Today, several Rogers-built locomotives exist in railroad museums around the world, and the plant's erecting shop is preserved as the Thomas Rogers Building; it is the current location of the Paterson Museum, whose mission is to preserve and display Paterson's industrial history.

The Jefferson Works built textile and agricultural machinery for a year before Rogers met the two men who would help transform the company into a major locomotive manufacturer.

[1] In 1832, Rogers partnered with two investors from New York City, Morris Ketchum and Jasper Grosvenor.

Jefferson Works was renamed Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor, and the company began to diversify into the railroad industry.

Colburn was, around 1854, "superintendent and/or consultant" at the works where he introduced a number of improvements in locomotive design.

[15] His assistant was William S. Hudson who succeeded Rogers after he died in 1856, and was responsible for further engineering enhancement.

[17] Rogers locomotives were, from very early in the company's history, seen as powerful, capable engines on American railroads.

The Uncle Sam, serial number 11, a 4-2-0 (a locomotive with two unpowered axles in front, followed by one powered axle) built in 1839 for the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company, was noted by American Railroad Journal for hauling a 24-car train up a grade of 26 feet per mile (4.9 m/km) or 0.49% at 24.5 mph (39.4 km/h).

[18] In 1846, Rogers built what is referred to as the largest 6-wheel truck engine (4-2-0) in the United States; the Licking, serial number 92, built for the Mansfield and Sandusky Railroad, generated 110 psi (760 kPa) of steam pressure and could pull a 380-short-ton (345 t; 339-long-ton) train up a grade of 16 feet per mile (3 m/km) or 0.3%.

Rogers built a 4-4-0, serial number 631, in December of that year for the Western and Atlantic Railroad.

[3] In November 1868 Rogers delivered five identical coal-burning 4-4-0 steam locomotives (assigned Nos.

119 would gain fame on May 10, 1869, when it took part in the "Golden Spike" ceremony at Promontory, Utah, to celebrate the completion of the First transcontinental railroad.

[25] In the mid-1870s, Rogers ended production of textile machinery and began concentrating solely on locomotive manufacturing.

Compounding Rogers' troubles further, the firm had no nearby rail connection, the closest railroad, Erie Railroad, being located approximately 0.57 miles (0.92 km) to the east, making transporting materials and locomotives time-consuming, increasingly more so as the surrounding city of Patterson was built up and larger engines were ordered.

[29] Faced with stiff competition and an inability to increase its own capacity, Rogers Locomotive Works was purchased by ALCO in 1905.

[33] The following locomotives (in serial number order) built by Rogers, before ALCO's acquisition of the company, have been preserved.

Where multiple railroads and road numbers are listed, they are given in chronological order for the locomotives; all locations are in the United States unless noted.