Founded in Kenton, Ohio, in 1924 as the New City Car Co., the company initially produced wooden rail cars before shifting focus after its 1941 acquisition by an investment firm. Under new ownership, International Car became a leading manufacturer of railroad cabooses, peaking at 285 units annually—an impressive 85% of total U.S. production at the time.
The company’s manufacturing plant operated just southeast of Kenton, Ohio, near the former Erie Lackawanna mainline. While its exact closure date remains unclear [research ongoing], the site’s proximity to the railroad suggests strong logistical ties to the national rail network.
Unconfirmed Notes for Research:
- Potential military production during WWII?
- Competitors or mergers in the caboose industry?
- Fate of the original plant?
Source
Caboose plant closes. (1983, February 20). Mansfield News Journal.
Strack, D. (n.d.). International Car Corp. https://utahrails.net/international-car.php
International Car: Closing the Kenton Plant
The International Car Co., once a leading maker of railroad cabooses, closed its Kenton, Ohio plant in 1983. Just a few short years earlier, the plant employed nearly 200 workers.
Paccar, International Car’s parent firm, cited historically low demand for rail cars and a sharp reduction in the demand for cabooses as reasons for the closure.
International Car was founded in 1924 as the New City Car Co. and began specializing in cabooses in 1941.
Source
“The International Car Co., Once a Leading Maker of… – UPI Archives.” UPI, UPI, 18 Feb. 1983, www.upi.com/Archives/1983/02/18/The-International-Car-Co-once-a-leading-maker-of/1193414392400/.