Marshutz & Cantrell, National Iron Works

Reference / Locomotive Builders / Marshutz & Cantrell, National Iron Works

History

I n late 1879 Leon C. Marshutz and Thomas G. Cantrell formed a partnership and established The National Iron Works on the northwest corner of Main and Howard Streets in San Francisco. Leon Marshutz was the businessman and Thomas Cantrell the machinist. Both had already worked many years in the foundry and iron works companies of San Francisco.

In 1861 Mr. Cantrell, age 24, started his career in San Francisco working as a machinist for the S.F. Engine and Machine Works at Market and Fremont streets. He then he worked for various iron works in the same vicinity. By 1868 he had formed a partnership with William Hawkins, the Hawkins and Cantrell Machine Works on Beale Street. In January 1879 William Hawkins and Leon Cantrell dissolved their partnership. The business was continued by William Hawkins.

NATIONAL IRON WORKS 1899
Sanborn Fire Map of San Francisco 1899

NATIONAL IRON WORKS 1887
Sanborn Fire Map of San Francisco 1887

Mr. Marshutz entered the San Francisco Foundry scene in 1867 at age 21, forming a partnership with Daniel B. Hinckley, James Brands, and Daniel E. Hayes as Hinckley & Co., the proprietors of the Fulton Foundry on the corner of Fremont and Tehama Streets. Daniel B. Hinckley had established the Fulton foundry years earlier. Thomas Cantrell had worked there in 1862 and 1863. In May 1877 the co-partnership was dissolved with Hinckley continuing to own the Fulton Foundry. In 1878 Leon Marshutz listed his profession in the San Francisco Directory as a merchant with an office at Market and Bush streets.

In 1879 Thomas Cantrell listed no profession in the San Francisco Directory. Leon Marshutz continued to be listed as a merchant. By 1880 Marshutz and Cantrell formed a partnership and established The National Iron Works located on the corner of Main and Howard Streets in San Francisco. In September 1888 a fire in the next door Sash & Door factory wiped out not only the National Iron Works but many of the factories from Main Street to the Bay. Marshutz & Cantrell rebuilt the National Iron Works and continued in this location for 17 more years. The company specialized in Street Dummies, Dolbeer patent Engines, logging and mining equipment.

In May 1905 the National Iron Works was sold to Robert S. Moore and John T. Scott. The firm was renamed to Moore & Scott Iron Works.

Marshutz & Cantrell Locomotives

Marshutz & Cantrell constructed some 24 locomotives. The majority were standard gauge. Some were five foot gauge. Six were narrow gauge.

