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Switzerland

Society: ASMEMain Category: MechanicalEra: 1880-1889DateCreated: 1879Grandhotel GiessbachGiessbachCountry: SwitzerlandWebsite: https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/259-funicular-giessbach, https://www.giessbach.ch/en/historical-funicular-railway.htmlCreator: Abt, Carl Roman

The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track along its entire length, with a short passing track.

 

YearAdded:
2015
Image Credit: Courtesy Flickr/Martin Abegglen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pioneering Work on the Quartz Electronic Wristwatch
Society: IEEEMain Category: ElectricEra: 1960-1969DateCreated: 1962-1967Cantonal ObservatoryNeuchâtelCountry: SwitzerlandWebsite: http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Pioneering_Work_on_the_Quartz_Electronic_Wristwatch,_1962-1967Creator: Centre Electronique Horloger

A key milestone in development of the quartz electronic wristwatch in Switzerland was the creation in 1962 of the Centre Electronique Horloger of Neuchâtel. The Centre produced the first prototypes incorporating dedicated integrated circuits that set new timekeeping performance records at the International Chronometric Competition held at this observatory in 1967. Since then quartz watches, with hundreds of millions of units produced, became an extremely successful electronic system.

YearAdded:
2002
Image Credit: Courtesy IEEEImage Caption: The Centre Electronique HorlogerEra_date_from: 1962
Salginatobel Bridge
Society: ASCEMain Category: CivilSub Category: BridgesEra: 1930-1939DateCreated: 1930Salgina Valley ravineSchiersState: GraubündenCountry: SwitzerlandWebsite: http://www.asce.org/Project/Salginatobel-Bridge/Creator: Maillart, Robert

The Salginatobel Bridge, spanning the Salgina Valley ravine, is the earliest surviving three-hinged, hollow box arch bridge designed by  Robert Maillart.

YearAdded:
1990
Image Credit: Courtesy Wikipedia/Rama (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Caption: Salginatobel BridgeEra_date_from: 1930
Pilatusbahn - the world's steepest cog railway
Society: ASMEMain Category: MechanicalSub Category: Rail TransportationEra: 1880-1889DateCreated: 1882Brünigstrasse 4
605
AlpnachCountry: SwitzerlandWebsite: https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-we-are/engineering-history/landmarks/220-pilatusbahn, https://www.asme.org/getmedia/8c4b369d-83fd-4b9e-9248-b6d78b28628c/220-Pilatusbahn-1882.aspxCreator: Locher, Eduard , Locher Systems

The Pilatusbahn—the steepest rack railway in the world—has operated successfully since its opening in 1889 over a route of 4.62 kilometers (2.87 miles) between Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne and Pilatus Kulm, rising 6,791 feet (2,070 meters) above sea level. This results in a gradient of 48%, or a rise of nearly one meter in two meters of run on the steepest sections of the line, which amounts to about a quarter of its length.

YearAdded:
2002
Image Credit: Courtesy Flickr/Stephane Dewarrat (CC BY-SA 2.0)Image Caption: PilatusbahnEra_date_from: 1882
Paddle Steamer Uri
Society: ASMEMain Category: MechanicalSub Category: Water TransportationEra: 1900-1909DateCreated: 1901Lake Navigation CompanyLucerneCountry: SwitzerlandWebsite: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/water-transportation/-200-paddle-steamer-uri-%281901%29Creator: Sulzer brothers of Winterthur

This is the oldest operating vessel with a diagonal, compound steam engine, with disc valve gear. Operating at a higher pressure than the oscillating-cylinder engines then used in lake steamers, this type of engine was more powerful and efficient, as well as smaller. The compound engine, built by Sulzer brothers of Winterthur, uses super-heated steam from the boilers in two stages-high and low pressure-before exhausting it into a condenser. The engine produces 650 horsepower, turning two paddle wheels.

YearAdded:
1998
Image Credit: Courtesy Wikicommons/Coronado1992 (CC BY-SA 3.0)Image Caption: Paddle Steamer UriEra_date_from: 1901
Society: IEEEMain Category: ElectricalSub Category: Nuclear and Plasma SciencesEra: 1960-1969DateCreated: 1968European Organization for Nuclear ResearchGenevaState: MeyrinZip: 1217Country: SwitzerlandWebsite: http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:CERN_Experimental_Instrumentation,_1968Creator: Charpak, Georges

The 1992 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Georges Charpak, France, for his invention and development of detectors in high energy physics. Since 1959 Charpak had worked at CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics situated in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Charpak invented the multi - wire proportional chamber at CERN. The pioneering work was published in 1968. Largely due to his work particle physicists have been able to focus their interest on very rare particle interactions, which often reveal the secrets of the inner parts of matter.

YearAdded:
2005
Image Caption: CERN Experimental InstrumentationEra_date_from: 1968
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Innovations

The 1992 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Georges Charpak, France, for his invention and development of detectors in high energy physics. Since 1959 Charpak had worked at CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics situated in the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Charpak invented the…

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Paddle Steamer Uri

This is the oldest operating vessel with a diagonal, compound steam engine, with disc valve gear. Operating at a higher pressure than the oscillating-cylinder engines then used in lake steamers, this type of engine was more powerful and efficient, as well as smaller. The compound engine, built…

Read More
Pilatusbahn - the world's steepest cog railway

The Pilatusbahn—the steepest rack railway in the world—has operated successfully since its opening in 1889 over a route of 4.62 kilometers (2.87 miles) between Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne and Pilatus Kulm, rising 6,791 feet (2,070 meters) above sea level. This results in a gradient of 48%, or a…

Read More
Salginatobel Bridge

The Salginatobel Bridge, spanning the Salgina Valley ravine, is the earliest surviving three-hinged, hollow box arch bridge designed by  Robert Maillart.

Maillart's 1901 invention of the concrete hollow box design became a major bridge building concept. In this design, the concrete arch…

Read More
Pioneering Work on the Quartz Electronic Wristwatch

A key milestone in development of the quartz electronic wristwatch in Switzerland was the creation in 1962 of the Centre Electronique Horloger of Neuchâtel. The Centre produced the first prototypes incorporating dedicated integrated circuits that set new timekeeping performance records at the…

Read More

The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track along its entire length, with a short passing track.

 

During the period of prosperity throughout Europe known as the Belle Epoque, railway systems saw…

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