Belgian State 2-4-0 Locomotives in Belgium

Class Express (Locobase 6429)

Data from G. Brabt "Ordinary Types of Belgium State Railway Locomotives", American Engineer and Railroad Journal, Volume 67, No 6 (June 1893), pp. 288-293. See also "Some Interesting Types of Belgian Railway Locomotives," Locomotive News and Railway Notes, Volume II [2], No 10 (25 July 1919), p 49. Works number was 277 in 1889.

Brabt noted that, compared to the smaller Type 1 (Locobase 6428), the express version had a longer firebox that together with the outside frame that granted 6 cm more width, resulted in a larger grate. The dome shifted back to a point more nearly in line with the first driving axle and the wider frame allowed the equalizing system to be masked by the splashers for a neater apperance. The engine had a Belpaire firebox.

Brabt noted too that a central spine of two strong sheets took most of the connecting rods' forces. The inside cylinders lay practically on the centerline with their valves outside, but still masked from view by the frame. The throttle lay in the smokebox and was controlled by a steam-powered reversing gear.

Class Express (Locobase 7327)

Data from Titre Exposition universelle internationale de 1889 a Paris. Rapports du jury internationale. Auteur - Volume France. Ministere du Commerce, de l'industrie. Picard, Alfred, ed. Volume Groupe VI - -Outillage et precedes des industries mecaniques. Electricite (5e partie) Classes 60 a 63. Rapport sur le materiel des chemins de fer.tables beginning on p. 183 ([] (accessed 1 September 2005)

The jury's report describes this locomotive as a refinement with larger cylinders and more grate area in its Belpaire firebox, but smaller drivers suitable for passenger service on more demanding profiles. The firebox extended behind the two driving axles.

The heating surface area given in the specs is from the fire side. Water-side total evaporative heating area was 1,241 sq ft.

Class Express (Locobase 20228)

Data from "Some Interesting Types of Belgian Railway Locomotives," Locomotive News and Railway Notes, Volume II [2], No 10 (25 July 1919), p 49. Works number was 245 in 1885.

See Locobase 6429 for a discussion of the two variants of an express design that apparently failed to lead to further orders.

Class Type 1 (Locobase 6428)

Data from G. Brabt "Ordinary Types of Belgium State Railway Locomotives", American Engineer and Railroad Journal, Volume 67, No 6 (June 1893), pp. 288-293.

Locobase estimates the boiler pressure based on other Belgian locomotives described in a later AERJ issue of the same year and calculates the grate area based on the dimensions in the text. (The table of specifications does not, for some reason, include either figure.)

This design had the dome mounted just behind the capped stack and ahead of the drivers. The driving axles had their springs mounted outside the slotted frame and splashers with the rods to the equalizing beam prominent just inside the plane of the coupling rod.

Class Type 1 (Locobase 10360)

Data from "Old Belgian Locomotives," The Locomotive Magazine, Vol IX (5 September 1903), p.142; and "Some Interesting Types of Belgian Railway Locomotives", Locomotive News and Railway Notes, Volume II [2], No 12 (25 August 1919), pp. 103-103, 117-120. (Thanks to Teevu Koivumaki for his 25 December 2020 email supplying the details of the batches supplied, which appears immediately below.)

Total 157 built (of these five built to SociTtT gTnTrale d'exploitation de chemins de fer (SGE) 1869, but State resumed these in 1871 and one build for Brussels exhibition 1880).

Carels 1871-83 (26=14-16, 21, 30-40, 122(Brussels exhibition), 166-175)

John Cockerill 1864-73 (64=576-580, 585-599, 634-656, 699-703(SGE), 741-743, 821-824, 848-853, 855-858. Notes: between nr.643-650 only have 7 locomotives.

Schneider (LeCreusot 1866-1868 (9=1037-1045)

Couillet 1864-68 (9=146-150, 207-210)

Evrard 1864-73 (23=56-65, 161-167, 192-197)

Franco Belge 1882-83 (14=413-426)

Haine St Pierre 1871-76 (12= 71-74, 77-79, 112-116)

Designed by Alfred Belpaire, this class of express locomotives was produced by several builders and totalled well over 100; it featured Belpaire's square-shouldered firebox. Rolling on the tall drivers necessary for express passenger work, the design was rated at 75 km/h (47 mph) up a 0.5% grade pulling 15 carriages and consuming 8 kg/km (28.4 lb/mile) of coal (which cost 9 francs). The lines Type 1s served were la Vesdre, Hal a Tournai, and Braine a Gand. The axles were made from Bessemer steel while the wheels were wrought iron.

John Cockerill at Seraing, Couillet, and Everard delivered the engines in 1864-1865. Later orders in 1867-1869 came from those three builders as well as from Schneider (Type 60 works numbers 1037-1045 in 1867) and from Carels (Ghent). 1871-1873 saw the four Belgian firms plus Societe de Haine St Pierre delivered more and production continued in 1876, 1880, 1882, and 1883; the last of these came from Franco-Belge.

The LM author in 1903 commented that those locomotives built by Carels and Haine St Pierre "...could always be recognised by the fine degree of finish and the general elegance of their engines."

In most sources that describe this class, a calculation based on the same number and length of tubes yields a larger tube heating surface area than is shown in the source's specifications. Locobase believes the areas quoted reflected the interior diameter, which was a frequent basis of area measurement in several Continental countries. As the builders gave the external diameter, Locobase accepted the larger figure.

As built,all of the boiler's appliances sat well forward. The dome, just located just behind the stack, was almost as tall, a small, round sandbox stood immediately behind the dome, and the carafe-shaped safety valve stand was positioned exactly over the lead driving axle.

Later boiler rebuildings substantially increased the weight (to 82,880 lb), but permitted steam pressures of 142 psi (9.8 bar). Service use ranged across the system, as might be imagined, and the class served expresses into the 1890s.

Class Type 5 (Locobase 6430)

Data from G. Brabt "Ordinary Types of Belgium State Railway Locomotives", American Engineer and Railroad Journal, Volume 67, No 6 (June 1893), pp. 288-293; and from the table presented on pages 405, 407 of the Groupe VI. - GTnie civil. - Moyens de transport. DeuxiFme partie. Classes 32 (Tome I), part of the series of Rapports du Jury Internationale of the Exposition Unverselle Internationale de 1900 Paris Exposition, hosted on the website of Le Conservatoire numTrique des Arts & MTtiers ([], Accessed 21 August 2005); and "Some Interesting Types of Belgian Locomotives" Locomotive News and Railway Notes, Volume IV [4], No 21 (10 January 1920), p. 62.

St Leonard supplied the first set in 1880 (works numbers 552-558 and Compagnie Belge produced works numbers 326-335, 340-345, 349-351, and 355) in the same year. Belge continued with 353-354, 356-361 in 1881.

The illustration of this light passenger tank shows a large cab, widespread drivers, a milk-bottle-shaped steam dome just behind the stack and about as tall. The cylinders and and motion are both inside the frame and the long, shallow tanks extend from smokebox front to the cab with the coal bunkers arranged around the cab.The Belpaire firebox had a grate sloping 13 degrees toward the front. Note the relatively low boiler pressure, for which the Jury said it had no explanation.

Class Type 7 (Locobase 20253)

Data from "Some Interesting Types of Belgian Locomotives," Locomotive News and Railroad Notes, Volume , No. (). p. 24.