design for larger locomotives built by
Alco and
Baldwin. 1921: The H.K. Porter Co. was prosperous, enjoying a post-
World War I reconstruction boom in Europe, and a road construction boom in the US. Porters were a favorite choice among grading contractors, who used light, portable tracks to carry the wooden tipper-cars that were the earthmoving equipment of the day. Henry Porter, still running the company at age 81, died on April 10. 1939: After a long decline, the H.K. Porter Co. declared
bankruptcy.
Thomas Mellon Evans purchased the company, determined to turn it around. He bought other manufacturing companies, adding them to his collection. Locomotive production increased again during
World War II, and the company was recognized for its service to the country in 1942, but demand for steam locomotives dwindled post-war, and H.K. Porter became primarily a holding company for the many subsidiaries Evans had acquired. 1950: The company built its last locomotive, which was exported to
Brazil. The parts business and all the required patterns were sold to the
Davenport Locomotive Works in Iowa. 1950s–1960s: Electrical Division National Electric Defense Products Facilities manufactured
rocket motor bodies for
Nike family of
guided missiles. 1969: The company acquired saw manufacturer
Shurly & Dietrich, which continued operations until 1973. ==Divisions==