The Swiss Northeastern Railway (''Schweizerische Nordostbahn''; NOB) was an early railway company in Switzerland. It also operated shipping on
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
(''Bodensee'') and
Lake Zürich
__NOTOC__
Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used to ...
. Until the merger of the
Western Swiss Railways
The Western Switzerland Railways (''Chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale'', shortened to ''Suisse-Occidentale''; SO or S-O), were initially a joint operation of three Swiss railway companies, but these companies merged on 1 January 1872. The co ...
into the
Jura–Simplon Railway (JS) in 1890/91, it was the largest Swiss railway company.
History
![Bahnhof Baden ca 1850](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Bahnhof_Baden_ca_1850.jpg)
The Swiss Northeast Railway was created on 1 July 1853 by the merger of the
Swiss Northern Railway
The Swiss Northern Railway (German: ''Schweizerische Nordbahn'', SNB), informally known as the ''Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn'', opened the first railway line within Switzerland in 1847, the Zürich–Baden line. This followed the extension of a Fre ...
(''Schweizerische Nordbahn''—SNB— informally known as the ''
Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn
The Swiss Northern Railway (German: ''Schweizerische Nordbahn'', SNB), informally known as the ''Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn'', opened the first railway line within Switzerland in 1847, the Zürich–Baden line. This followed the extension of a Fren ...
''), and the
Zürich-Lake Constance Railway (''Zürich-Bodenseebahn''). The originally planned continuation of the Northern Railway from
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
to
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
initially failed due to the different interests of the cantons of
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
,
Aargau
Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
and
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
.
The main initiator of the merger was the Zürich-based businessman
Alfred Escher
Johann Heinrich Alfred Escher vom Glas, known as Alfred Escher (20 February 1819 – 6 December 1882) was a Swiss politician, business leader and railways pioneer. Thanks to his numerous political posts and his significant role in the foundatio ...
, who previously headed the Zürich-Lake Constance Railway. He advocated the funding of the railways by private investors instead of public funds. He suggested the founding of
Schweizerische Kreditanstalt to meet the large capital requirements of the railways.
The NOB endeavored to establish connections with foreign countries to generate freight traffic. It first opened a direct connection from Zürich to
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
. Thus it became a direct competitor of the
United Swiss Railways
The United Swiss Railways (''Vereinigten Schweizerbahnen''; VSB or V.S.B.) was a former railway company in Switzerland. It was the smallest of the five main railways that were nationalised from 1902 to form the Swiss Federal Railways.
Foundatio ...
(''Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen''; VSB) based in
St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website ...
. the NOB opened the
line from Romanshorn to Winterthur on 16 May 1855. The
Zürich–Winterthur extension was opened in two stages from Winterthur to
Oerlikon on 27 December 1855 and to Zürich on 26 June 1856; this gave a connection to the former Northern Railway between Zürich and Baden. The arrival of the railway caused the peaceful village of Romanshorn to grow into one of the most important transport hubs in eastern Switzerland. The NOB started a shipping service on Lake Constance in 1855. The
train ferry
A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train f ...
service between Romanshorn and
Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen ( or ; Low Alemannic: ''Hafe'' or ''Fridrichshafe'') is a city on the northern shoreline of Lake Constance (the ''Bodensee'') in Southern Germany, near the borders of both Switzerland and Austria. It is the district capital (''Kre ...
(Germany) was established in 1869. This led the NOB to expand the railway facilities and to construct the largest of the ports on Lake Constance (measured by area), which required the shore to be raised.
![Hubert Sattler Rheinfall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Hubert_Sattler_Rheinfall.jpg)
The NOB started work on the
Winterthur–Schaffhausen railway in 1856 and it was opened on 16 April 1857. The line of the former Northern Railway between Zürich and Baden was extended to the west. The section of the
Baden–Aarau railway from Baden to
Brugg
, neighboring_municipalities = Gebenstorf, Habsburg, Hausen, Holderbank, Lupfig, Riniken, Rüfenach, Schinznach, Untersiggenthal, Villigen, Villnachern, Veltheim, Windisch
, twintowns = Rottweil (Germany)
, website ...
with the bridge over the
Reuss Reuss may refer to:
*Reuss (surname)
*Reuss (river) in Switzerland
*Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss
*Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line (House of Reuss), members incl ...
was opened on 29 September 1856. The rest of the line to
Aarau
Aarau (, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital of the northern Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Aargau. The List of towns in Switzerland, town is also the capital of the dis ...
was opened on 15 May 1858 where the network of NOB connected with the network of the
Swiss Central Railway
The Swiss Central Railway (''Schweizerische Centralbahn''; SCB or S.C.B.) was one of the five major private railway companies of Switzerland. The SCB with a track length of 332 kilometres was integrated into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 19 ...
