Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Encyclopedia
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen (ME), was a German engineering firm that manufactured locomotive
s, tramways, railway wagons, roll-block
s, technical equipment for the railways, (turntables and traversers), bridges, steel structures, pumps and boilers.
on 11 March 1846 in Stuttgart
, as a result of an initiative of the Kingdom of Württemberg
to create a railway industry that was not dependent on foreign manufacturers. Emil Kessler brought vital experience from his time with the engineering works
in Karlsruhe
, where he had been a member of the board since 1837 and the sole director since 1842.
The foundation stone of the new factory was laid at Esslingen am Neckar
on 4 May 1846. One year later, in October 1847, the first locomotive ordered by the Royal Württemberg State Railways
(Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen) or K.W.St. E. was delivered.
The one thousandth locomotive delivered in 1870 was given the name KESSLER to commemorate the founder of the factory. The engineering works worked closely with the Royal Württemberg State Railways
so that almost all new engines for the railway company were built at Esslingen.
The firm earned a very good reputation, initially at home, then increasingly abroad. Several takeovers of other companies (Maschinenfabrik Gebr. Decker & Co. in 1881, Maschinen- & Kesselfabrik G. Kuhn in 1902), the formation of Costruzioni Meccaniche Saronno (Italy) in 1887 and in 1913 the construction of a new factory at Mettingen
demonstrated its success. One phase was the construction of ships for inland waters at Ulm
and Friedrichshafen
, begun in 1852 and stopped by 1858, that saw it through the time of economic crisis after 1848. 50 boats for the river Danube
, two steamships for the river Neckar
, two steamers and two tugs for Lake Constance
and were the result of this thoroughly successful venture. Longer-lived was the firms involvement in steel structures and bridging, that it continued with until the end.
By the 1960s Maschinenfabrik Esslingen had delivered several thousand steam and diesel locomotives worldwide, including numerous special designs. It had a particular reputation for the construction of cog locomotives
in many variations, including locomotives for Riggenbach
, Abt
and Strub
rack railways. It was one of these engines that was the last steam locomotive to be made in Esslingen: on 21 October 1966 the last cog locomotive left the factory bound for Indonesia
.
The company was also involved in the production of electric locomotives, for example, in 1912 for the Wendelsteinbahn. After 1920 a batch of accumulator cars was produced, mainly for coal mines and industrial railways.
In addition, internal combustion engined locomotives were built, such as the small diesel locomotive, the Köf
, and the Esslingen railbus
.
Between 1956 and 1965, over 350 Class SSB GT4
trams were built in Esslingen for the Stuttgart tramways, which were still in operation at the end of 2007. Even the cable car vehicles in Stuttgart were made at Esslingen.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, tramways, railway wagons, roll-block
Roll-block
The Rollbock system allows a coupled train of standard gauge wagons to be automatically loaded or rolled onto pre-coupled narrow gauge transporter trucks or bogies so that the train can then continue through a change of gauge...
s, technical equipment for the railways, (turntables and traversers), bridges, steel structures, pumps and boilers.
Founding
It was founded by Emil KesslerEmil Kessler
Emil Julius Carl Kessler was a German businessman and founder of the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen ....
on 11 March 1846 in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, as a result of an initiative of the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
to create a railway industry that was not dependent on foreign manufacturers. Emil Kessler brought vital experience from his time with the engineering works
Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe
The Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe was a locomotive and railway wagon manufacturer in the early days of the German railways. It was based at Karlsruhe in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany....
in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, where he had been a member of the board since 1837 and the sole director since 1842.
The foundation stone of the new factory was laid at Esslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district....
on 4 May 1846. One year later, in October 1847, the first locomotive ordered by the Royal Württemberg State Railways
Royal Württemberg State Railways
The Royal Württemberg State Railways were the state railways of the Kingdom of Württemberg between 1843 and 1920...
(Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen) or K.W.St. E. was delivered.
History
After the death of Emil Kessler in 1867 his 26-year old son, Emil Kessler, took over the factory. He ran it until his death in 1895. From 1907 another Kessler took the helm of the engineering works: Emil Kessler's youngest son, Ludwig Kessler.The one thousandth locomotive delivered in 1870 was given the name KESSLER to commemorate the founder of the factory. The engineering works worked closely with the Royal Württemberg State Railways
Royal Württemberg State Railways
The Royal Württemberg State Railways were the state railways of the Kingdom of Württemberg between 1843 and 1920...
so that almost all new engines for the railway company were built at Esslingen.
