Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Motive Power Dept.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's Motive Power Department, also known as the Maintenance of Equipment or Mechanical Department was one of the major subdivisions of the Operating Department. It was responsible for the maintenance and construction of all railroad and marine equipment, and by extension, for all aspects of mechanical engineering on the railroad, including the mechanical systems of buildings.

The history of the Motive Power Department begins when the railroad was first opened for business in 1849. In 1849-50 motive power was one of the responsibilities of Superintendent of Transportation Herman Haupt, but in 1850 that duty was given to the Foreman of the Harrisburg shop, then the only such facility on the railroad. From 1852 to 1857 the embryonic Motive Power Department was headed by Second Assistant Superintendent Enoch Lewis. The Department was more formally organized on October 1, 1857, when it was placed under a Master of Machinery. The department head's title was changed to Superintendent of Motive Power & Machinery in 1863 and to Superintendent of Motive Power in 1872.

With the full development of the line-and-staff system in 1873, separate Superintendents of Motive Power were assigned to each grand division of the railroad, but the SMP of the PRR Grand Division was the de facto department head for the entire company. In 1882 the post of General Superintendent of Motive Power was created to serve this function, with a superintendent on each grand division. The Motive Power Department was a staff department, with its officers at each level reporting to the corresponding line officer in the Operating Department but responsible to the next highest level in the Motive Power Department in respect to technical methods and standards.

The head of the Motive Power Department was primarily an administrator. A subordinate, the Mechanical Engineer, was in charge of the actual design process. The superintendency was frequently a short-term stepping stone to a higher office. Three PRR presidents served briefly in the office, A.J. Cassatt (1867-1870), Frank Thomson (1873-1874), and W. W. Atterbury (1901-1903). However, it was also occupied by several important technical experts, J. P. Laird (1862-1866) and particularly Theodore N. Ely (1874-1893). It was Ely who laid the basis for standardized locomotive design and introduced a formal test department.

On March 1, 1893, Ely was promoted to the newly-created position of Chief of Motive Power on the staff of Vice President Charles E. Pugh. However, in this position he exercised only general supervision of the department and the General Superintendent of Motive Power remained the administrative head.

In the general reorganization of 1920, the administrative department head was designated as the Chief of Motive Power. Each region had a General Superintendent of Motive Power and each grand division a Superintendent of Motive Power. In addition, the Altoona Shops, the main PRR shop complex, was placed under a Works Manager, reporting directly to the Chief of Motive Power. In the reorganization of 1955, the Chief of Motive Power became the Chief Mechanical Officer. The post of Chief of Motive Power was held by James T. Wallis (1920-1927), Frederick W. Hankins (1927-1941), Harry W. Jones (1941-1946), and Howell T. Cover (1946-1955).

From the description of Records, 1881-1964 (bulk 1910-1948). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122393460