Atlas-Imperial Diesel Engine Company was an American manufacturer of

diesel engines The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the die ...

based in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. The company was created in 1916 when two early

gasoline engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American and Canadian English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as Autogas, liquefied petroleum gas and Common ...

companies combined to manufacture diesel engines, following the expiration of Rudolph Diesel's patents. The company made diesels for

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

s, fishboats, coasters, yachts,

lightvessels A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship that acts as a lighthouse. It is used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. Although some records exist of fire beacons being placed on ships in Roman times, the ...

, and other ships. The company produced engines in a variety of sizes and ratings, from a 2-cylinder model that generated to an 8-cylinder model that generated . Known for their reliability and serviceability, Atlas diesels were installed in workboats around the world. While the Atlas-Imperial factory closed in the 1950s, its engines continued to power vessels well into the era of high-speed, small-cylinder diesel technology. Today, numerous Atlas Imperial engines remain, with some still in operational condition.

Sources

External links

Information about Atlas-Imperial diesel engines on Old Tacoma Marine Inc
Engine manufacturers of the United States Marine engine manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Oakland, California Marine diesel engines {{US-manufacturing-company-stub