(''Schweizerische Centralbahn''; SCB) at
Wöschnau on the
Aargau
Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
-
Solothurn
Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the Capital (political), capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the n ...
canton border, meaning that Zürich was now connected with Basel.
On 18 August 1859, the NOB was able to complete a direct connection with a foreign country with the opening of the
Turgi–Waldshut line. This completed the main network of Northeastern Railway. The most important northern gateway to Switzerland was Basel, but it was controlled by the SCB. Freight transport was NOB's most important business segment, which initially enjoyed good returns.
The NOB was involved with other railway companies. After the
Schweizerische Ostwestbahn (Swiss East West Railway, OWB), which had been founded in 1861, had become bankrupt in an attempt to build a line from
La Neuveville
La Neuveville (; german: Neuenstadt) is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (''Jura Bernois'').
History
La Neuveville is first mentioned ...
via
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
to Zürich, the NOB together with the cantons of Zürich,
Zug
, neighboring_municipalities = Cham, Baar, Walchwil, Steinhausen, Unterägeri
, twintowns = Fürstenfeld (Austria), Kalesija (Bosnia-Herzegowina)
Zug (Standard German: , Alemannic German: ; french: Zoug it, Zugo r ...
and
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
, took over part of its line and completed it as the
Zürich–Zug–Lucerne Railway
The Zürich–Zug–Luzern Railway (Zürich-Zug-Luzern-Bahn) is a former railway company that built railway lines in the Swiss cantons of Zürich, Zug and Lucerne from the 1860s. It was absorbed by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 1902. Its l ...
(ZZL), which was finished on 1 June 1864.
The NOB—like other railway companies at the time—aimed at short-term
profit maximisation
In economics, profit maximization is the short run or long run process by which a firm may determine the price, factors of production, input and output (economics), output levels that will lead to the highest possible total Profit (economics), p ...
for private bankers. The bankers took offices in management and the board of directors to secure their profits. The rights of the other shareholders was undermined by the use of common stock. They gained exemption from tax and subsidies through political influence. Alfred Escher was not only Chairman of the NOB and Chairman of
Kreditanstalt, but also a member of the
Executive Council of Zürich The Executive Council of Zürich (german: Regierungsrat des Kantons Zürich) is the executive organ of the canton of Zürich, in Switzerland. Zürich has a seven-member Executive Council.
Members
Notes
See also
* Cantonal Council of Zürich
* ...
and, for 34 years, the
National Council. Maintenance was neglected and the assets of the railway company were run down. This had already created a crisis in 1857, which was intensified in 1867.
Railway crisis
![NOB Freikarte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/NOB_Freikarte.jpg)
The behavior of the Zürich railway barons led the
Swiss National Railway
The Swiss National Railway (German: ''Schweizerische Nationalbahn'', SNB) was a railway company in Switzerland.
The Swiss National Railway was created in 1875 from the merger of the two companies, the ''Winterthur–Zofingen Railway'' and the ''Zo ...
(''Schweizerische Nationalbahn''; SNB) to attempt to build a second rail link between
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
and Lake Constance to compete with the existing railway companies from 1872. As a defense measure, the NOB and SCB extended their existing networks between 1873 and 1882. The two companies founded the
Aargau Southern Railway
Aargau Southern Railway (german: Aargauische Südbahn) is a former railway company in Switzerland. Between 1873 and 1882, the Schweizerische Centralbahn (SCB) and the Schweizerische Nordostbahn (NOB) jointly built a connecting line to the Gotth ...
(''Aargauische Südbahn'') and the
Bötzberg Railway (german: Bötzbergbahn) with equal shareholdings. The former was built and opened between 1873 and 1882 the
Rupperswil–Immensee railway line
The Rupperswil–Immensee railway line is a railway line in the cantons of Aargau and Zug, in Switzerland. It runs from to . The line runs north-south and interchanges with several other lines, including the Baden–Aarau, Heitersberg, Zofinge ...
with a branch line from Hendschiken to Brugg, connecting the network of the NOB and the SCB with the
Gotthard Railway
The Gotthard railway (german: Gotthardbahn; it, Ferrovia del Gottardo) is the Swiss trans-alpine railway line from northern Switzerland to the canton of Ticino. The line forms a major part of an important international railway link between no ...
in 1882. The Bötzberg Railway, operated by the NOB, opened the
Brugg–Pratteln railway in 1875, which together with the existing lines of the NOB and the SCB created a direct connection from Zurich to Basel.
