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Steam
locomotives
4-6-2
Locomotive #110 of the General Mitre Rly., photographed in June 1974 in
Venado Tuerto. For then these locomotives were relegated to goods
services, as for example among Venado Tuerto and Villa Constitución,
and the last units drop their fires some four years after. These
beautiful machines integrated a batch of sixty units (101-140 and 171-190)
manufactured between 1912 and 1915 by North British Locomotive Co., constituting
the Class P.S.8 of the Central Argentine Railway, that by several decades
were assigned to the service of medium and long distance passenger trains
on the main lines of this British capital company of broad gauge (5ft 6in
/ 1,676 m.). Fit to emphasize that the sister locomotives #129 and
130, though always appeared in the records of the railway, never entered
service in reason of have been sunk in high sea together with the ship
that was transporting them during the World War I.
The
fans can drive this locomotive employing the file fccaps8.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Miguel D. Petruzzi.
The
Central Córdoba Railway acquired in 1930 ten 4-8-2+2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt
type locomotives, manufactured by Beyer-Peacock & Co. Ltd. in Manchester,
England. These locomotives were the greats in its time manufactured
for the metric gauge in the world (being similar to the manufactured for
the Antofagasta - Bolivia Railway) being conceived for the heavy goods
traffic on the main line among Córdoba, Quilino and Frías,
being able to tow 1200 metric tons trains on 1,25%. ramps.
Also they were employed in the branch to Los Sauces, with maximum ramps
of 2,5%.
Other
outstanding use of the "Beyer-Garratt" of the Central Córdoba Rly.
was to
operate
in the demanded sector of the descent at Port of Rosario from the Rosario
/ Central Córdoba Station, being permanently underlined one of these
grandiose units in this service.
These
machines were used until the decade of 1950s, being thereinafter displaced
by new Diesel- electric locomotives.
The
fans can drive this locomotive employing the file fcccgar.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou Collection / A.R.A.R.
2-6-0
Locomotive #6 "Yrigoyen" of the Central Entrerriano Railway, manufactured
by Dübs in 1886. It was one of the first machines of the railway
that tended their lines through the Entre Rios Province in standard gauge
(4ft 8½in / 1,435 m.) and that at the beginning of the decade of
1890 would be acquired and thereinafter amplified by the Entre Rios Railway,
a British capital company that along with the Argentine Northeast Railway
established an important rail system in the Mesopotamic region, ulteriorly
connected with Paraguay through ferry-boats among Posadas and Encarnación,
and with the city of Buenos Aires through ferry-boats among Ibicuy and
Zárate (in combination with the Central Buenos Aires Railway) and
Ibicuy and Dock Sud (own connection of the Entre Rios Rly.).
These
locomotives (Class "D") were employed until the nationalization of the
railway companies of British capital in 1948, though a series of similar
locomotives (though endowed of four-axle tender) identified as Class "E"
continued lending service until the end of the steam traction in the General
Urquiza Railway, around the end of the decade of 1970s.
The
fans can drive a locomotive of the Class "E" employing the file fcere.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Railway Historical Studies Center Collection (National Railway Museum)
/ A.R.A.R.
A
characteristic that distinguished to the Central Argentine Railway was
its attachment to the use of the compound system in their new steam locomotives
until the third decade of the twentieth century. Even though this
system, that to the contrary of the common locomotives was using the steam
in two stages (high and low pressure) and had been widely used by railways
of everywhere among the decades of 1880 and 1910, the introduction of the
steam superheater increased the yield of the steam traction in an equivalent
proportion to that of compound system without the complications that was
bringing ready this last, therefore virtually fell in the forgetfulness.
It
was not this the case of the Central Argentine, that continued acquiring
new compound locomotive batches even in the decades of 1910-20, with 4-8-0
and 2-8-2 type locomotives of in both versions (simple and compound) peaing
with two series of magnificent 4-8-4T (Series MS-6ª, all they of the
compound system, being the first ten units provided with shorter water
tanks and the remainders twenty with longer tanks) manufactured among 1927
and 1930 by Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co., intended for suburban
passenger and freight services in short and mean distance.
