Belgian State 0-8-2 Locomotives in Belgium

Class Le Cinquantenaire (Locobase 6438)

Data from G. Brabt, "Standard Freight Engines of the Belgium State Railways", American Engineer and Railroad Journal, Volume 67, No 8 (August 1893), pp. 385-388; see also "Belgian Locomotives", Locomotive Magazine, Volume 8 (15 February 1912), p. 43. It's also clear that this is the locomotive referred to in the Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Universal Exposition at Paris in 1889 to the House of Representatives, 51st Congress, 1st Session, Ex. Doc 450 Part 3 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1891), p. 472-473. Works number was 609 in 1885.

Locobase looks at the skimpy amount of cross-section compared to the grate and suspects the grate was way out of proportion to the rest of the locomotive. Although this is described by Brabt as a modification of the Type 20 0-8-0T, the design was substantially different in almost every respect. He explains that freight traffic between Spa and the border demanded more power and larger water tanks and coal bunkers. To accommodate a boiler enlarged in both girth and length, a radial truck was added under the coal bunker. The engine later moved to the Liege depot to work the Guillemins-Ans incline on the Brussels line.

The Commissioners were quite impressed, or at least were willing to pass along an assertion such as "This is claimed to be one of the best examples ever produced of an engine designed for heavy work." Perhaps not; Brabt says that only one example of this design was produced. However, the 1912 Locomotive report says a second of the type emerged from the railway's shops in 1895 and numbered 712. The report also said that Le Cinquantenaire was fitted with the "Stevart" valve motion.