Oerlikon Works

Oerlikon Works, properly Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, was a Swiss engineering and machinery company established in 1876 in the Zürich district of Oerlikon. It began as the Werkzeug- und Maschinen-Fabrik Oerlikon under the leadership of industrialist Peter Emil Huber-Werdmüller and grew into an important manufacturer of industrial machinery and electrical equipment. Its works occupied a substantial site immediately west of Oerlikon railway station, linking the company closely with the district whose name it carried. The company is particularly associated with the early development of electric railway technology. Its engineering activities contributed to the development and manufacture of electrical systems and electric locomotives during the formative period of railway electrification. This placed Oerlikon Works within the broader transition from steam-powered transport toward electrically powered railways, although the available reference material does not provide a complete catalogue of individual locomotive models, railway contracts, or production totals. The business also had an armaments operation. In 1906, that activity was separated from the original company to form Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon. The demerged enterprise later developed along distinct corporate paths: its technology activities became associated with OC Oerlikon, while its air-defence and weapons activities became associated with Rheinmetall Air Defence, formerly known as Oerlikon Contraves. These later companies should not be treated as identical to the historical Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, but they represent important institutional and technological legacies of the Oerlikon name. In 1967, Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was acquired by Brown, Boveri & Cie., a major Swiss electrical-engineering group. Brown, Boveri later merged with ASEA in 1988 to create ABB Group. The acquisition ended the company’s independent existence as a separate historical manufacturer, while transferring elements of its engineering heritage into a larger electrical and industrial organization. The original Oerlikon works site has since been redeveloped. One notable remnant is a late-nineteenth-century office building associated with the company. During expansion work at Oerlikon railway station in the twenty-first century, the building stood in the path of planned additional platform tracks. Because of its cultural and regional importance, demolition was rejected. Instead, the approximately 6,200-metric-ton structure was moved about 60 metres westward on specially laid tracks in May 2012. The building was subsequently incorporated into a restaurant complex known as Gleis 9. This preservation project illustrates the continuing historical significance of the former works even after the operating company had disappeared.

Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was founded in 1876 as the Werkzeug- und Maschinen-Fabrik Oerlikon in the Zürich district of Oerlikon. Its founder, industrialist Peter Emil Huber-Werdmüller, established the company as an engineering and machinery enterprise at a time when Swiss industry was expanding its capabilities in machine tools, electrical technology, and transportation equipment. The works were built immediately west of Oerlikon railway station, and the company became physically and commercially linked to the district’s industrial development. The company’s most historically important activities involved electrical engineering and railway technology. Oerlikon Works was known for early work on electric locomotives and associated electrical systems, contributing to the wider development of railway electrification. The available reference material identifies this area as a defining feature of the company, although it does not provide enough information to list individual locomotive classes, production figures, or specific railway customers reliably. The company also maintained an armaments business. In 1906, that operation was separated from the original enterprise and organized as Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon. The separation created a distinct corporate succession from the parent engineering works. Over time, this lineage produced technology businesses associated with OC Oerlikon and weapons and air-defence activities associated with Rheinmetall Air Defence, which was formerly known as Oerlikon Contraves. Those later entities inherited parts of the Oerlikon name and industrial legacy but were not the same legal enterprise as the original Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon remained an independent Swiss engineering identity until 1967, when it was taken over by Brown, Boveri & Cie. The acquisition placed the company within a larger electrical and industrial group. Brown, Boveri subsequently merged with ASEA in 1988, forming ABB Group. Through this succession, aspects of Oerlikon’s technical and organizational heritage entered one of the major international electrical-engineering groups, while the original company ceased to operate as an independent business. The former factory area has undergone extensive urban redevelopment. Its historical importance remains visible through surviving structures and the continued association of the site with Zürich’s industrial heritage. A particularly notable episode occurred in connection with the expansion of Oerlikon railway station during the second decade of the twenty-first century. Plans for two additional platform tracks affected a late-nineteenth-century office building belonging to the former works. Because the building was considered culturally important to the region, authorities rejected demolition. Instead, the approximately 6,200-metric-ton building was moved 60 metres westward on specially laid rails in May 2012. The operation took 19 hours. The preserved structure is now part of a restaurant complex known as Gleis 9, giving a prominent surviving element of the former company a new civic and commercial use.

• 2012

  Historic former office building relocated

  [1]Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org

  A 6,200-metric-ton former Oerlikon office building was moved approximately 60 metres to make room for Oerlikon railway-station expansion.

• 1988

  Brown Boveri joins ASEA to form ABB

  [1]Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org

  Brown, Boveri’s merger with ASEA created ABB Group, carrying forward the corporate succession that followed the acquisition of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon.

• 1967

  Acquisition by Brown, Boveri & Cie.

  [1]Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org

  Brown, Boveri & Cie. acquired Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon.

• 1906

  Armaments business demerged

  [1]Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org

  The armaments operation was separated to form Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, creating a distinct corporate lineage for later Oerlikon-related technology and defence businesses.

• 1876

  Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon founded

  [1]Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org

  Peter Emil Huber-Werdmüller founded the Werkzeug- und Maschinen-Fabrik Oerlikon in the Zürich district of Oerlikon.

A historically significant Swiss engineering manufacturer focused on industrial machinery and electrical technology, with a notable role in the early development of electric railway systems.

• Railway equipment

  Electric locomotives

  Oerlikon Works was recognized for early development of electric locomotives and related railway-electrification technology. Its work belongs to the formative period of electric rail transport, when manufacturers were developing practical systems for converting electrical power into railway traction. The available source identifies electric locomotives as a central part of the company’s reputation but does not document enough model-level information to specify a complete product range.

• Industrial machinery · 1876

  Industrial machinery

  The company was established as a machine and engineering manufacturer, producing industrial machinery within the broad manufacturing capabilities of a major Swiss works. Its original German name explicitly referred to tools and machinery. The reference material does not provide a detailed catalogue of machine types, but industrial machinery formed the foundation of the enterprise before and alongside its later electrical-engineering activities.

• Defence equipment

  Armaments

  Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon operated an armaments business until that activity was separated in 1906. The demerged operation became Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon and later contributed to the corporate and technological lineage associated with Oerlikon Contraves and Rheinmetall Air Defence. These later organizations are successors or related descendants rather than products of the original company in its final form.

• 2012

  Relocation of the historic office buildingOther

  Background

  Expansion of Oerlikon railway station required additional platform tracks on the north-western side of the station, affecting a late-nineteenth-century former company office building.

  Action taken

  Rather than demolish the culturally important structure, planners moved the approximately 6,200-metric-ton building about 60 metres west on specially laid tracks.

  Aftermath

  The 19-hour relocation preserved the building, which was incorporated into the Gleis 9 restaurant complex.

  Source

• 1967

  Acquisition by Brown, Boveri & Cie.M&A

  Background

  After decades as a Swiss engineering manufacturer, Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon became part of a larger electrical-engineering group.

  Action taken

  Brown, Boveri & Cie. took over the company.

  Aftermath

  The independent corporate identity of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon ended, and its activities entered the Brown Boveri succession that later became ABB Group.

  Source

• 1906

  Separate the armaments businessStrategy

  Background

  Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon maintained both engineering and armaments activities during its early history. In 1906, the armaments operation was reorganized as a separate company.

  Action taken

  The armaments business was demerged to form Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon.

  Aftermath

  The separation established a distinct corporate lineage that later developed into Oerlikon-related technology and air-defence businesses.

  Source

1. 1Maschinenfabrik Oerlikonen.wikipedia.org