WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderBeloit company powers USS New York

Beloit company powers USS New York

By Katie Nilsson

A Beloit company has built a countless number of engines, but the latest ones it put together have special meaning.   The USS New York is a tribute to the thousands of people who died on 9-11.  The ship's engines are built in Beloit, at Fairbanks Morse Engine Company.

Fairbanks Morse has been in Beloit for about 120 years.    It builds diesel engines for a lot of different organizations and companies, their biggest client is the military.     The company already has engines in everything from submarines to air craft carriers.  Owners say they were really excited to land the contract for the USS New York.   "It's a big honor, kind of flattering really because this ship the USS New York is made out of I think there's 7 and a half tons of steel from the world trade center and the folks and the people in the City of New York have a lot of pride in that."

The ship will take members of the Navy to different ports all over the world.   It'll have four Fairbanks Morse engines in it, which combined give it more than 41,000 horse power.  The typical car engine is less than 300.  "They're, I don't know, 20 feet long and 15 feet high you know they're quite powerful, bigger than my truck that's for sure."

Company leaders aren't the only ones who take pride in having a hand in this special ship.  Members of the Steelworkers Union who build the engines do too.  "We know that those are going on ships that are going into harms way every time so when they call on that power, they need to have that power there and our engines will provide that power.

Several Fairbanks Morse workers head to New York City for the ship's commissioning this Saturday.