After
an outstanding services life on the main lines of the Central Argentine
(then General Mitre Railway) these excellent locomotives were withdrawn
of the service during the 1960s, remaining an alone surviving unit (# 505)
in the ancient Campana Shops (Province of Buenos Aires) awaiting a long-delayed
restoration and set in value.
Photo:
ARAR Collection
The
General Railways Company in the Province of Buenos Aires built a system
of lines in metric gauge that had an extension of almost 1300 kilometers
within the first Argentine state, with a line that penetrated in the Santa
Fe Province until reach Rosario, where had its Northern extreme.
For the traction of the greater part of their trains, acquired in the years
1907-1909 a total of sixty eight locomotives of 4-6-0 type to different
European manufacturers (Borsig, Societe Alsacienne and Richard Hartmann)
that constituted the greater part of the initial park of this company.
These
locomotives (numbered 201-268) were distinguished by their French appearance,
and resulted in a great versatile machines that served in many cases until
the end of the steam traction in the General Belgrano Railway, around the
end of the decade of 1970.
The
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file cgba201.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou / A.R.A.R. Collection
The
Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway (F.C.S.) was the greater British capital
company in Argentina, counting on a system of almost 7000 kilometers in
broad gauge, adding some narrow-gauge sections (600 mm). This company
had a strong presence in the suburban traffic of Buenos Aires and their
bordering urban conglomerate, reaching its traffic the important figure
of approximately fifty million passengers annualy in their Plaza Constitucion
terminus.
For
the service of short-distance passenger trains, from principles of the
Twentieth Century the F.C.S. acquired several series of 2-6-2T type locomotives,
though after several years in service these were seen largely surpassed
by the strong traffic growth said; to attend it were acquired from 1922
several modern three-cylinder locomotives of the 2-6-4T type -Class 8E-
that finally in 1930 totaled sixty two units built by several British manufacturers
(Leslie Hawthorn, North British Locomotive Co. and The Vulcan Foundry).
These locomotives demonstrated be highly reliable and gave repeated tests
of their quality during forty demanding service years, until its replacement
by Diesel-electrical locomotives in the decade of 1960.
Fortunately
at least one of these magnificent locomotives is preserved, in hands of
Ferroclub Argentino (in Remedios de Escalada Shops, Buenos Aires).
The
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file fcs8e.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou / A.R.A.R. Collection
One
of the more widespread types of locomotives among the broad gauge railways
of Argentina during the last decades of 19th Century were the 2-6-0s.
With light variations, these were elected by that then to attend the growing
freight movement and only were seen displaced as of the first years of
the 20th Century with the generalization of the use of 2-8-0s and other
yet greater, as of something which in their greater part the 2-6-0s were
relegated to branch trains or internal service of the companies, being
almost totally disappeared toward the Nationalization of the private companies.
A
striking exception were the M.1 Class locomotives of the Central Argentine
Railway (F.C.C.A.). Built in a total of 22 units by Beyer, Peacock
& Co. of Manchester, England, integrated the tractive force of the
then Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway (F.C.B.A. y R.) while this were found
thoroughly it devoted to built his main line from the city of Buenos Aires,
reaching Rosario precisely in the same year 1886 when these locomotives
were built and arrived in 1892 to the city of San Miguel de Tucumán.
One
of the outstanding traffic of the F.C.B.A. y R. (and his succeeding
the F.C.C.A.) was sugar and its prime matter, the sugar cane.
With that objective were tended several branches and deviations that attended
large part of the sugar cane zone located to the East of Tucuman capital,
permitting fast transportation of the cane from the cultivation until the
plants located for the most part in surroundings of San Miguel de Tucumán
though also in Rosario, more than 800 kilometers long, where the Argentine
Sugar Refinery built their grandiose facilities to the shores of the Paraná
River and receipt in the beginning of the 20th Century several daily trains
during the “Zafra” crop season (from June to November, approximately).
