FC Central Argentino 4-6-2 Locomotives in Argentina

Class PS (Locobase 7504)

Data from "Passenger Locomotive for the Central Argentine", Engineering Magazine, Volume 39, No 1 (7 July 1911), p. See also1946 Beyer, Peacock catalogue hosted on Martyn Bane's website at [] (accessed 21 May 2006). Works numbers were 5441-5450 in 1911.

Like most of the Beyer, Peacock products of the time, these Pacifics came fitted with Belpaire fireboxes. They also had relatively tall drivers and, when delivered, had saturated-steam boilers. Repeating most of the dimensions and layout of the 1909 compounds (Locobase 20473), this class featured simple expansion and departed from the all-inside motion and cylinder layout. Instead this group of simple-expansion engine put all of the motion and cylinders outside, operated it with radial valve gear, and used piston valves to admit steam to the cylinders.

Apparently they weren't quite what the FCCA was looking for because most of the succeeding engines came from North British and had smaller drivers.

Class PS (Locobase 20473)

Data from "Compound 4-6-2 Locomotive, Central Argentine Ry", The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XV (14 August 1909), p. 157, and "Compound Passenger Engine for the Central Argentine Railway", Engineer, Volume 107 (11 June 1909). Works numbers 5266-5291 in 1909.

Ordered to the specificaton of Livesey, Son and Henderson and originally ordered by the Buenos Ayres [sic] and Rosario Railway, they were delivered after the BA&R had transformed into the CAR. Like most of the Beyer, Peacock products of the time, this Worsdell-von Borries compound came fitted with a Belpaire firebox. Unlike the simple-expansion successors shown in Locobase 7504, this engine had all-inside valve motion actuated by inside link. A semi-automatic intercepting valve operated such that "when the valve motion is in either full forward or backward gear the engine works simple, live steam being admitted at reduced pressure into the LP cylinder".

These were intended to be flexible engines, their leading trucks tracking curves through swing links and their trailing bogies fitted with radial axle boxes. Equalization featured compensating beams that rocked on knife edges. (Engineer noted that usual British practice was to have the beams pivot around pins, which was also the usual way in North America.)

Class PS10 (Locobase 3699)

Data provided by Carlos Alberto Fern+ndez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000). See also "New 4-6-2 Superheater Engine for Express Passenger Traffic: Central Argentine Railway", Railway Magazine, Volume 37, p. 142.

These 10 were for express passenger service and had taller drivers than the otherwise identical P.S. 8 class. They had 10" (254 mm) piston valves and a sizable Belpaire firebox.

Class PS11/12L (Locobase 3701)

Data provided by Carlos Alberto Fern+ndez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000), supplemented and corrected by Clase 12L diagram offered at the Ferroclub Argentino's official site ([], last accessed 13 February 2013).

These were the biggest and most powerful express passenger engines in Argentina. The Spanish-language website members.es.tripod.de/rielsud/locoayer.html (December 2001) says they weren't welcomed at first because of the Caprotti gear. The two sites agree that these engines were runners. Fernandez cites one August 1939 run by 1118 between Rosario and Buenos Aires (302 km or 188 miles) that took 2 hours 52 minutes (A very creditable 65.4 mph/105 kph for the entire run.)

Rielsud quotes Jaime [James] Atkinson as writing in an August 1980 article (from La Pasquin de Hobbies, a defunct magazine) that each engine cost the equivalent of 60 Ford Model As when purchased. Atkinson also said that these engines were powerful, but slippery. Once started and up to speed (above 40 kph/25 mph), they showed their ability to accelerate and run long trains at high speeds.

Class PS8 /5B (Locobase 3700)

Data provided by Carlos Alberto Fern_ndez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000).

Supplied from 1913 to 1916, these engines were used in general passenger service. Fernandez, on the [] site (August 2002), adds that they were assigned to medium and long-distance travel. Two of the class -- 129 & 130 -- never actually arrived in Argentina; they were lost at sea during the First World War.

Another 10 -- the P.S. 10 class -- had taller drivers; see Locobase 3699.