Robert Moser (engineer)

Robert Moser 1910

Robert Moser (born April 4, 1838 in Herzogenbuchsee , † January 20, 1918 in Zurich ) was a Swiss engineer and railway entrepreneur .

In 1856 he moved from the Zurich industrial school to the Polytechnic , where he graduated as an engineer in 1859. His first job was with the city of Basel, where he was involved in the laying down of the ski jumping facilities and the associated planning of new streets, as well as the construction of the Rheinquais and the correction of the Birs . 1860–64 he was site manager on the Schwenden – Zollikofen line of the Bernese State Railways . This was followed by a stay abroad, he carried out routing work in Württemberg from 1865–66. Back in Switzerland as a cantonal engineer from Solothurn , where he worked until 1869, he was then drawn back to railroad construction and abroad; first he planned a railway from Passau to Bohemia and then came to the Kaschau-Oderberger Bahn. After a study trip in 1872, during which he studied the Norwegian narrow-gauge railways, he took up a position as chief engineer at his future main employer, the Swiss Northeast Railway (NOB). Here he was responsible for the construction of the Bötzbergbahn Brugg – Basel, the left bank Zurichseebahn, the lines Winterthur – Koblenz, Effretikon – Hinwil, Baden – Niederglatt and partly for the Glarus – Linthal line. With the operating contract with the Wädenswil-Einsiedeln Railway , the completion of the Wädenswil-Einsiedeln line came under the responsibility of the NOB. The NOB and its chief engineer Robert Moser were responsible for its completion, but William Napier began building the line. Because of the bad order situation of the NOB, he founded a company together with Locher , Fischer & Schmuziger and others in 1879 to build the north ramp of the Gotthard tunnel from Flüelen to Göschenen by 1882. Back in 1888 with the NOB, he was again chief engineer, while the right bank of the Zürichseebahn, the Thalwil – Zug, Eglisau – Schaffhausen, Dielsdorf – Niederweningen and Schaffhausen – Etzweilen lines were being built.

In 1895 he resigned because of a change in leadership at the NOB and was subsequently a freelance expert and consultant. He played a major role in the construction and projects of the Chur – Thusis narrow-gauge railways, followed by the Albula Railway to Bevers, Filisur – Davos, Reichenau – Ilanz – Disentis and Morges – Bière; from normal railways the Bauma – Hinwil lines, the Rickenbahn from Wattwil to Rapperswil, the Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn Romanshorn – St. Gallen – Wattwil and especially the Eastern Alpine Railway, both over the Splügen and later over the Greina. He presented several papers, reports and suggestions on the planning history and further development of Zurich's main train station.

In addition to his private work, Moser held several public offices, was a member of the SBB Board of Directors , the municipal building board in Zurich and a member of the Swiss Geodetic Commission. He was made an honorary member by the SIA and awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Zurich in 1905. He did not accept a professorship for railway engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology that had been proposed to him.

literature

Thomas Fuchs: Moser, Robert. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Robert Moser. Nekrolog in: Schweizerische Bauzeitung . Vol. 71 (1918), Issue 5, pp. 58–59 ( digitized version)
Hans Peter Moser: Moser, Robert. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 18, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-428-00199-0 , pp. 203 f. ( Digitized version ).

Remarks

↑ In; G. Oswald and K. Micher: The southeast railway, history of a private railway. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-280-02048-4 , the only engineer mentioned is William Napier, who also sat on the board of directors. The project for the Wädenswil – Einsiedeln railway line came from Kaspar Wetli , who was also in charge of construction supervision. How far the influence of Robert Moser extended on the completion of the four sections not yet built in 1874 is unclear. According to the Schweizerische Bauzeitung (see literature), the construction of the line was under his management, which, however, could only have been possible from 1874 and not before.

personal data
SURNAME	Moser, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss engineer
DATE OF BIRTH	April 4, 1838
PLACE OF BIRTH	Herzogenbuchsee
DATE OF DEATH	January 20, 1918
Place of death	Zurich

[1] In; G. Oswald and K. Micher: The southeast railway, history of a private railway. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-280-02048-4 , the only engineer mentioned is William Napier, who also sat on the board of directors. The project for the Wädenswil – Einsiedeln railway line came from Kaspar Wetli , who was also in charge of construction supervision. How far the influence of Robert Moser extended on the completion of the four sections not yet built in 1874 is unclear. According to the Schweizerische Bauzeitung (see literature), the construction of the line was under his management, which, however, could only have been possible from 1874 and not before.