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Werkspoor

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Werkspoor, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 20252 sources
Werkspoor N.V.
Company typePublic company (N.V.)
IndustryManufacturing, rolling stock, marine steam engines, diesel engines
PredecessorKoninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen
FoundedMay 22, 1891; 135 years ago (1891-05-22) in Amsterdam, Netherlands
FounderC.T. Stork (appointed CEO)
FateMerged with Stork in 1954
SuccessorVerenigde Machinefabrieken Stork-Werkspoor (VMF)
Headquarters
Amsterdam (initially), later Utrecht
,
Netherlands
Area served
Netherlands, Argentina, and other markets
Key people
C.H. Strumphler (CEO from 1891), C.T. Stork (initiator)
ProductsRolling stock, marine steam engines, diesel engines, buses, aircraft components
Number of employees
5,000 (circa 1951) (1951)

Werkspoor N.V. was the abbreviated and eventually formal designation for the Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel. This Dutch industrial firm specialized in manufacturing rolling stock, as well as (marine) steam engines and diesel engines. It emerged as the successor to the company Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel, which later operated under the name Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen. In 1954, Werkspoor merged with Stork.

Establishment as Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel

File:Nederlandsche fabriek van werktuigen en spoorwegmaterieel.jpg
Nameplate on an Engine by KNFWS 1899

In March 1890, the predecessor to Werkspoor sought an automatic stay. After enduring prolonged financial losses, confidence in the Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen had diminished significantly. A comprehensive overhaul and new management were essential. Due to the strategic importance at both municipal and national levels, government officials stepped in to facilitate this transformation. Amsterdam’s mayor, G. van Tienhoven, successfully enlisted C.T. Stork—owner of the Stork machine factory—to lead the initiative and appoint capable management.

On 22 May 1891, a new entity named Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel was established. It acquired all assets of its predecessor for a total of 1,500,500 guilders; notably, 920,500 guilders represented a mortgage on the factory’s land. C.H. Strumphler assumed the role of CEO on 1 June 1891. The supervisory board comprised L. Serrurier from Amsterdam’s municipal government; C.T. Stork, a Dutch senate member; Jacob Theodoor Cremer and W.J. Geertsema from the House of Representatives; alongside two representatives from Dutch railway companies: J.A. Roessingh van Iterson of the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij and H.J. Nivel of the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen.

At its reopening on 1 June 1891, the company employed 124 workers. Initial orders arrived gradually since trust in the former factory had been undermined and needed rebuilding under new management. Early contracts from the navy were limited, but production of rolling stock sustained operations during these challenging initial years. Considerable investments were required to address neglected maintenance of buildings and machinery inherited from Koninklijke Fabriek’s final years. Many machines were outdated and inefficient, necessitating replacement. Additionally, establishing multiple rail connections to the facility was essential.

In 1893, J.T. Cremer was invited to found a new shipyard which became known as the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij. Although this development resulted in Werkspoor relinquishing its slipways—assets that had previously required substantial investment—it gained a neighboring shipbuilder with superior capabilities that consistently demanded ship engines.

File:Werkspoormotor.jpg
Nameplate on a Werkspoor engine 1937

By 1929, the telegraph address Werkspoor was adopted as the company’s official name. In 1954, Werkspoor merged with Stork to form Verenigde Machinefabrieken Stork-Werkspoor (VMF).

Rolling stock

File:Overdracht van de eerste in Nederland gebouwde electrische locomotief Weeknummer 51-48 - Open Beelden - 78250.ogv
Newsreel footage from 1951. Werkspoor in Utrecht manufactured the initial electric locomotives of the NS Class 1200 in 1951.

The establishment of the new company in 1891 was significantly supported by Dutch railway enterprises, which intended for it to specialize in rolling stock production. Although Werkspoor began this activity with only a single employee experienced in this field from the predecessor firm, it initiated manufacturing of railroad vehicles and similar equipment.[1] Early orders included a substantial shipment of freight cars from the Netherlands–South African Railway Company at favorable rates, providing essential business for the fledgling firm.[2]

A pivotal moment came in 1897 when the Netherlands–South African Railway Company commissioned 40 locomotives, prompting Werkspoor to construct three large halls on Oostenburg designed by A.L. van Gendt and expand production to include locomotives alongside wagons.[2] By 1913, manufacturing operations for railroad cars and steel frameworks were relocated to Lage Weide industrial park in Zuilen, now part of Utrecht. This new facility was designed to accommodate up to 6,000 workers, leading to the creation of Nieuw-Zuilen village—today known as Elinkwijk and De Lessepsbuurt districts. Among notable projects completed by Werkspoor in Utrecht were several prominent bridges, as well as the Waalbrug in Nijmegen and the Bommelse Brug near Zaltbommel.

