Windhoff

Windhoff is a German manufacturer of specialised railways rolling stock, and heavy industrial plant. The company was founded in 1889.

This article is about a company, for the German trade unionist, see Carl Windhoff
Windhoff
Founded1899
FounderRudolf Windhoff
Headquarters
Rheine 
,
Germany 
ParentGeorgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH (2002–present)[1]
Websitewww.windhoff.com

The company is well known for its CargoSprinter rail vehicle, and derivatives

History

The company started out as the Rheiner Maschinenfabrik (Machine Factory of Rheine) in Rheine near Münster, Germany in 1889 manufacturing machines for the weaving industry and founded by Rudolf Windhoff. By 1901 the company was employing over 100 people.[2]

As similar control mechanisms were used for steam-driven automated weaving looms and for stream-driven railway traversers and turntables, Rudolf Windhoff also founded the Motoren- und Fahrzeugfabrik Gebr. Windhoff (Windhoff Brothers' Engine and Vehicle Factory).[2]

In 1913, these two private companies were combined to form the share-based Rheiner Maschinenfabrik Windhoff (Windhoff Machine Factory Rheine). This combined company suffered losses during the 1930s. Later, a bomb destroyed the manufacturing premises on 5 October 1944.[2] In 1957 the company stopped manufacturing normal locomotives and start to concentrate on tracking machines (ballast tampers).

The Windhoff company was first listed on the stock exchange in 1993.[2] On 19 December 2001,[3] the main company was declared bankrupt and the industrial plant and railway engineering divisions being taken over on 1 March 2002,[3] to become part of Georgsmarienhütte Holdings GmbH.[2] The Windhoff division, as Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik GmbH (Windhoff Railway- and Equipment Technology) continues to supply specialist railway vehicles and infrastructure with a team of around 250 people.[2] The company is an approved railway contractor for in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway.[4]

Products

Windhoff manufactures specialised rail vehicles including the diesel freight multiple unit the CargoSprinter, and the Windhoff MPV, used for infrastructure and service trains, as well as electric and diesel shunting machines, shunting locomotives, and stationary shunting equipment. The company also manufactures a wide variety of rail service equipment including lifting equipment, traversers and turntables and equipment for wheelset maintenance including wheel and bogie drop machines, and wheelset and bogie measuring equipment.[5]

Windhoff has a contract to supply Network Rail with a factory train which will be used by Amey plc in the Great Western electrification project.[6]

The company also manufactures equipment for heavy industrial plants, including steel-works equipment such as ladle transporters and tippers, torpedo wagons (in association with IAG-MAGNUM), and machinery for steel coil handling.[7]

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References
  1. "New owners for Windhoff". WorldCargo News. March 2002. Windhoff AG in Rheine, known for its special purpose vehicles for railway maintenance including Cargo-Sprinter MPVs, has been taken over by Georgsmarienhutte Holding
  2. "Portrait of Enterprise". Georgsmarienhütte Group of Companies. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  3. Merte, Jens. "Rheiner Maschinenfabrik, Rheine" (in German). Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  4. "Windhoff - Railway Workshop Equipment and On-Track Plant". SPG Media Limited. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-17. further bespoke vehicles are fire fighting and rescue trains, and Freight Multiple Units (FMUs) on MPV basis.
  5. Windhoff website, "Rail Technologies", March 2012
  6. "Windhoff to build Network Rail's electrification factory train". Railway Gazette International. 5 December 2011.
  7. Windhoff website, "Plant Technologies", March 2012
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