METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Brookville Equipment Corp. marks 100th anniversary

Originally founded as Brookville Truck and Tractor Co. in 1918 when local Ford-dealer installed flanged rail wheels on standard Ford Model-T.

August 9, 2018
Brookville Equipment Corp. marks 100th anniversary

 

2 min to read


Brookville Equipment Corp. celebrated its 100th Anniversary, with nearly 800 guests, employees, families of employees, friends, suppliers, and industry members in attendance.

As part of the festivities, addresses were given by CEO and Chairman Dalph S. McNeil, who discussed the major role long-tenured employees played in the company’s success, and Brookville Equipment President Rick Graham, who focused on how the company is continuing to transform and evolve in the modern age.

Ad Loading...

Brookville Equipment volunteers provided in-depth tours of the manufacturing facility, which covered the company’s history and current product line. Visitors were able to see streetcars, locomotives, and mining equipment in various phases of manufacturing.

The company also displayed some of its rail equipment, including heritage streetcars bound for San Francisco and El Paso, modern streetcars destined for Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, mining equipment for customers in West Virginia, and a locomotive for Metro-North Railroad in New York City. Guests were able to board the Oklahoma City Streetcar.

Additionally, Brookville Equipment showcased a 1945 model BFA-5 gasoline-powered locomotive. The small locomotive, purchased, and refurbished by the company, includes a Ford Flathead V8 engine and runs on 21 1/2-inch rail gauge. American Industrial Mining Company Museum, a 501(c)(3) non-profit preservation society from Buckeye Lake, Ohio, also brought a 1930s-era three-ton Ford-powered locomotive, which was decaled to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the company.

A 1930s-era Ford-powered V8 gasoline switchinglocomotive restored by American Industrial CompanyMuseum. (Photo by Chris Lasher)

Originally founded as Brookville Truck and Tractor Co. in 1918 when local Ford-dealer L.A. Leathers installed flanged rail wheels on standard Ford Model-T, the company would soon be known as Brookville Locomotive Works and become a full-scale manufacturer of small-scale rail switchers for railroad and industrial applications. In the 1970s, the company was purchased by the McNeil family, who has now held the company for more than four decades. Under the vision of CEO Dalph S. McNeil, the company would be renamed Brookville Mining Equipment Corp. in the 1980s, emerging as a market leader in mining rail haulage and transport equipment, including locomotives and personnel carriers.

Today, now known as Brookville Equipment Corp., the company continues to be a market leader in rail-mounted mining equipment and has diversified into the production of full-scale surface locomotives for freight and passenger applications, and streetcars, having delivered new and rebuilt fleets to cities across the U.S., including Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, El Paso, Dallas, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and soon to include, Tempe, Ariz.; Tacoma, Wash.; and Portland, Ore.

More Rail

MTA Advances Accessibility Improvements in Brooklyn
Paratransitby StaffJune 17, 2026

New York MTA Leverages Zoning Program to Advance Station Accessibility

Accessibility enhancements at Nevins St Station will be financed through a development agreement tied to the MTA's Zoning for Accessibility initiative.

Read More →
Six-Year Plan Boosts Virginia Transit, Rail Investments
Managementby StaffJune 17, 2026

Virginia's $28.5B Transportation Plan Targets Transit and Rail

Approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the program supports ongoing infrastructure projects while providing new investments in transit, state of good repair and transportation alternatives.

Read More →
Security and Safetyby StaffJune 16, 2026

DOT: Brightline Corridor Incidents Fall 30% Following Federal Safety Upgrades

Safety improvements funded through a $25 million federal investment are credited with reducing trespassing and train-vehicle collisions along the Brightline Florida corridor.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An LA Metro D Line train in Union Station
Managementby StaffJune 16, 2026

D Line Expansion Fuels Growth Across LA Metro's Rail System

Weekend rail ridership was especially strong, soaring 18% as riders embraced expanded access to jobs, entertainment, dining, and cultural destinations, said the agency. Total system ridership for May, including bus and rail, was 26,966,657.

Read More →
A user demonstrating Metrolink's contactless fare payment pilot.
Technologyby StaffJune 12, 2026

Southern California's Metrolink Debuts Contactless Fare Payment Pilot

Customers traveling between Redlands and Los Angeles can now tap their preferred payment method, including a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or wearable device, at station validators before boarding and again while exiting.

Read More →
A BART train on the tracks.
Managementby StaffJune 12, 2026

California's BART Approves FY27 Budget While Maintaining Service Levels

The budget covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, a period when pandemic emergency funds run out, the District faces a structural deficit of $375 million, and a regional transit funding measure may appear on the November ballot.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A rendering of the Amtrak New York Penn Station renovation
Railby StaffJune 9, 2026

Penn Station Transformation Advances with Design Unveiling

The historic redesign will transform the busiest transit hub in the Western Hemisphere from the tracks to the street level, creating a more efficient, cleaner, and functional experience for more than 600,000 daily commuters and millions of visitors.

Read More →
Groundbreaking event for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 TBM construction.
Railby StaffJune 9, 2026

Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Advances into Major Construction Stage

New York Governor Kathy Hochul joined leadership from the MTA, elected officials, and Harlem community leaders to break ground on the major construction stage of the transformative Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project.

Read More →
A man sits in a passenger rail seat and looks at his phone.
Railby Elora HaynesJune 8, 2026

The Invisible Infrastructure of Passenger Flow

What a seat reservation system on Austria’s Railjet trains reveals about the future of rider experience, and why U.S. agencies should pay attention.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Aerial view of Caltrain's electric service.
Railby StaffJune 5, 2026

Caltrain Board Approves FY27 Budget, Endorses Efficiency Measures

The move ensures Caltrain service will continue operating as usual in the near term, but long-term financial challenges remain for the rail agency absent a new revenue source.

Read More →