Following World War II, extensive repairs were needed for Dutch railway and tram equipment, and Werkspoor contributed significantly by producing numerous new locomotives and carriages for national railways. These contracts were frequently divided with companies like Beijnes in Haarlem and Allan of Rotterdam. The loss of Indonesia as a market after its independence impacted Werkspoor’s railway sector; however, a large order from Argentina in 1951—comprising 90 locomotives and 400 carriages—temporarily offset this decline. This contract sustained employment levels around 5,000 for seven years. By 1968, demand was sufficiently high due to projects such as the Dutch railways’ plan V and a major tram series for Amsterdam that some work was subcontracted to Germany’s Duewag. Despite this activity, prospects for the rolling stock division remained limited because its clientele was confined to the domestic market, leading to its closure in 1972.

Machinery

Alongside rolling stock manufacturing, Werkspoor maintained a strong presence in machinery production, with a particular emphasis on marine engines. In its early years, it constructed engines for protected cruisers including HNLMS Koningin Wilhelmina der Nederlanden, HNLMS Holland (1896), and HNLMS Utrecht (1898).[2]

In 1910, Werkspoor built its first diesel engine for an ocean-going vessel—the Vulcanus—commissioned by the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij. During the early twentieth century, it also began manufacturing refrigeration units under license from Linde AG. A significant expansion occurred in 1960 with the construction of a large factory hall along the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal in Utrecht intended for assembling substantial boilers and machinery; this hall, originally called the Apparatenhal, has been known since 2013 as the Werkspoorkathedraal. In 1989, Wärtsilä, a Finnish corporation, acquired the engine division Stork-Werkspoor-Diesel (SWD).

Aircraft

File:Werkspoor Jumbo (1933) (1).jpg
Jumbo cargo aircraft

Werkspoor maintained a notable presence within the Dutch aviation sector. In 1925, it contributed to the creation of the Netherlands' first helicopter under the guidance of Albert Gillis von Baumhauer. By 1930, KLM executive Albert Plesman commissioned Werkspoor to develop a cargo aircraft based on a design by Joop Carley. The resulting Werkspoor Jumbo, produced in collaboration with Pander & Son, faced challenges due to engine overheating during its development. The Jumbo completed its maiden flight in 1931. This sole model operated as a cargo transporter for KLM over two years, followed by seven years serving as a trainer aircraft. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during bombing raids at the onset of World War II.

In the late 1930s, Werkspoor functioned as a subcontractor for Fokker. By February 1939, out of Fokker’s workforce of 2,000 employees, approximately 500 were stationed at Werkspoor’s Zuilen facility. These workers, primarily woodworkers, had been relocated due to spatial constraints at Fokker’s rapidly expanding Amsterdam factory. The wooden wings of the Fokker Fokker G.I, which first flew in 1937, were partially manufactured by Werkspoor, although the initial G.I. wings were not produced at Zuilen.

During the 1950s, a joint initiative between the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United States aimed to produce 460 Hawker Hunter fighter jets. This NATO-backed program involved partial funding from the United States, with engines supplied by FN in Belgium. A consortium was established for aircraft construction:

  • Fokker served as the main contractor, overseeing final assembly of Dutch components and certain Belgian aircraft parts, including the rear fuselage.
  • Werkspoor was responsible for manufacturing the central section of the fuselage.
  • Aviolanda handled construction of the forward fuselage.
  • Société Anonyme Belge de Construction Aéronautiques (Sabca) produced wings and landing gear under Dowty license.
  • Avions-Fairey managed final assembly for some Belgian aircraft.

Buses

File:NZH 4842 HOVM.jpg
Leyland-Werkspoor LE-WS bus exhibited by NZHSTM

Werkspoor manufactured buses both before and after World War II. In the late 1940s, it produced 195 Crossley buses for local transit companies affiliated with the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. Following this period, Werkspoor ceased bus production but reentered the market seven years later at the request of Nederlandse Spoorwegen. This move aimed to prevent Verheul, a major coachbuilder capable of producing self-supporting bus bodies, from monopolizing the market. Nederlandse Spoorwegen believed Werkspoor should also develop this capability. Between 1956 and 1962, Nederlandse Spoorwegen and its subsidiaries acquired a total of 477 Leyland-Werkspoor Bolramer buses. In 1962, Werkspoor divested its bus division to Hainje in Heerenveen, which is currently part of VDL Groep.

Radio telescope

In 1956, Werkspoor collaborated with Philips, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and several Dutch universities to establish the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory.

Hyperbaric chamber

Werkspoor introduced the first hyperbaric medicine pressure chamber for clinical use in 1959. The initial client was the Wilhelmina Gasthuis located in Amsterdam. Following the integration of Wilhelmina Gasthuis into the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, the chamber was relocated to Meibergdreef, where it remains operational.

