U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE PLYMOUTH SWITCHER #7619
GPTM’s gasoline-powered industrial switcher was built in June 1943 at J. D. Fate Company’s Plymouth, Ohio, plant. It incorporates a 250 horsepower, 2,008-cubic-inch displacement, Le Roi model RXIV, V8, gasoline engine. Le Roi gasoline engines were designed with ease of maintenance and interchangeability in mind. Nevertheless, our Plymouth is one of only two remaining operating examples of Le Roi gas engines in locomotives. J. D. Fate became Fate-Root-Heath Company in 1919 and the first reference to “Plymouth Locomotive Works” appears in 1933 newspaper articles.
Built during World War II, our Plymouth locomotive initially served the U.S. Army Air Force as locomotive #7619, stationed at the Parsel Supply Depot near Shelby, Ohio. It was moved to Pratt, Kansas, where it operated at the Pratt Army Air Field, first training base for the B-29 Superfortress bomber produced in Wichita during World War II. Its final military service was at the U.S. Navy Naval Air Station at Hutchinson, Kansas. Its last service as a freight switcher was for Kansas Gas & Electric at its Ripley Steam Electric Plant located along the Little Arkansas River on the north side of Wichita.
The locomotive was donated to the museum by Western Resources, parent company of Kansas Gas & Electric (KG&E). KG&E became part of Westar Energy, which became part of today’s Evergy.
Plymouth predecessor J. D. Fate Company began producing internal combustion engines at its Ohio plant in March 1914. By 1971, Plymouth had produced 7,000 locomotives, most used by small mines or for industrial switching. The vast majority were gasoline powered. The remainder, about 500, were larger than 25 ton and powered with diesel engines. Plymouth produced its first diesel engine in 1927.
In addition to locomotives, Plymouth produced automobiles (briefly), trucks, buses, tractors, fork lifts, farming hand tools and shoe repair kits. Its last locomotive was produced in May 1999 and the company ceased operations shortly thereafter.