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The company built small steam locomotives early on; the first Gasoline -fueled Internal Combustion Engine d locomotive was built in 1924 and the first Diesel Locomotive in 1927, a 30-ton Diesel-electric for the Northern Illinois Coal Company of Boonville, Indiana .

An extensive range of diesel locomotives in all industrial sizes followed, utilizing either mechanical Torque Converter or electric transmission, the former for the smaller locomotives. Most were used by a variety of industrial users, but some railroads also bought Davenport locomotives, particularly of the 44-ton size, that being the largest locomotive then allowed by union rules to be operated by one man. Railroad buyers included the Rock Island , Milwaukee Road , Santa Fe , the Frisco , and the Missouri Pacific . In 1963 , that rule was relaxed and railroads ceased buying industrial-sized locomotives for light switching.

Davenport built a number of locomotives for the United States Army during World War II , such as the USATC S100 Class 0-6-0 , and subsequently eighteen larger Switcher s during the 1950s , two of which were adjustable in Gauge -- one could operate on Broad Gauge s up to 66-inch, and one on narrow gauges -- the latter operating for a period on the Denver & Rio Grande Western .


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