MACOSA in Argentina. The Company was founded in 1947 with the name
Material y Construcciones S.A. (or MACOSA) by the merger of the
Valencian company
Construcciones Devis (founded by Talleres Devis in 1879) and the
Sociedad Material para Ferrocarriles y Construcciones S.A. of
Barcelona; this coincided with the beginning of the industrialisation of Spain. Initially the organisation was not entirely rail orientated, producing buses, trolleys and other road based transportation systems. In the years following its formation the company expanded, with the Valencia plant gaining a 50,000m2 extension becoming one of the major producers of rolling stock in Spain. By 1952 the new company had produced 48 Type 2400 locomotives as well as two for Portugal. The only narrow gauge locomotives constructed by
MACOSA was the type 130 for the railroad of
Ponferrada to
Villablino in 1951 and 1956 (PV numbers 13 to 16), which were based on a type made in 1914 by Krauss-Maffeu for the Basque Railroads. (See
Engerth locomotive for more information) In the 1950s the larger Barcelona plant concentrated on casting and forming steel as well as repair of cars, buses, coaches etc. The Valencia plant produced steam boilers, as well as constructing and repairing steam and electric locomotives and other rolling stock. The valencia plant also produced other heavy engineering products such as cranes, metal parts for dams. There was also a smaller factory at
Alcázar de San Juan producing and maintaining wagons. Another expansion coincided with the countries' 'stabilisation plan' of 1959, and thus the company formed part of the rapid economic growth of Spain in the 1960s, triggered by the industrialised economy reaching critical mass. (See
Spanish economic miracle) During the 1960s locomotives were produced under license from
General Motors, at first practically the entire locomotive was of GM design, later the company produced much of the locomotives to its own design, but still using a GM (later
Electro-Motive Diesel) engine and transmission system. This arrangement continued well into the 2000s, with successor companies still manufacturing diesel electric locomotives in Valencia with GM engines and transmission systems. In 1970, MACOSA was the second company of the rail vehicle sector in Spain, after
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. During its long history over a thousand locomotives were produced: first steam, then electric and diesel-electric as well as shunting locomotives. In addition countless other rail vehicles were produced: trams, metros, diesel and electric units and freight wagons as well as thousands of bogies, some for Spain, others for destinations around the world.
Meinfesa In 1989 the company became
Mediterranea de Industrias del Ferrocarril, S.A. (or Meinfesa) and became part of the
GEC-Alsthom multinational in 1991, after this the company moved locomotive production to a new plant at
Albuixech (
Valencia). After the move the huge original factory was to be demolished, and despite attempts to save it due to its historical significance to the country of Spain (as well as due to architecture of the 1920s built central core - with huge
nave-like sheds), like many other derelict industrial sites around the world, progress could not be stopped, and in a final twist of fate, its destruction made space for the
AVE high speed train to run through. Shortly thereafter (1990-2), a big order from Renfe was received for the sub-types
319.2, 319.3 and 319.4; under GEC-Alstom's ownership GM-EMD engined diesel locomotives were also produced at the plant for export to the UK and Israel. for Renfe between 1989 and 1991, and the
GA-DE 900 AS diesel electric shunting locomotive (based on the
RENFE Class 311) was produced during the 1990s for the state railways of Switzerland (
SBB Am 841), the railways of Mexico,
Israel Railways, and for the
Egyptian National Railways.
Vossloh España In March 2005 ownership changed again, this time to
Vossloh, and the organisation was renamed
Vossloh España, as part of the Vossloh group. In the first five years of Vossloh ownership the
GA 1000 AS shunter was built for
SNCF, the
Renfe Class 333 was rebuilt, the
RENFE Class 334 was constructed and, later, the production of
EMD powered
Stadler Euro locomotives started. Stadler took over the business on 1 January 2016. ==Notable products==