In addition, the NOB under the new CEO
Friedrich Peyer im Hof
Johann Friedrich Peyer im Hof (18 June 1817, in Schaffhausen – 18 May 1900) was a Swiss politician member of the Swiss National Council during 1857–1875 (President 1859/1860).
Alongside Alfred Escher, he is one of the main pioneers of rail ...
, tried to eliminate the competition in advance by an accelerated expansion of its own network. It secured concessions for various railway lines and entered into commitments with cantons and founding committees for the construction of these unprofitable lines. This forced the NOB to borrow money, which led to massive indebtedness. The financial difficulties brought the NOB to the brink of collapse. The construction of the
Lake Zürich right-bank line, which it had begun in 1873, had to be discontinued because of the financial crisis. The important
Lake Zürich left-bank railway
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
to Ziegelbrücke, however, was opened in 1875. The NOB could not pay
dividend
A dividend is a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, it is able to pay a portion of the profit as a dividend to shareholders. Any amount not distributed is taken to be re-in ...
s for years from 1877. The price of its shares collapsed from
Swiss Francs
The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
(CHF) 670 in 1871 to CHF 53 in 1879. An investigation commissioned by the General Assembly found grave mistakes in corporate governance.
On 2 March 1877, the NOB requested that the Federal Council release it from its obligations to build railways. On 14 February 1878, the
Federal Assembly confirmed an agreement that the construction obligations would be maintained, but would be deferred until the completion of the NOB's financial restructuring. The construction period for the so-called "moratorium lines" (
Thalwil–Zug,
Etzwilen–Schaffhausen,
Bülach–Schaffhausen,
Koblenz–Stein,
Dielsdorf–Niederweningen and the Lake Zurich right bank line) was extended. An agreement with the
canton of Glarus
The canton of Glarus (german: Kanton Glarus rm, Chantun Glaruna; french: Canton de Glaris; it, Canton Glarona) is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.
The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.
The majority of ...
set the date for the completion of the
Glarus–Linthal line at 1 May 1879. The payment of dividends was suspended from 1880 to 1883. On 25 October 1887, the Federal Council instructed the NOB to begin construction of the Lake Zurich right bank line. The deadlines for the remaining moratorium lines were set on 27 June 1888.
The ruinous competitive project of the National Railway ended in
insolvency
In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet i ...
. The participating towns and municipalities had to suffer decades of debt. The NOB took over the network of its rival for a fraction of its construction cost on 1 October 1880. The Zofingen–Suhr section was resold to the SCB.
Recovery and nationalisation
![Schweizerische Nordostbahn 1884](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Schweizerische_Nordostbahn_1884.jpg)
The situation of the NOB slowly improved again after 1880. Increasing traffic led to the extension of stations and the procurement of additional rolling stock. After Alfred Escher's death in 1882,
Adolf Guyer-Zeller
Adolf Guyer-Zeller (1 May 1839 – 3 April 1899) was a Swiss entrepreneur.
Born in Bäretswil, Switzerland on 1 May 1839, Guyer-Zeller was the son of an owner of spinning mill and creator of a textile export trade in Zürich. After the death of ...
became head of the NOB.
The railway crisis had caused many domestic shareholders to sell their securities to major foreign shareholders. Railway shares played a major role in
speculation
In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, good (economics), goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline i ...
on the
stock exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
. A financial group led by Adolf Guyer was able to secure a majority of votes at a general meeting of the company, allowing it to select the board of directors and replace it with people who would cooperate with its interests.
The vast majority of the shares were in foreign hands, the majority of the
bonds belonged to Swiss owners. At the time, the interest rate was 4% for secure Swiss rail bonds. In order to increase the return of the shares, bonds were converted into shares with an interest rate of 3½%. This reduced the company's interest burden and increased profits.
![Eisenbahnunfall 1885-1-8 Seebach](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Eisenbahnunfall_1885-1-8_Seebach.jpg)
On 8 January 1885, a
Winterthur
, neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell
, twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria), La ...
