Steam Engine 18 478 S 3-6 Detail 03 2009-10-11

Maffei was a manufacturer of railway

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

s based in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany. Established in 1836, it prospered for nearly a century before going bankrupt in 1930 and becoming amalgamated with the firm of Krauss to form

Krauss-Maffei KraussMaffei is a German manufacturing company. It is a manufacturer of injection molding machines, machines for plastics extrusion technology, and reaction process machinery. It was acquired by ChemChina in 2016. History KraussMaffei was forme ...

. Following another 70 years of prosperity Krauss-Maffei merged with Demag and Mannesmann in 1999, the resulting conglomerate in turn being sold to

Siemens AG Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the posit ...

. Perhaps J. A. Maffei's most famous product was the S3/6 4-6-2 locomotive of 1908.

History

In 1836, Joseph Anton, Ritter von Maffei established the "J. A. Maffei" locomotive works in the

English Garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...

district of Munich. The aim was to make Bavaria competitive in the machine industry. From these small beginnings a locomotive works eventually developed. Lokomotivfabrik maffei 1864

In 1864, they delivered their 500th locomotive. Maffei, as a Munich town councillor, was praised for the building of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Well-known products of the locomotive works are the Bavarian S 2/6 express locomotive which held the 1907 German speed record of 154.5 km/h) and the Bavarian S 3/6. Examples of the S 3/6 are preserved in the

Deutsches Museum The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science museum, science and technology museum, technology, with a ...

in Munich and in the

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

Transport Museum. Maffei, amongst other things, involved itself with the building of the

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

Munich line and supported Johann Ulrich Himbsel in the building of the Munich -

Starnberg Starnberg is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany, some southwest of Munich. It is at the north end of Lake Starnberg, in the heart of the "Five Lakes Country", and serves as capital of the Starnberg (district), district of Starnberg. Recor ...

line. Maffei, at Lake Starnberg, built their first steamer "Maximilian". By 1926, they had built 44 steam ships. In 1930, the form of J.A.Maffei went into bankruptcy and in 1931, merged with the Krauss Company to form

. The Maffei mansion in

Feldafing Feldafing () is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in Starnberg (district), Starnberg district, Bavaria, Germany, and is located on the west shore of Lake Starnberg, southwest of Munich. History The history of Feldafing begins on the Ros ...

, by Lake Starnberg, today houses a museum and exhibitions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maffei (Company) Defunct manufacturing companies of Germany Defunct locomotive manufacturers of Germany Manufacturing companies based in Munich Manufacturing companies established in 1836 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1930 1836 establishments in the German Confederation 1930 disestablishments in Germany