Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen AG ( ME), also Maschinenfabrik Esslingen AG was a company for the manufacture of locomotives, railcars, trams, aircraft tugs, funiculars, rail wagons, bogies, railway engineering equipment ( turntables, transfer tables ), bridges, steel building construction, pumps and boilers.
The share company in 1965 went largely to Daimler -Benz AG, the truck production in 1968 Still GmbH. The company introduced until 2003 only one land and rental company is, and was finally dissolved.
History
Born in 1813 engineer Emil Kessler founded the Maschinenfabrik on March 11, 1846 in Stuttgart; was preceded by an initiative of the Kingdom of Württemberg, to create an independent by the then foreign railway industry. Kessler brought with relevant experience from Karlsruhe, where he was co-owner since 1837, in 1842 the sole owner of Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe.
The foundation stone of the new plant in Esslingen am Neckar was laid on May 4, 1846. A year later, in October 1847, the first locomotive to the Royal Württemberg State Railways ( KWSt.E. ) was delivered according to the contract. Maschinenfabrik henceforth worked closely with the Württemberg State Railways together, so almost all of their new developments were made here.
After the death of Emil Kessler 1867 his then 26 -year-old son of the same Emil Kessler took over the work. He ran it until the end of 1885. The thousandth locomotive in 1870 was in honor of the founder 's name KESSLER.
The company a very good reputation, first in Germany, increasingly gained but also abroad. Several acquisitions of other companies ( Maschinenfabrik Gebr Decker & Co. in 1881, Machine & Boiler Factory G. Kuhn 1902), the founding of the Costruzioni Meccaniche Saronno (Italy ) in 1887 and 1913, the construction of a new plant in Mettingen testified to the success.
An episode was recorded 1851 and in 1858 again set construction of inland vessels in Ulm and Friedrichshafen, which, however, contributed to the economic crisis period could be overcome by 1848. Fifty boats Danube, Neckar two steamers, two steamer Constance ( Wilhelm and Olga ) and two Bodensee tugs were the result of this activity. Permanent was the commitment in the steel and bridge, which was operated until the end of society.
As of 1907, a Kessler Maschinenfabrik stood in front again, Emil Kessler's youngest son Ludwig Kessler. Also under construction electric locomotives dedicated to you, In 1912 the Wendelsteinbahn. After 1920 a program of accumulators locomotives was launched, especially for mining and industrial railways. In addition, vehicles were built with internal combustion engines, small locomotives Köf just like the Esslinger railcars. Also were in Esslingen, Stuttgart cityscape formative, built trams of type 4 GT from 1956 to 1965 in more than 350 copies, which were still in use until the end of 2007. The cars of the funicular Stuttgart derived from the ME.
Until the 60s of the 20th century, a total of several thousand steam and diesel locomotives were delivered worldwide, including numerous special versions. A special reputation earned the ME by building their Zahnradlokomotiven in many varieties. She built Zahnradlokomotiven the systems Riggenbach, Abt and Strub. With such a machine and the Dampflokomotivbau in Esslingen completed: on October 21, 1966 left as the last one built for Indonesia steam locomotive gear the work.
Finally, the ME was a subsidiary of Gutehoffnungshütte. 1965 Daimler-Benz AG acquired the first 71 % of the company to use the plants for their production. The production of trucks was sold to the Still GmbH 1968. The construction of railway vehicles has therefore been set. Maschinenfabrik Esslingen AG was then to 2003, a pure land and leasing company as a subsidiary of Daimler management company for real estate and had its headquarters in Schönefeld.
An old locomotive is being rebuilt today the Association for the Preservation of the locomotives of the ME. This association has its seat in the old boardroom Maschinenfabrik in the Emil Kessler Road in Mettingen on the premises of Daimler AG.