–
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
train ran into a train coming from after passing a stop signal. The train from Wettingen was pushed back from over the junction on the open track towards Zurich. The accident caused seven casualties and major property damage. An NOB passenger train hit a group of
Central Railway
workers, which had been busy with track work, at the southern exit from Gütsch tunnel near Lucerne on 30 May 1898. Seven railway workers were killed immediately and four seriously injured. On 4 June 1899, the Zurich– night express of the NOB ran past a designated stopping point in Aarau and ran into two stationary Central Railway locomotives. The accident caused two deaths and three serious injuries.
Labour regulations and the wage demands of railway workers, which the other private railways acceded to in 1896, met with resistance from the profit-oriented NOB. This led to a labour dispute with NOB staff in 1897. In Zurich, masses of passengers wrote in the complaints book. At times, milk was scarce. The 5000 employees were able to enforce their claims after 41 hours of strikes. The industrial action at the NOB contributed to the holding of
a referendum in 1898, which approved the nationalisation of the largest private railways.
The NOB with a route network of 853 km and the Swiss Lake Constance fleet passed into the possession of the
Swiss Federal Railways
Swiss Federal Railways (german: link=no, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, ''SBB''; french: link=no, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, ''CFF''; it, Ferrovie federali svizzere, ''FFS'') is the national railway company of Switzerland. It is usuall ...
(SBB) on 1 January 1902.
Shipping companies
Shipping was the natural continuation of the railway lines that ended at the lakes. The transport of the passengers was not difficult. The transport of goods, however, was much more complicated and expensive because the goods had to be reloaded twice.
Lake Constance
![Hafen Romanshorn 1860](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Hafen_Romanshorn_1860.jpg)
The Lake Constance (''Bodensee'') route was the most important trade route for traffic between Switzerland and Germany. The Rhine only became navigable to Basel in 1904. The NOB started operating shipping services on Lake Constance with the ''Thurgau'' and the ''
Stadt Zürich'' in 1855. The NOB merged with the ''Schweizerischen Dampfboot-Aktiengesellschaft für den Rhein und Bodensee'' (Swiss Steamboat Corporation for the Rhine and Lake Constance) on 1 January 1857. It was founded in 1850 in Schaffhausen as a cantonal enterprise and in the following four years put into service the steamships ''Stadt Schaffhausen'', ''Rhein'', ''Stadt St. Gallen'' and ''Bodan''. In 1863, shipping operations on
the Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sou ...
were discontinued and the four steamships were relocated to Romanshorn.
On 11 March 1861 the steamer ''Stadt Zürich'' rammed and sank the Bavarian steamer ''Ludwig''. Three persons survived, 13 were killed. On 12 February 1864 the Bavarian steamer ''
Jura'' was also rammed and sunk by the ''Stadt Zürich''.
In order to avoid the reloading of goods, the Bavarian and the Württemberg steamship administration together with the NOB decided in 1867 to transport railway wagons by
train ferry
A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train f ...
. A steam ferry known as "
steam ferry I" was used on the Friedrichshafen–Romanshorn route. This over 70 metre-long ferry was able to accommodate 18 freight wagons, but had a horrendous rate of coal consumption. It was retired in 1882 and subsequently scrapped. A second ferry known as "steam ferry II" started operating between Lindau and Romanshorn in 1874.
In 1884, the flat-deck steamer ''Stadt Zürich'' was converted into the semi-private steamer ''Zürich''. In 1887, the NOB put the newly built saloon steamer ''Helvetia III'' into service, which caused a sensation with its
clipper bow
The bow () is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. The aft end of the boat is the stern.
Prow may be used as a synonym for bow or it may mean the forward-most part ...
and
bowsprit
The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word ''bowsprit'' is thought to originate from the Middle L ...
. In 1892, the mixed steam/sailing ship ''Säntis'' replaced the ''Stadt Schaffhausen''. The mixed steam/sailing ship ''St. Gotthard'' was similarly replaced by the flat-deck steamer ''Stadt St. Gallen'' in 1897.
In 1902, with the nationalisation of the NOB the entire shipping company was transferred to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).
