Locomotive Works, Engineering Shops, Steel, Iron and Brass Foundries

Works at TROLLHÄTTAN and ESKILSTUNA

Affiliated Works:

FORSBACKA IRON AND STEEL WORKS, LTD., FORSBACKA (see separate description)

LIDKÖPING MACHINE TOOL WORKS, LTD., (see separate description)

Manufacturing scope

Origin

Panoramic view of the works at Trollhättan. In the foreground the Government water-power station

THE TROLLHÄTTAN WORKS

Locomotive Department:

Steam Locomotives for every duty and gauge.

Electric and Fireless Locomotives. Locomotive parts of all kinds. Rotary Snow Ploughs. Impregnation appliances for sleepers.

Turbine Department:

Water turbines of all kinds for every head and output. Automatic oil-pressure governors. Pressure regulators. Turbine piping with safety equipment. Throttle valves. Sluice gates with winches and ice gratings. Roller weirs.

Machine Tools Department:

Wheel Lathes with patented curve-forming slides. Wheel Presses for locomotive and railway shops.

Electro-hydraulic and pneumatic riveting machines. Grinding machines. Radial drilling machines.

Castings:

Steel castings up to 9 tons each. Specialities: details for locomotives and railway cars; for shipbuilding: stems, stern frames, rudders, propellers, davits, etc.; for general machine construction: runners for water turbines, fly wheels, gear wheels, hydraulic press cylinders, fittings for high pressure piping, stators for electric machines, etc. Iron castings up to 12 tons each. Locomotive and railway-car parts. Specialities: cylinders for locomotives, steam and Diesel engines.

Gun metal, brass, and white metal castings.

The Nydqvist & Holm concern, having their principal works at Trollhättan, commenced operations in 1847, at the start mainly as builders of water turbines. Developments in engineering and railway construction soon led to the building of steam engines and later locomotives on an ever increasing scale.

Works

The first locomotive left the works in 1865. In connection with the extension of the Locomotive Swedish railway system there was a growing demand for locomotive engines. The production was therefore gradually specialized in this direction, and the company eventually became the leading locomotive builders in Sweden. In 1917 the works were organized as a joint stock company, and the establishment at the same time considerably enlarged. In 1920 the company secured a large contract from the Russian government in competition with both home and foreign manufacturers for 1000 freight locomotives of 132 tons, completely equipped and ready for service. To effectuate this contract within the stipulated time further extensions of the works became necessary. The works now cover an area of 160,000 sq. metres of which 30% is covered by buildings. The manufacture of tenders was carried out at an old, well-known establishment, Tender Works the Munktells Works at Eskilstuna which were acquired by the company for that purpose.

Steel Works

Water turbines

Turbine

testing and laboratory

Pneumatic machinery

Machine tools

Transport conveniences

These dispositions and the installation of over 200 new special machine tools of latest design brought up the capacity to 350 locomotives yearly.

In order to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of materials of the highest grade one of the foremost Swedish steel works, Forsbacka Iron and Steel Works, were acquired by the concern.

Up to the year 1908 the capacity of the delivered turbines varied up to a maximum of 1,200 HP, but in the following years the size of the turbines increased rapidly. Besides a great number of large and small turbines, supplied to different water-power stations in Sweden, Norway and Finland, the works contracted with the Swedish State for two turbines of 12,500 HP each to the power plant at Trollhättan. As a result of the fine performance of these two machines the State placed another order with the works for another six turbines for the Trollhättan plant, three of them developing 12,500 HP and the others 13,200 HP each. The firm besides was entrusted with the building of the entire turbine equipment of the Porjus plant in northern Lapland comprising six turbines of 15,700 HP each and one of 525 HP.

Turbine-testing and Laboratory. All new types of runners and draft tubes are tested in the most careful way in the testing plant and hydro-mechanical laboratory.

»Nohab » pneumatic power hammers, built in 7 standard sizes with a tup-weight of from 50 to 500 kilograms.

Air compressors with a capacity of from 5 to 30 cubic metres of admitted air per minute for an air pressure of up to 8 atm.

Wheel lathes with patented curve forming slides for tyres, built in sizes for wheel diameters of up to 22 metres.

Hydraulic wheel presses, riveting machines of both hydraulic and pneumatic types.
Grinding machines. Radial drilling machines.

The works are favourable situated on the Trollhättan Canal and have good connections with Gothenburg (43 miles) by rail and water as well as with Stockholm. For facilitating the loading of heavy machinery direct on board vessels the works have their own quays equipped with an 80-ton crane. The locks of the canal accommodate vessels of about 3,000 tons loading capacity.