Though
the introduction of subsequent classes of locomotives displaced M.1s, its
easy maintenance and lower weight decided its conservation to be employed
in those deviations and industrial branches devoted to the cane crop that
they were restrained to the heaviest 2-8-0s, 4-8-0s and 2-8-2s that substituted
them in the main line.
It
was as soon as the greater part of they reached (and in some cases surpassed)
the eighty operation years, almost exclusively concentrate in Tucumán
and their surroundings, until during second half of the 1960s were withdrawn
of the service definitely.
In
1972 the Rosario nearby locality of Perez, where is found one of the more
greater railway shop complex of Argentina, it was declared a city.
To commemorate the event, Ferrocarriles Argentinos solved to offer to the
community a locomotive as homage to all their inhabitants that worked during
several generations in the near Locomotives Shop. It was carried
out a units selection and in the Pergamino (Buenos Aires) Locomotive Shed
was located the “M.1” number 422, that resulted elected and after an aesthetic
conditioning, it was located on a pedestal in proximities of the Perez
passengers station.
After
almost thirty years exposition to the elements, number 422 was evidencing
worrying signs of deterioration, by something which in recent date the
Perez Municipality decided to carry forward indispensable repair and conditioning
works. The ARAR associate and local resident Pablo Varetti was summoned
to direct patient labor, that it is being carrying out (November 2000)
in satisfactory form, including painting as a rule and the change of sections
of corroded iron sheets, as can deal in the attached photograph.
The
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file fccam1.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Hugo Piñero
The
Santa Fe Railway (F.C.S.F.) was a French capitals company that acquired
the ancient Provincial of Santa Fe Railway in the first years of the 20th
Century and with posteriority built other metre gauge lines that
surpassed
2000 kilometers in the Santa Fe, Chaco and Córdoba Provinces.
To attend the growing freight traffic on this expanded system, characterized
by their very-light material built lines (rails 15-22 kilograms / meter
and 1000-1200 sleepers / kilometer over an earth-ballasted track) were
designed some 2-8-0s locomotives identified as "IX Series", with a weight
by motor axle of 8 metric tons and endowed of "Walschaerts" mechanism with
flat valves, that resulted an important advance by on the tiny 2-6-0s used
until that then.
The
photograph attached, take about 1920, corresponds to the locomotive #515
"RIVADAVIA" prepared to take service. In this locomotive (manufactured
by Fives-Lille in 1906) is emphasized the grandiose wood fuel accumulation
carefully accommodated in the tender. The F.C.S.F. used wood as fuel
almost in exclusivity during all his existence, this motivated by the easy
availability of said resource in large part of the zone covered by the
company. The red quebracho, very hard wood and with an important
calorific capacity was the most appreciated, though also was widely used
white quebracho, lapacho and related. However, the great quantity
of fuel to manipulate to maintain the boiler pressure made necessary that
in the permanent team of the line locomotives would be necessary the incorporation
of an assistant called "passes fuelwood" , and inclusive in some extreme
cases other called "arrimador".
A
curious fact resulted that, little time after the manufacture from this
locomotive series, the Fives-Lille company received an order for several
units intended for a metre gauge line in the Algerian South (by that then
a French colony). As the general requirements were very seemed to
those of the machines manufactured for Argentina, was decided to build
them according to the same design, being practically identical to those.
Though these locomotives of the IX Series were not provided initially with
steam superheater, these were thereinafter installed in the Shops that
the company had in Santa Fe city. Thus they continued in untiring
service until the 1960s, when they were progressively withdrawed of service
to be replaced by additionally more modern classes of steam locomotives
that at the same time were being replaced in their customary residence
points by a growing number of Diesel – electrical locomotives.
Regrettably,
none of they was preserved for the posterity.
The
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file fcsfix.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou Collection / A.R.A.R.
A class
of locomotives hoarded largely the popular imaginary in our zone, by their
dimensions, power and elegance: the Caprotti of the Central Argentine
Railway (F.C.C.A.).
