Industry Diesel engines Products Diesel engines Founder Lawrence York Spear | Fate Dissolved circa 1925 Headquarters Groton | |
Key people Lawrence York Spear
Frank Cable
Isaac Rice Founded 1910, Groton, Connecticut, United States Parent organization General Dynamics Electric Boat | ||
The New London Ship and Engine Company (NELSECO) was established in Groton, Connecticut as a subsidiary of the Electric Boat Company to manufacture diesel engines.
Electric Boat acquired a license to manufacture MAN diesels, probably in 1909. These were initially manufactured by the Fore River Shipyard of Quincy, Massachusetts, where most of Electric Boat's early submarines were built under subcontract. NELSECO was established in Groton to take over diesel manufacturing from Fore River when difficulties were encountered, finishing the work on engines begun by Fore River. It was a subsidiary of the Electric Boat Company for its entire existence. The E- and F-class submarines, launched 1911-12, were initially equipped with these diesels; they were replaced in 1915 as NELSECO's initial efforts were unsatisfactory. The company was incorporated on 11 October 1910, with production starting in July 1911. The company was probably disestablished around 1925, as the last United States S-class submarine was completed in that year, and no subsequent US submarines were equipped with NELSECO engines. Electric Boat had a drought in submarine contracts 1918-1931, which probably caused NELSECO's demise.