@Don Francis posted:Hi all , GE, now Wabtec, is very alive and very well in Grove City, PA., and manufactures all the prime mover (engines) for their locomotives, at least I'm not aware of any other prime mover supplier to their product. The originator of the famous FDL prime mover, Cooper-Bessemer, was located across town, and has been closed many years. Cooper had exited the locomotive prime mover business upon GE's purchase of the rights to the FDL many years before that. Cooper's later business was huge stationary engines and compressors, some weighing 350 tons. I am of the opinion that Cooper's pool of machinist talent was probably one reason for GE to choose Grove City as the location for their plant to begin with. GE's initial object at this facility was rebuilding GE prime movers, but later became the new manufacturer of these prime movers.
I live 11 miles from Grove City, and being a former Cooper employee, this subject is familiar to me. As I recall this subject was covered here a few months ago. Don Francis.
I was in the old Cooper for an auction two or three years ago. Big place!
We tried making some Cooper castings where I worked and they were very difficult compared to ingot molds and pump housings. I think they were water cooled cylinder sleeves or something. I just remember the hours I spent gluing cores together and carefully placing them in the cope and drag. Good times though. I learned a lot!
