FC Cordoba Central Beyer-Garratt Locomotives in Argentina

Class C12/E11 (Locobase 509)

Later Ferrocarril General Belgrano. Some data from Carlos Alberto Fernandez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000) as corrected and supplemented by data from Gavin Hamilton's excellent compilation of Garratt data posted at [] (6 September 2005); See also "Dundee Coal Co., Ltd. South Africa-Design 1144", Beyer-Garrrat Patent Articulated Locomotives (Manchester, England: Beyer-Peacock & Company Limited, 1931), archived on flickr's Historical Railway Images at [], et seq, p. 30.

Fernandez claims these Mountain Garratts (BP# 6550-6559) were the heaviest metre-gauge locomotives in Argentina. Like almost all Beyer, Peacock Garratts, these had Belpaire fireboxes and large boiler barrel.

In another website -- [] (visited August 2002) -- the same author says that the class worked the principal main line between Cordoba, Quilino, & Frias. Over a ruling 1.25% grade, these bulls pulled 1,200 long tons (1,320 short tons). They also climbed the 2.5% Los Sauces branch line and the 6% Leon y Volcan previously ascended only by rack locomotives. Moreover, the Cordoba eliminated all banking service in this section and was able to reduce the number of crew turns.

In the 1950s, these engines were replaced by diesel-electrics.