GD Thurgau.jpg, Flat-deck steamer ''Thurgau''
GD Bodan.gif, Flat-deck steamer ''Bodan'' in about 1880 in Rorschach
SD Helvetia.jpg, Steam/sailing ship ''Helvetia'' in Romanshorn
Dampftrajekt I.jpg, Stean train ferry I in Romanshorn harbour
Dampftrajekt II.jpg, Stean train ferry II in the Romanshorn shipyard
SD Saentis.jpg, Steam/sailing ship ''Saentis''
SD St. Gotthard.jpg, Steam/sailing ship ''St. Gotthard''
Lake Zürich
In 1864, the ''Dampfbootgesellschaft linkes Ufer'' (Left Bank Steamboat Company) was established in
Horgen
Horgen is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich.
On 1 January 2018 the former municipality of Hirzel merged into the municipali ...
. In 1868, it merged with the older ''Zürichsee-Walensee-Gesellschaft AG'' (Lake Zürich-Walensee Company) to form the ''Dampfbootgesellschaft für den Zürichsee'' (Steamboat Company for Lake Zürich). Shortly before the commissioning of the
Lake Zürich left bank railway (''Linksufrige Zürichseebahn''), the NOB took over the entire shipping fleet in 1875. The NOB curtailed operations immediately so rival companies formed. When the
Zürich–Meilen–Rapperswil railway started operation in 1894, the existing fleet of six ships: ''
Helvetia
Helvetia () is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially ''Confoederatio Helvetica,'' the Swiss Confederation.
The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss fla ...
'', ''Concordia'', ''Lukmanier'', ''St. Gotthard'', ''Taube'' and ''Schwalbe'' was reduced.
With the nationalisation of the NOB in 1903, shipping operations were outsourced. All public shipping services were taken over by the
Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
The ''Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft'' or Lake Zürich Navigation Company (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) is a public Swiss company operating passenger ships and boats on Lake Zürich.
The company operates services connecting lake-side towns ...
(Lake Zürich Navigation Company; ZDG) in 1902. The
paddle-wheel
A paddle wheel is a form of waterwheel or impeller in which a number of paddles are set around the periphery of the wheel. It has several uses, of which some are:
* Very low-lift water pumping, such as flooding paddy fields at no more than abo ...
and screw steamers taken over from the NOB were replaced by more modern ships, with the exception of the ''Helvetia''.
A train ferry operated on Lake Zurich only for a short time. The NOB put an unnamed train ferry built by
Escher, Wyss & Cie. into operation in 1885. The traffic from the left bank transshipment port of
Wollishofen
Wollishofen is a neighbourhood in Zürich's district 2 (Zürich), 2nd district. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1893. The neighbourhood has a population of 15,592 distributed on an area of 5.75&n ...
to the right bank
Uetikon
Uetikon am See is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
History
Uetikon am See is first mentioned in 1150 as ''Uotinchova''. Until 1924 it was known as ''Uetikon''.
Geography
Uetikon am See has an ar ...
was used practically exclusively for traffic to/from the local ''CU Chemie Uetikon'' chemical factory. Operations were discontinued with the opening of the Zürich–Meilen–Rapperswil railway in the autumn of 1894.
Zürichsee Helvetia I.jpg, ''Helvetia
Helvetia () is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially ''Confoederatio Helvetica,'' the Swiss Confederation.
The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss fla ...
'', commissioned in 1875
Zürichsee Concordia.jpg, ''Concordia'' (1864) operating to the Zürich theatre.
Zürichsee St.Gotthard Hinterschiff.jpg, Rear of the ''St. Gotthard'' (1865)
Zürichsee Lukmanier.jpg, ''Lukmanier'' (1865), sister ship of the ''St. Gotthard''
Zürichsee Schwalbe.jpg, ''Schwalbe'' (1865), the first screw steamer on Lake Zurich
Zürichsee Trajekt.jpg, Unnamed train ferry, commissioned in 1885
Route network
Assumed lines
References
Notes
Footnotes
Sources
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* Jung, Joseph (2019)
022 ''The Laboratory of Progress: Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century'', Vol. 2, tr. Ashley Curtis. NY: Routledge.
* Maw, W.H. and J. Dredge, eds. (1872). ''Engineering''. 19 April 1872. London.
* Mieg, Harald, A and Heike Oevermann (2014). ''Industrial Heritage Sites in Transformation.'' London and NY: Routledge.
{{Authority control
Railway lines opened in 1853
Defunct railway companies of Switzerland
Transport in Zürich
Shipping companies of Switzerland
Swiss companies established in 1853
Railway companies established in 1853