Incorporated
in a twenty units batch (1101-1120) in 1930, they were manufactured by
the prestigious builder Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and they were the
most powerful locomotives of the F.C.C.A., being devoted to the passengers
express trains service. In their design were included the last novelties
of the rail technique of that era: combustion chamber, thermal siphons,
three-cylinder configuration and the modern system of steam distribution
invented by the Italian engineer Caprotti; all this was gathered
to achieve an exceptional characteristics machine being recognized at the
whole World.
A pure
runner, could surpass in speed and yield to anyone of the ancient classes
of the F.C.C.A. and other Argentinian railway companies, reaching a nearby
maximum power of 2,500 HP that often they were required to tow the heaviest
express trains (than in some opportunities were reaching and even were
surpassing 800 metric tons).
Originally
prepared for the consumption of the excellent Welsh coal of customary use
in the F.C.C.A., many of they were thereinafter converted to the oil use,
as can be observed in the photo attached, corresponding to the locomotive
1115.
The
locomotive 1118 had the honor of achieving the record of joining Rosario
with Buenos Aires (Retiro station) employing 2 hours 52 minutes to travel
303 kilometers with the Train "El Cordobés" on day March 5th 1939,
time that stays unbeatable today.
After
the World War II, the F.C.C.A. considered the acquisition of other batch
of these locomotives, what was concretized after the nationalization of
the company. These units, manufactured by The Vulcan Foundry, were
differentiated of the original by be equipped with a six axle tender with
greater capacity, what permitted to accomplish trips among Rosario and
Retiro without need of the customary detention in Baradero (half of the
trip) for taking water. However, it was made known an among the crews
that the new "Caprotti" were lacking yield and quality of the originals.
The
introduction of the MLW FPD-7 and ALCO RSD-16 locomotives in the express
passenger services in 1957-8 meant the end of the titular service of these
prestigious locomotives, being displaced to omnibus trains and accelerated
freight services; however, given its high weight, their employment
was limited to the main lines Retiro - Rosario - Córdoba and Rosario
- Ceres (in the Tucumán line) and some few branches, therefore were
converted in a kind in extinction during the 1960s. Several exemplary,
however, they survived until the 1970s in various locomotive deposits throughout
the line, but then they were scrapped, no remaining surviving of the original
series.
Fortunately,
at least two exemplary of the new series have been survived: one
of them is exhibited in the Junín Shops of the General San Martín
Railway and other is reserved for his future restoration by the Ferroclub
Argentino (Remedios de Escalada Shops).
The
fans can drive an original locomotive of this Class employing the file
fccaps11.loc
and another of the new batch employing the file fcgmps11.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou Collection / A.R.A.R.
Around
the end of the 1920s, a series of exceptional crops and the strong economic
growth that continued to the World War I, impinged with a great increase
in traffic in all the railways of Argentina. In the particular case
of the Province of Buenos Aires General Railways Company (C.G.B.A.) the
tractive material shortage was aggravated by the limitations of the power
and yield of 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 with which had begun its operations twenty
years back.
To
face the problem, was designed a revolutionary locomotive 4-8-0 type that
it was equipped with all the technical advances of the era, including the
three-cylinder configuration (only case in the metric gauge of our Country)
and the weight by tractive axle was carried what is to the admissible maximum
limit: 12,5 metric tons, what generated large discussions with the P.W.
Department.
They
were built eight machines, by the French company "Ateliers de Construction
du Nord de la France et des Mureaux a Crespin-Blanc-Misseront (Nord)" and
entered to the C.G.B.A. service with numbers 601-608 among 1930-1.
Their
improvements were praised by the driving staff, demonstrating a high tractive
power and great yield, being employed mainly in the Buenos Aires - Rosario
line (via Mercedes and Pergamino). However, after the nationalization
in 1947, their more complex maintenance (compared with the simple units
than had surpassed in practice) and the introduction of the Diesel-electrical
locomotives than displaced at the same time numerous series of steam locomotives
to the lines of the ancient C.G.B.A., carried to the virtual extinction
of this class around the end of the 1950s and principles of the 1960s.