The firm earned a very good reputation, initially at home, then increasingly abroad. Several takeovers of other companies (Maschinenfabrik Gebr. Decker & Co. in 1881, Maschinen- & Kesselfabrik G. Kuhn in 1902), the formation of Costruzioni Meccaniche Saronno (Italy) in 1887 and in 1913 the construction of a new factory at Mettingen
Mettingen
Mettingen is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Mettingen is situated approx. 25 km east of Rheine and 20 km west of Osnabrück.-Neighbouring places:...
demonstrated its success. One phase was the construction of ships for inland waters at Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
and Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, begun in 1852 and stopped by 1858, that saw it through the time of economic crisis after 1848. 50 boats for the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, two steamships for the river Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
, two steamers and two tugs for Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
and were the result of this thoroughly successful venture. Longer-lived was the firms involvement in steel structures and bridging, that it continued with until the end.
By the 1960s Maschinenfabrik Esslingen had delivered several thousand steam and diesel locomotives worldwide, including numerous special designs. It had a particular reputation for the construction of cog locomotives
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
in many variations, including locomotives for Riggenbach
Riggenbach
Riggenbach can refer to:*Albert Riggenbach, meteorologist*Niklaus Riggenbach, inventor*Riggenbach counter-pressure brake*Riggenbach rack system*Holly Black née Riggenbach*Riggenbach's gerbil...
, Abt
Abt
-Abt:*Abt, a German, Dutch and Estonian word for the regular clerical title of Abbot, as well as a common surname, derived from that title**Alexander Abt -Abt:*Abt, a German, Dutch and Estonian word for the regular clerical title of Abbot, as well as a common surname, derived from that...
and Strub
Strub
Strub is a last name of German origin, and may refer to:* Charles H. Strub, American dentist and entrepreneur** Strub Stakes, an American horse race in Arcadia, California, named after him...
rack railways. It was one of these engines that was the last steam locomotive to be made in Esslingen: on 21 October 1966 the last cog locomotive left the factory bound for Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
The company was also involved in the production of electric locomotives, for example, in 1912 for the Wendelsteinbahn. After 1920 a batch of accumulator cars was produced, mainly for coal mines and industrial railways.
In addition, internal combustion engined locomotives were built, such as the small diesel locomotive, the Köf
Köf
Köf may refer to one of a series of small German locomotives or Kleinlokomotiven including:*DRG Kleinlokomotive Class I - strictly speaking these were Kö, not Köf locomotives as they did not have hydraulic transmission....
, and the Esslingen railbus
Esslingen railbus
The Esslingen railbus is a diesel railbus first delivered in 1951 for private railways in Germany.- History :...
.
Between 1956 and 1965, over 350 Class SSB GT4
GT4 (tram)
The GT4 is a tramway vehicle built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen.-History:...
trams were built in Esslingen for the Stuttgart tramways, which were still in operation at the end of 2007. Even the cable car vehicles in Stuttgart were made at Esslingen.
Demise of Locomotive Construction
Finally the ME became a subsidiary of the Gutehoffnungshütte. In 1965 Daimler-Benz AG bought the company in order to use it factory facilities for its production and the construction of railway vehicles ceased. Today (2007) the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen AG still exists, but is just a real estate leasing company.Preservation of Locomotives
Today, old locomotives are rebuilt by the Verein zur Erhaltung der Lokomotiven der ME (Society for the Preservation of ME Locomotives) and handed over to museum railways for everyday operations. This society has its base in the old board rooms of the engineering works in Emil-Kessler-Straße in Mettingen on the factory site of Daimler AG.Literature
- Max Mayer: Lokomotiven, Wagen und Bergbahnen – Geschichtliche Entwicklung in der Maschinenfabrik Eßlingen seit dem Jahre 1846. VDI-Verlag, Berlin 1924.
- Catalogue of the Exhibition Emil Kessler 1813–1867. Exhibition in the Baden State Library, Karlsruhe from 4 November to 2 December 1967, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte, 1967.
- Wolfgang Messerschmidt: Lokomotiven der Maschinenfabrik Esslingen 1841 bis 1966. Steiger-Verlag, Moers 1984.
- Wolfgang Messerschmidt: Von Lok zu Lok. Esslingen und der Lokomotivbau für die Bahnen der Welt. Franckh´sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1969.
- Werner Willhaus: Maschinenfabrik Esslingen., Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag, Freiburg 1999.
- Ludwig Keßler: Aus den Anfängen der Maschinenfabrik Eßlingen. Emil Keßler – sein Leben, sein Werk. Erinnerungsschrift zur 125. Wiederkehr des Geburtstags von Emil Keßler, 1938.
External links
- Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
- Railway nostalgia site
- History of the ME in editions 2001 and 2002 of the Härtsfeldbahn-Anzeigers magazine
- Förderverein ME
- There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany