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Click here or on the image for this location's profile page
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Location Category ID:
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82800
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Address: |
Erie Boulevard, Schenectady, NY
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Telephone: |
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Email: |
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Opening Times: |
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Official Website: |
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Other Links: |
Google Street View
Wikipedia
Sherman Register
US Army Port Battalions
Critical Past M47 Video
YouTube
Times Union
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Latitude, Longitude: |
42.82464851
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-73.93406153
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Location Accuracy: |
7
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Tanks Previously Here: |
Tanks confirmed built here:
1: M4 Sherman Tank - Price of Peace Monument, Ortona, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy (1943)
2: M4 Sherman Tank - National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center, Fort Benning, Muscogee County, Georgia, USA (July 1943)
3: M4 Sherman Tank - National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center, Fort Benning, Muscogee County, Georgia, USA (Early 1943 - unconfirmed)
4: M4 Sherman Tank - Veterans Memorial Museum, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA (Late 1943)
5: M4 Sherman Firefly Tank - Battle of Hechtel Memorial, Hechtel-Eksel, Limburg, Limburg Province, Belgium (April 1943)
6: M4 Sherman Firefly Tank - Tank Museum Depot, Vissenaken, Tienen, Flemish-Brabant Province, Belgium (1943)
7: M4A2 Sherman Firefly Tank - U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Harford County, Maryland, USA (First hull built – September 1942)
8: M47 Patton Tank - The Tank Museum - Reserve Collection, Bovington, Dorset, South West England, Britain (ca1951)
Models of tank built here:
1: M3 Lee I Tank (Additional manufacturer from April 1941)
2: M3 Grant I Tank (Additional manufacturer from April 1941)
3: M3A1 Lee II Tank (Sole manufacturer February-August 1942)
4: M4 Sherman Tank - M4 (Primary manufacturer February-December 1943)
5: M4 (Late Production) Sherman Tank - M4 (Late Production) (Primary manufacturer)
6: M4A2 Sherman Tank - M4A2 (Additional manufacturer from September 1942)
7: M7 Priest Howitzer Motor Carriage (Primary manufacturer from April 1942-1944)
8: M36 Gun Motor Carriage (Secondary converter from M10A1 October-December 1944)
9: M36B2 Gun Motor Carriage (Primary converter from M10 April-May 1945)
10: M47 Patton Tank - Standard Production Version (Secondary manufacturer 1951-3)
11: M47 Patton Tank - Late Production Version (Secondary manufacturer 1951-3)
12: M47 Patton Tank - Italian Service (Secondary manufacturer 1951-3)
13: M47 Patton Tank - Belgian Service (Secondary manufacturer 1951-3)
14: M48A2 Tank (Primary manufacturer from December 1955)
15: M48A2C Tank (Primary manufacturer of base M48A2 - vehicles upgraded from 1959)
16: T14 Assault Tank - T14 (Manufacturer of two pilots)
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During the Second World War the American Locomotive Company (‘ALCO’) built munitions for the war effort, in addition to locomotive production. ALCO’s involvement with tanks began in November 1940 when the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Department contracted with two heavy engineering companies, American Locomotive and Baldwin Locomotive, to produce 685 and 535 examples of the M3 tank respectively, in parallel with primary production at Detroit Arsenal. All three contractors produced pilot models of the M3 in April 1941, and by August the tank was in full production. ALCO eventually produced 385 examples of the M3, and 300 of the M3A1. The M3A1 was mechanically identical to the M3 but had a cast instead of riveted hull; it was built only by ALCO which had the necessary casting facilities (source: Chamberlain and Ellis/British and American Tanks). Later in the war ALCO reconfigured existing M3s to produce the M3 Canal Defence Light (T10 Shop Tractor) searchlight vehicle in limited numbers.
ALCO developed and was the largest manufacturer of the M7 Priest self-propelled howitzer, producing 2028 in 1942, 786 in 1943 and 500 in 1944 (a total of 3314). These were all the original M7 design, based on the M3 chassis. Meanwhile the original M4 Sherman tank design with Wright Continental R-975 engine was standardised in October 1941. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive, American Locomotive, Detroit Arsenal, Pressed Steel and Pullman Car. Those built by ALCO were under contract number W-ORD-485 and had the serial numbers 1555-1904, 3805-4304, 24705-25704 and 40305-41304 – a total of 2850 vehicles (source: Sherman Register). American Locomotive was also involved in production of the M36 tank destroyer, producing 413 between October and December 1944; it was the sole manufacturer of the M36B2 variant producing 237 between April and May 1945. In recognition for their important work building tanks the US War Department awarded the Schenectady plant with the Army/Navy E-Award. On August 27, 1942 two thousand ALCO employees assembled to witness the award ceremony. (Source: 519thPortBn.com).
ALCO withdrew from tank production following the end of the Second World War, until rearmament began for the Korean War. Production of the M47 Patton tank started in June 1951 at Detroit Arsenal and somewhat later at the American Locomotive Company. It continued until November 1953 for a total run of 8576 tanks. Detroit Arsenal produced 5481 M47s and the remaining 3095 were built at ALCO.
The M47’s successor, the M48 Patton, was primarily produced by Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. However, the M48A2 version was built at both ALCO in Schenectady and at Chrysler’s Delaware plant from 1956 with a total production of 2328 tanks. During production further tests and troop use resulted in the introduction of additional modifications, and these modifications were applied to the 1344 tanks already produced. All modified vehicles were designated M48A2C. (Source: R. Hunnicutt/Patton).
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