Argentine Government 4-8-0 Locomotives in Argentina

Class unknown (Locobase 21024)

Data from "'Compound' Freight for Metre-Gauge Railway As Exhibited on Stand No. 5025", North British Locomotive Company-Glasgow", Franco-British Exhibition, Machinery Hall, Building No 48 (White City, Shepherds Bush, London: 1908). See also "Franco-British Exhibition, 1908" entry on the Open University's Making Britain website at [], last accessed 28 May 2022.

Making Britain's website reports the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition's Official Catalogue's credit for the idea of this exhibition to Imre Kiralfy. Kiralfy suggested such an event to celebrate the Anglo-French Entente agreed to in 1904. The timing took advantage of the 1908 London Olympics site, which began on 27 April 1908, a month before the Franco-British Exhibition's 26 May 1908 opening. (The Olympics ended on 31 October, the same day as the FBE, which means the two major attractions interleaved their activities.)

Locobase has not found a compound 4-8-0 for the metre gauge before this cross-compound design. It was put on display at the FBE in 1908. It had a relatively large boiler and Belpaire firebox with large grate. Its cylinders used a relatively short stroke and received steam through piston valves actuated by outside radial constant-lead gear.

Sometime after the Exhibition, the NBLC Twelve-wheeler went to Argentina. Although the original railway isn't clear, it's known it was still in service on the Argentine State Railways