# Windhoff > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Windhoff > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Windhoff.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windhoff > Source revision: 1326482259 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{dablink|This article is about a company, for the German trade unionist, see [Carl Windhoff](/source/Carl_Windhoff)}} {{Infobox company | name = Windhoff | logo = Windhoff-Logo-Horizontal-RGB-540.gif | caption = | type = | traded_as = | genre = | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 1889 In 1889, the engineer Rudolf WINDHOFF founded the company as Rheiner Maschinenfabrik | founder = Rudolf Windhoff | defunct = | location_city = | location_country = | location = | locations = | area_served = | key_people = | industry = | products = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH (2002–present){{cite web|url=http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/n20020315.535271.htm|title=New owners for Windhoff|publisher=WorldCargo News|date=March 2002|quote=Windhoff AG in Rheine, known for its special purpose vehicles for railway maintenance including Cargo-Sprinter MPVs, has been taken over by Georgsmarienhutte Holding}} | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = [http://www.windhoff.com www.windhoff.com] | footnotes = | intl = }} '''Windhoff''' is a German manufacturer of specialised railways rolling stock, and heavy industrial plant. The company was founded in 1889. The company is well known for its [CargoSprinter](/source/CargoSprinter) rail vehicle, and derivatives. ==History== The company started out as the ''{{lang|de|Rheiner Maschinenfabrik}}'' (Machine Factory of Rheine) in [Rheine](/source/Rheine) near Münster, Germany in 1889 manufacturing machines for the [weaving](/source/weaving) industry and founded by Rudolf Windhoff. By 1901 the company was employing over 100 people. As similar control mechanisms were used for steam-driven automated weaving looms and for stream-driven railway [traversers](/source/Transfer_table) and [turntables](/source/Railway_turntable), Rudolf Windhoff also founded the ''{{lang|de|Motoren- und Fahrzeugfabrik Gebr. Windhoff}}'' (Windhoff Brothers' Engine and Vehicle Factory). In 1913, these two private companies were combined to form the share-based ''{{lang|de|Rheiner Maschinenfabrik Windhoff}}'' (Windhoff Machine Factory Rheine). This combined company suffered losses during the 1930s. Later, a bomb destroyed the manufacturing premises on 5 October 1944. In 1957 the company stopped manufacturing normal locomotives and start to concentrate on tracking machines ([ballast tamper](/source/ballast_tamper)s). The Windhoff company was first listed on the stock exchange in 1993. On 19 December 2001,{{cite web|url=http://www.werkbahn.de/eisenbahn/lokbau/windhoff.htm|title=Rheiner Maschinenfabrik, Rheine|language=German|first=Jens|last=Merte|accessdate=2009-05-17}} the main company was declared bankrupt and the industrial plant and railway engineering divisions being taken over on 1 March 2002, to become part of Georgsmarienhütte Holdings GmbH.{{cite web|url=http://www.windhoff.de/e/wh/por/welcome.htm|title=Portrait of Enterprise|publisher=Georgsmarienhütte Group of Companies|accessdate=2009-05-17|archive-date=2011-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719114120/http://www.windhoff.de/e/wh/por/welcome.htm|url-status=dead}} The Windhoff division, as ''{{lang|de|Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik GmbH}}'' (Windhoff Railway- and Equipment Technology) continues to supply specialist railway vehicles and infrastructure with a team of around 250 people. The company is an approved railway contractor for in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway.{{cite web|url=http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/track/windhoff/ |title=Windhoff - Railway Workshop Equipment and On-Track Plant |publisher=SPG Media Limited |accessdate=2009-05-17 |quote=further bespoke vehicles are fire fighting and rescue trains, and Freight Multiple Units (FMUs) on MPV basis. |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427202938/http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/track/windhoff/ |archivedate=April 27, 2009 }} ==Products== Windhoff manufactures specialised rail vehicles including the diesel [freight multiple unit](/source/freight_multiple_unit) the [CargoSprinter](/source/CargoSprinter), and the [Windhoff MPV](/source/British_Rail_MPV), used for infrastructure and service trains, as well as electric and diesel shunting machines, shunting locomotives, and stationary shunting equipment. The company also manufactures a wide variety of rail service equipment including lifting equipment, [traversers](/source/Traverser_(railway)) and [turntables](/source/Railway_turntable) and equipment for wheelset maintenance including wheel and bogie drop machines, and wheelset and bogie measuring equipment.Windhoff website, "Rail Technologies", March 2012 Windhoff has a contract to supply [Network Rail](/source/Network_Rail) with a factory train which will be used by [Amey plc](/source/Amey_plc) in the [Great Western electrification](/source/21st_Century_modernisation_of_the_Great_Western_Main_Line) project.{{cite magazine| url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/windhoff-to-build-network-rails-electrification-factory-train.html| title=Windhoff to build Network Rail's electrification factory train| date=5 December 2011| magazine=[Railway Gazette International](/source/Railway_Gazette_International)| access-date=29 March 2012| archive-date=17 February 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217180511/https://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/windhoff-to-build-network-rails-electrification-factory-train.html| url-status=dead}} The company also manufactures equipment for heavy industrial plants, including steel-works equipment such as ladle transporters and tippers, [torpedo wagon](/source/torpedo_wagon)s (in association with [IAG-MAGNUM](/source/IAG-MAGNUM)), and machinery for steel coil handling.Windhoff website, "Plant Technologies", March 2012 ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Windhoff}} *{{citation| url = http://www.windhoff.com/| work = www.windhoff.com| title = Windhoff GmbH Online| language = German, English}}, company website Category:Rolling stock manufacturers of Germany --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Windhoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windhoff) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windhoff?action=history)). 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