The MK Rail logo.
The Morrison-Knudsen Corporation (can be spelled with or without the hyphen like with EMD; Reporting Marks: MKCX, MK, MKR, or MPI) is a locomotive builder and rebuilding company.
History[]
The Morrison-Knudsen Corporation was founded in 1912 by entupreuers Harry W. Morrison and Morris Hans Knudsen as a steel industry which provided steel for various companies who constructed buildings around the city of Boise, Idaho; as well as steel used for constructing the Hoover Dam. (Similar to what occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with the steel industry being a main priority.)
The original logo used for Morrison-Knudsen; with it's "C over MK with an O" style.
The MotivePower Industries logo.
The company eventually became a diesel locomotive rebuilding company in 1972, but eventually began producing other vehicles towards the 1980's, but eventually became bankrupt in 1993. Thus, in 1994 MK Rail Corporation was established as an alternate name of Morrison-Knudsen due to originally becoming bankrupt and discontinuing production of other products; but in 1996, MK Rail (Morrison-Knudsen) eventually became bankrupt and eventually became purchased by Wabtec Engineering the following year, which was incorporated as MotivePower Industries and named the locomotive manufacturing portion of the company Boise Locomotive Company as a subsidiary. Hence, Morrison-Knudsen no longer being an independent company, but rather a trademark or subsidary of Wabtec as of today.
They are also still currently headquartered in Boise, Idaho as of today; which is where the company's headquarters has remained since it was founded in 1912.
Locomotives[]
- MK5000C (later rebuilt to SD50 standards, MK50-3)
- TE70-4S
- F40PH-2C
- F40PHL-2
- MK1200G
- TE-47-4E
- MP36PH and variants
- MP40PH and variants
- MK SD40-3
- SD40M-2
Trivia[]
The companies various history is similar to ALCO's, while their later history is similar to EMD's.
The "MK" and "MP" were/are designations for most of the locomotives that were and are produced by Morrison-Knudsen and MotivePower are simply named after the companies initials like with ALCO, EMD, and GE. (Such as the GE P42DC.)
One of the alternate logos used by MK.
References[]
A rebuilt EMD GP40 MK Rail demonstrator unit.