Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (German Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik; French Société Suisse pour la Construction de Locomotives et de Machines; or for both, SLM) was a railway equipment manufacturer based in

Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Much of the world's

mountain railway A mountain railway is a railway that operates in a mountainous region. It may operate through the mountains by following mountain valleys and tunneling beneath mountain passes, or it may climb a mountain to provide transport to and from the su ...

equipment was constructed by the company.

History

The company was founded in 1871 by the British engineer Charles Brown. SLM built both

steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

and

electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...

s, including the

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...

type. From 1992, SLM returned to producing steam locomotives designed around

advanced steam technology Advanced steam technology (sometimes known as modern steam) reflects an approach to the technical development of the steam engine intended for a wider variety of applications than has recently been the case. Particular attention has been given t ...

principles. This included rebuilding DR Class 52.80 locomotive number 52 8055. In 1998, the cog-railway division was sold to

Stadler Rail Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...

, and the engineering division, via

Adtranz Adtranz was a multi-national rail transportation equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the US. The company, legally known as ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, was created in 1996 as a joint venture between ABB and Daim ...

, to

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...

. The remaining business was renamed Sulzer-Winpro AG and as part of a management buyout in 2001, was renamed Winpro AG. The advanced steam division was sold in 2000 to Dampflokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik AG (Steam Locomotive and Machine Works Ltd), or DLM AG. In October 2001, the measurement division was sold to PROSE AG. Winpro AG was sold on 7 September 2005 to Stadler Rail.

Preserved SLM Locomotives

Finland

France

India

Indonesia

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Gallery

File:PalestineRailways-1946-ClassH-1.jpg, SLM built this 1050mm gauge 2-8-0 for the Hejaz Railway in 1912 and it was still at work on Palestine Railways in 1946. File:NMR Locomotive 37395 at Coonor 05-02-27 21.jpeg, SLM locomotives are still at work in India on some

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) ...

s. File:Finland SocieteSuisse2.JPG, Builder's Plate

2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. T ...

Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works Societe Suisse Locomotive No 405 from 1885 at the Finnish Railway Museum File:Sonderausstellung Bergbahnen - 03.jpg, Electric railcars built by SLM are used in the Pilatus Railway File:Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik Winterthur - 2-C-1 Schmalspur-Schnellzug-Lokomotive für die Holländischen Staatsbahnen auf Java.jpg, The express engines

4-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The locomoti ...

SS Class 700 or PNKA C50 which were ordered by Staatsspoorwegen from SLM and Hartmann for line in

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

, came in 1911-1914 File:USA Pikes Peak 099 SLM cog.jpg, Diesel hydraulic railcar on Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway, Colorado, USA File:SBB Historic - F SLM 3 00676 A - Firmentafel in acht Sprachen.jpg, SLM works plates in 8 different languages

References

{{Authority control Companies based in Winterthur Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Zurich Locomotive manufacturers of Switzerland Swiss companies established in 1871 Manufacturing companies established in 1871