No exemplary was preserved.
The
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file cgba601.loc
in the Steam Locomotive
Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
Ramón Farreró Gou Collection / A.R.A.R.
One
of the most numerous classes of locomotives in Argentinian railways were
the 2-8-2 of classes C7, C8, C9, C10, C11 and C13 of the Argentine Central-North
Railway (metre gauge).
Their
incorporation in 1911, when the advance of new line constructions and the
progressive deterioration of the older tractive material made necessary
to acquire one hundred units, in one of the largest simultaneous purchases
made for our country. The first fifty units were provided by German
manufacturers: Numbers 700-714 (C7 Class) by Borsig, Numbers 715-739
(C8 Class) by Henschel and Numbers 740-749 (C9 Class) by Hanomag.
The rest of the batch was built by the North British Locomotive Company,
corresponding to Numbers 750-799 (C10 Class).
They
were characterized by its light weight (that it was not exceeding 9 tons
by motive axle) that them were permitting to accede to the whole the existing
lines, being adapted for the low speed towing, by the small diameter of
their tractive wheels (3ft. 6in.) therefore they were universally intended
for mixed trains or freight trains (so much in main lines, as is the case
of the presented photograph, taken in Añatuya Station in 1920) as
in secondary branches and industrial spurs.
After
the World War I, among 1920 and 1929 they were provided two supplementary
unit batches almost thoroughly similar to the previous, with light differences
in the assemble of the radial axle (under the cab) and the location of
the steam and sand domes over the boiler; such were incorporated
the locomotives Numbers 7000-7024 (C11 Class) manufactured by the Baldwin
Locomotive Works and Numbers 7025-7034 (C12 Class) manufactured by Henschel,
reaching a total of 135 locomotives.
Fit
to emphasize that the very last machine manufactured (Number 7034) had
the particularity of be the first locomotive in our Country provided with
a condensing system for recovery of the exhaust steam, especially developed
by Henschel and that was designated "ARGENTINIAN SYSTEM" (system that the
cited German constructing house thereinafter employed for locomotives manufactured
for the railway of Iraq and also by wide batches of type 2-10-0 German
war locomotives intended to operate in the Russian Front). This development
resulted successful, permitting the operation of trains in sections of
the line characterized by the shortage or poor quality of the water for
the boilers. In given opportunities, 7034 (that entered service in
1932) accomplished tours exceeding 700 kilometers long, dragging trains
without taking water in intermediate stations, showing inclusive an important
economy in the fuel consumption, due to the hot water recirculation originating
from the condenser.
The
success of 7034 determined that in the year 1938 was acquired a batch of
six type 4-8-2 powerful locomotives (Class C15, Numbers 8000-8005) equipped
with the same condensation system, those which were used in the Cruz del
Eje - San Juan desert section.
However,
after the World War II, 7034 it was devoid of its condensing equipment
(the one which was lacking spare parts by consequence of the commercial
blockade that was preventing the acquisition of the delicate parts in Germany)
and during the 1950s occurred other so much with the large 4-8-2s (that
they were incorporated with Numbers 883-888 to the Class C14).
Returning
to 2-8-2, these were employed in all kinds of services in the greater part
of the State-owned lines, and by what is practical of their construction,
they were used until the end of the steam traction in the General Belgrano
Railway (1979-80). Inclusive in Rosario, from the 1950s-60s were
widely used, being one of their customary tasks the tows among the Triangle
Shunting Yard, the Rosario / Central Córdoba Station and the Port.
Some
exemplary of these noble locomotives yet subsist in certain points of the
line, having survived to the blowpipes during more than twenty years.
Would be important the rescue and set in value of some of these survivors.
Steam
fans can drive a locomotive of this Class employing the file fccnac9.loc
(original Class C9) or fccnac9r.loc
(Class C9 superheated in the 1920s) in the Steam
Locomotive Simulator program of Mr. Bryan Attewell.
Photo:
"EL LITORAL" Daily Newspaper (Santa Fe).