Belgian State 4-4-0 Locomotives in Belgium

Class Dunalastair II/Class 17 (Locobase 1112)

Data from "Four-Coupled Bogie Express Engine, Belgian State Railways," The Locomotive Magazine, Vol IV (March 1899), p. 41.

Identical to the Caledonian Dunalastair IIs except for being set up for right-hand running. Belgian State Railways was so impressed with the Scottish engine when it won the Gold Medal at the 1897 Brussels Exhibition that it bought 5, which were produced by Nielson Reid in Glasgow.

Clearly the locomotives met requirements; another 40 were built by Belgian factories in 1899-1900. These had the smaller boilers shown in the specifications.

The larger, superheated Class 18s, otherwise similar, are described in Locobase 10012.

Class Type 18 (Locobase 10012)

Data from Bulletin of the International Railway Congress, Published by P. Weissenbruch, 1905, p. 2255-2257. See also Dr. R. Sanzin, "Die Lokomotiven auf der Intertionalen Austellung in Mailand 1906, 3. 2/4 gekuppelte Schnellzuglokomotive mit rauchrohrenuberhitzer (Bauart Schmidt) der belgischen Staatsbahnen ...", Zeitschrift des Oesterreichischen Ingenieur- und Architeckten-Vereines, Vol LVIII Nr. 49 (7 December 1906), p 681.

The 18s were based on the Type 17 Dunalastairs (Locobase 1112), but slightly larger. 2672-2691 were delivered in 1902, 2692-2721 in 1903, 2722-2750 in 1903-4, and 3190-3200 and 3243-3292 in 1904-5.

Many were delivered with 265 2" tubes and measured 1,373 sq ft of heating surface; they had 19" diameter cylinders.

The last of these were built with superheat, as shown in the specs. The usual tradeoff tubes for flues did not result in much loss of overall heating surface, however, nor did the railway reduce boiler pressure; moreover, cylinder diameter grew by an inch. So the locomotive was able to make the most of the dry steam produced by the superheater.

One was delivered in 1905 with electric lighting supplied by an exhaust-steam-driven dynamo (generator) mounted between the steam dome and the safety valve stand.