Marshutz & Cantrell Locomotives

Build Date	Gauge	Whyte	Cyl.	Drv.	Railroad	No./ Name	Notes
1879	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy	14x20	42"	Andrew Onderdonk, (seawall construction)	Emory	Disposition: 1881 Onderdonk Syndicate #2 Emory, CPR construction), Port Moody, BC; 1882 D.O. Mills & Co. #2 Emory, Port Moody, Kamloops, British Columbia; 1886 Royal City Planing & Saw Mill #3 Curly, New Westminster, BC; 1887 NWSR Construction (leased); 1888 B.C. Mills, Timber & Trading Co. #3 Curly, Vancouver, British Columbia; 1889 Hastings Mill Co. #3, Granite Bay, British Columbia; 1891 converted to 0-4-4 by this time; 1906+ had saddle tank and new domes added; 1908 Hastings Mill Co. #3, Surry, BC; worked over by CPR shop late 1920s; 1931 Vancouver Harbor Board, Vancouver, British Columbia; 1931 Pacific National Exhibition grounds, Vancouver, BC; 1973 Heritage Village, Burnaby, B.C.
1879	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			Market Street Ry II, San Francisco, CA	(4, 6?)	Disposition: (used on Noyes, Castro, Valencia extension to 1888); (possibly Holmes-Eureka Lbr. Co. #1(2nd) or Irvine & Muir Lbr. Co.)
1880	60"	0-4-0T Dummy	8x14	28"	Presidio & Ferries RR	3	Vertical boiler
1880	60"	0-4-0T Dummy	8x14	28"	Presidio & Ferries RR	4	Vertical boiler
1881	36"	0-6-0T	11x16	36"	Empire Coal Mine & RR Co.	2 / Jennie E. Belshaw	Locomotive was a copy of Baldwin 0-6-0T CN4107 built July 1877 for Empire Coal Mine Co.. Disposition: 1902 to Willer & Burr Const. Co. (North Shore RR project); 1909 Shattuck & Edinger/EB &AL Stone (14th Ave project); Possibly to Russian River Land & Lmbr. Co.; photos page 21 The Western Railroader, January 1971.
1882	Std.	0-6-0T	11x16	36"	D. R. Jones & Co. as Humboldt Logging Ry	2 Duece	Disposition: 1886 Excelsior Redwood Co. as Freshwater & Eureka RR #2; 1902 The Pacific Lbr. Co. #20 (tender added), Scotia, CA. Round builder’s plate on smokebox side; photos pages 122, 125 & 136 of Steam in The Redwoods by Carranco & Sorensen.
1883	45¼"	0-4-0T Dolbeer			Humboldt Lbr. Mill Co. / A&MR RR.	Gypsy	Disposition: 1903 Northern Redwood Lbr. Co.; 1921 renumbered 21; 1932 scrapped; rectangular builder’s plate on right side of cab; photo page 11 Steam in The Redwoods by Carranco & Sorensen.
1882	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			Pacific Coast Steam Ship Co., San Diego, CA	Captain Goodall	disposition: 1913 retired. Photos pages 124 & 125 of Ships & Narrow Gauge Rails by Best.
1882	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			Pacific Coast Steam Ship Co., San Diego, CA	McKinley	Disposition: 1913 retired; 1914 scrapped. Photo page 124 of Ships & Narrow Gauge Rails by Best.
1884	38"	0-4-0T			Newport Mine		Disposition: Olympia Coal Co. (Olympic Coal & Navigation Co.) #2, Marshfield, OR; Flannigan Bros. & Mann #2, Marshfield, OR; 1887 to Oregon Coal & Navigation Co., Marshfield, OR; round builder’s plate on smokebox front, rectangular plate on cab side. Photos pages 33 & 42 in Can’t You Hear the Whistle Blowin’ by Lansing. (May be shown at center of page 39 in Logging RR of The West by Labbe & Goe and pages 57 & 58 in Can’t You Hear the Whistle Blowin’ by Lansing hauling logs for Aasen Brothers at Norway, OR 1906.)
1884	Std.	0-4-0T Dolbeer	9x12 6x12 Gypsy	33"	Dolly Varden Mill, Humboldt Co., CA	1 / Falk	Disposition: 1886 Elk River Mill & Lbr Co. #1 Falk, Bucksport, California; 1927 retired; 1936 City of Eureka, California (display); 1937 State of California, Ft. Humboldt State Park, Eureka (display); 1971 Northern Counties Logg. Interpretive Assn., Fort Humboldt St. Park (loan); 1985/6 new boiler & cab; 1986 ran at World’s Fair, Vancouver, BC. Rectangular builder’s plate on right side of cab. Photos page 98 of Steam in The Redwoods by Carranco & Sorensen; article and photos page 10-16 Timberbeast Vol. 4 #2, Summer 1985, page 43, In Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette November 1976, pages 71-75; NG&SLG Mar/Apr 1988, pages 50-53; Trains April 1988; NCLIA have drawings for sale.
1885?	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy	8x14	42"	Market Street Ry II		Disposition: Dolbeer & Carson Lbr. Co. #1, Bayside, CA; Trinidad Mfg. Co. (Ole Hanson Shingle Mill) #1; City of Eureka, Haw Quarry RR #1, Eureka, CA; 1925? Holmes-Eureka Lbr. Co. #1(2nd), Eureka, CA; 1940/41 scrapped by Frank Breeden, Eureka, CA. Photos pages 94 & 115 Steam in The Redwoods by Carranco & Sorensen; Page 20 Railroads in The Woods by Labbe & Goe.
1885	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			Ostrich Farm Ry, Los Angeles, CA	1	Disposition: 1887 Los Angeles County Ry #1; Los Angeles Pacific Ry #1; Santa Ana & Newport Beach Ry #1; Southern Pacific of California #3; 1903 Eagle Salt Works.
1885	Std.	0-4-0 Dummy	8x14	28"	Presidio & Ferries RR	3
1885	Std.	0-4-0 Dummy	8x14	28"	Presidio & Ferries RR	4
1887	Std.	0-4-2T Dummy			National City & Otay Ry	1
1887	Std.	0-4-2T Dummy			National City & Otay Ry	2
1887	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			San Diego & Pacific Beach	1	Disposition: San Diego Old Town & Pacific Beach #1; 1894 San Diego Pacific Beach & La Jolla #1; 1899 Los Angeles & San Diego Beach RR #1
1887	42'	0-4-0T Dummy			Willamette Bridge RR	1	Disposition: 1889 to unknown in Tacoma, WA; 1891 John Aasen Lbr. Co. #1 Coquille, OR
1887	36"	0-4-0T Dummy			Ferries & Cliff House Rwy	1 (1st)	Disposition: 1888 Markham Lbr. Co. Russian River CA; 1896 Robert Dollar or his subsidiary E. K. Wood Lbr. Co.
1887	36"	0-4-0T Dummy			Ferries & Cliff House Rwy	2 (1st)	Disposition: 1888 unknown; 1898 Salinas Ry, Salinas, CA
1887	Std.	0-4-0T Dummy			Pacific Coast Steam Ship Co., San Diego	Senator Perkins	Disposition: 1912 retired; 1914 scrapped. Rectangular builder’s plate with clipped corners. Photos pages 124 & 125 of Ships & Narrow Gauge Rails by Best.
1889	Std.	0-4-0 Geared Dolbeer			J. Wonderly Lbr. Co., Usal, CA	1	Disposition: 1890 Usal Redwood Co. #1; 1894 Dollar Lbr. Co. #1; 1902 abandoned;193? scrapped (late 30’s).
1892	Std.	0-4-0T Geared Dolbeer	8x12	30"	Bear Harbor Lbr Co., Bear Harbor, California	1	Disposition: 1896 Bear Harbor & Eel River RR #1, Bear Harbor, CA (subsidiary of BHL); 1902 Southern Humboldt Lbr. Co. #1, Moody, California; 1906 Anderson Family, et al., stored at Moody (near Piercy), CA; 1967 Ft. Humboldt State Park, Eureka, CA; 1971 Northern Counties Logg. Interpretive Assn., Eureka, Cal. (display) (loan); 1979 returned to operable condition. Had 2 builder’s plates, rectangular on right side of the frame and donkey type on smoke box front, both gone by 09-39. Photos page 5 The Western Railroader May 1964, page 164 Steam in The Redwoods by Carranco & Sorensen, page 5 The Willamette Locomotive by Hauff & Gertz, page 64 Railroads in the Woods by Labbe & Goe. (builder’s photo was later recaptioned Moore & Scott Iron Works)

Source: Based on

References

Reference / Locomotive Builders / Marshutz & Cantrell, National Iron Works