Adolf Brunner
Adolf Brunner (c.1890-1956) of Sulzer Brothers
1956 Obituary [1]
We greatly regret to record the death, on November 29, at the age of sixty-six years, of Mr. Adolf Brunner, chief of the Diesel Traction Department of Sulzer Brothers, Ltd., Winterthur, for many years, until his retirement at the end of 1955.
On joining the Sulzer organisation in 1906, Brunner first served his apprenticeship of four years in the projects section of Sulzer Brothers. As a draughtsman he was transferred to the locomotive section in 1910, and was engaged in a junior capacity on the 1000 h.p. Diesel-Sulzer-Klose direct-drive locomotive of 1912-13. There he was brought into personal contact with Diesel himself, with Adolph Klose, and with Jacob Sulzer-Imhof.
Brunner assisted also in the design and production of the 200 b.h.p. " V " engines for the Prussian and Saxon diesel-electric railcars of 1914.
At the age of twenty-eight Brunner went to the engineer ing school in Winterthur, to complete his theoretical knowledge, but continued at the same time his work in the office.
In 1920 he was put in charge of the diesel locomotive department of Sulzer.
In 1927- 28 he sponsored the original Sulzer LV engines of 420 to 800 b.h.p., probably the first range of standard traction oil engines known. He was responsible also for the present Sulzer LD range, extending now from 600 to 2300 b.h.p., including the well-known twin-bank engine, of which some fifty a re now at work or under construction at 2000 to 2300 b.h.p.
Brunner became a world figure in diesel traction, because of the skill with which he consistently combined the soundest judgement in oil engine and railway problems with the highest class of design and construction, and also because he similarly combined a very forceful and trenchant personality with complete integrity and generosity Among outstanding diesel motive power for which Brunner was wholly or partly responsible were the Argentine 1700 b.h.p. locomotive and mobile power-houses of 1933, the Roumanian 4400 b.h.p. locomotive of 1938; the Siamese lightweight 735 and 960 b.h.p. locomotives of 1946-50; and the Commonwealth Railways' 1000 b.h.p. locomotives with 10.25 ton axle-load, of 1954.
Power plants of his design are also to be found in the 600, 2000 and 4400 b.h.p. locomotives of the French National Railways; in the 1000 b.h.p. locomotives belonging to C.I.E., and in the new 2300 b.h.p. diesel-electric locomotives now being constructed at Derby works for British Railways.
Adolf Brunner was a member of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers from 1947 to his death.