Nuclear reactor and ultracentrifuges

Dutch physicist Dr. Jacob Kistemaker conducted pioneering experiments with ultracentrifuge technology for uranium enrichment within Werkspoor’s Amsterdam basement facilities. These efforts ultimately contributed to the establishment of the uranium enrichment facility Urenco in Almelo in 1969. During the 1970s, Werkspoor manufactured the reactor pressure vessel for the KEMA Suspensie Test Reactor (KSTR), an experimental nuclear reactor utilized by KEMA in Arnhem from 1974 to 1979 for research purposes.

Legacy

File:Oostenburg2.jpg
The Werkspoormuseum located in the former admiralty building on Oostenburgergracht.

Amsterdam was home to the Werkspoormuseum, housed since 1950 in a former ropewalk of the Dutch East Indies Company. This 500-meter-long structure, known as Lijnbaan, dates back to 1660. The museum’s ground floor displayed artifacts related to the Dutch East Indies Company, while the upper floor showcased Werkspoor’s industrial heritage. Additionally, the museum served as a representative site for Stork but was not accessible to the general public and ultimately closed in 2011. In 2012, Stork sought a new location to preserve the collection.

On 12 September 2009, the Museum van Zuilen opened at de Amsterdamsestraatweg 569 in Utrecht, featuring a collection centered on Werkspoor’s Utrecht factory. In June 2020, it relocated to a former Werkspoor ‘apparatenhal’ at Schaverijstraat 13, Zuilen-Utrecht.

Overview of rolling stock built by Werkspoor

This section provides a list of rolling stock produced by Werkspoor after World War II, organized by customer.

Locomotives

  • Locomotives NS Class 200/300 series (excluding units 281-306) ('Sik')
  • Diesel locomotives NS Class 400
  • Diesel locomotives NS 450
  • Diesel locomotives NS 2600
  • Electric locomotives NS Class 1000 (in partnership with SLM/Oerlikon Contraves)
  • Electric locomotives NS Class 1200 (collaboration with Baldwin Locomotive Works/Westinghouse Electric Company)

Trainsets

  • Plan A (Mat '46) – co-produced with Beijnes
  • Plan B (Mat '46) – produced alongside Allan and Beijnes
  • Plan AB (Mat '46)
  • Plan F (Mat '54) – developed with Allan and Beijnes
  • Plan G (Mat '54) – built jointly with Allan
  • Plan P (Mat '54)
  • Plan Q (Mat '54)
  • Benelux trainsets (Mat '57)
  • Plan U (Dieseldrieën)
  • Plan X (Diesel-1 and Diesel-2) – created in cooperation with Allan and Beijnes, nicknamed "Blauwe Engelen"
  • Plan T (Mat '64)
  • Plan V (Mat '64) Manufactured until 1972 (trainset 840), later production transferred to Talbot
  • Plan mP (Motorpost)
  • SBB-CFF-FFS RAm TEE I and NS DE4 (Trans Europe Express models, developed together with SBB)

Railcars

  • Plan D - Developed in collaboration with Beijnes
  • Plan E - Produced jointly with Beijnes
  • Plan N
  • Plan W

GVB (Amsterdam)

  • Trams: Amsterdam’s three-axle trams (units 491-550 and 951-1000).
  • Trams: articulated models including Amsterdam’s Beijnes/Werkspoor articulated trams 5G, 6G, 7G, units 653-669; rear cars numbered 670-699 by Düwag; and units 700-724.

HTM (The Hague)

  • Trams: series 201-216 (manufactured in 1948, Haagse four-axle type, commonly referred to as "Zwitsers")

RET (Rotterdam)

  • Metro: Metro type M, specifically the 5000 series.
  • Trams: series 300 and combined 600/1600 series.

Staatsmijnen

  • Diesel locomotives DHB 450/500 including SM 171-183 (500 hp) and SM 191-196 (650 hp)
  • Freight wagons: two-axle self-discharging cars

Various Items

Rolling Stock

Trams

References

  • Boer, de M.G. (1927). Honderd jaar machine-industrie op Oostenburg, Amsterdam. Druk de Bussy, Amsterdam.
  • Starink, D. (2014). De Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse Vliegtuigindustrie 1914-2014. Mars et Historia. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Militaire Historie.
  • H. de Jong: De locomotieven van Werkspoor. De Alk, Alkmaar, 1986. ISBN 90-6013-933-X
  • W. van Scharenburg: Werkspoor Utrecht-Zuilen Deel I Trams en Treinen. ISBN 978-90-806997-5-5
  • W. van Scharenburg: Werkspoor Utrecht-Zuilen Deel II Bruggen, Montage, Vrachtauto's, Boten, Bussen enz. ISBN 978-90-806997-6-2

Notes

  1. ↑ Boer, de 1927, p. 90.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Boer, de 1927, p. 91.

External links

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