2-8-4 Steam Locomotives in Brazil

Class 142N (Locobase 1129)

Data from Thierry Stora, whose website on French Compound Locomotives supplies this infomation, also supplied much of the data; and "2-8-4" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 15 March 2024. See also the discussion on the NARchive site [] .Sixty-six engines built by the GELSA consortium starting with (Fives-Lille as works numbers were 5235-5256 in 1950-1951, Schneider-Creusot works numbers were 4538-4952 in 1951, and Cail (works numbers were 4473-4494 in 1952).

These were designed along the same lines as the Chapelon 4-8-4 (Locobase 1127)), but much smaller and less demanding on the machinery.

Representative of the operational constraints imposed on the builders, the class had to travel over 22 kg/metre (44 lb/yard) rail. Depending on the railway, a 142N used one of three tenders, including one that carried firewood instead of brown coal.

Wikipedia summarized their capacities as follows:

Heavy tender six-wheel bogies carried 12 metric tons of coal and 17,,800 litres (3,900 imperial gallons; 4,700 US gallons) of water.. Light coal tenders rolled on four-wheel bogies, had a coal capacity of 7 tons and a water capacity of 6,900 litres (1,500 imperial gallons; 1,800 US gallons). The tender used by wood burners also used four-wheel bogies, a firewood capacity of 7 cubic metres (250 cubic feet) and the least water capacity at 6,400 litres (1,400 imperial gallons; 1,700 US gallons).

Still, like the 4-8-4s, they had trouble on the very tight curves (50 m minimum as opposed to the specified 80 m) and were limited to 38 mph (60 kph). The engines struggled for acceptance, being viewed as "too modern"