Company Overview

For decades the name RELCO Locomotives, Inc. has been synonymous with quality, value, and exceptional service. RELCO Locomotives, Inc. was founded in 1961 by George Bachman to lease quality locomotives to railroads and industrial companies throughout the Midwest.

Today, RELCO has expanded, offering total motive solutions to railroads, industrial companies, and government agencies not only across the Midwest but throughout North America. And our fleet of leased locomotives is now one of the largest privately owned fleets in the United States. With our state of the art facilities, expert staff, and commitment to both maintaining the highest standards and providing only the most reliable locomotives and service in the industry, RELCO is a premiere provider of total motive power solutions.

About our CEO and Chairman

George Bachman, founder of RELCO, was Chief Mechanical Officer for the EJ&E Railroad when he began taking side jobs on the weekends. Soon those side jobs generated greater opportunities, and George left the EJ&E in 1961 and started his own company, RELCO Locomotives.

In its earliest days, RELCO Locomotives simply leased locomotives to customers, providing full-maintenance contracts.  George managed every aspect of the business from maintenance to sales all on his own until his son, Don Bachman, current RELCO CEO and Chairman, joined forces with him full-time in 1970.  Business grew substantially, and RELCO moved from its original location in Joliet, Illinois. RELCO's main corporate office is now located in Lisle, Illinois.

More than thirty years later, RELCO not only leases but sells, rebuilds, and remanufactures entire locomotives!