Leopoldina Railway 4-6-2 Locomotives in Brazil

Class 306 (Locobase 20635)

Data from "Locomotiva 327", ABPF (Brazilian Association of Railroad Preservation) S-- Regional Sul de Minas website at [], last accessed 25 August 2019. Works numbers were 6222-6231 in 1925, 6400-6409, 6461-6466 in 1927, and 6508-6509 in 1928.

Although Kitson had supplied the first six Pacifics to the Leopoldina in 1914, the first to be delivered with superheaters was the batch of ten delivered by Beyer, Peacock in 1926. Three more batches arrived in 1927-1928 to complete the class. Leading features were the Belpaire firebox, cylindrical boiler topped with a rounded steam dome in the middle and larger, cylindrical sand dome over the bogie's rear axle, and slightly inclined cylinders with piston valves.

These were express passenger locomotives on the metre gauge and served a variety of lines

Class 339 (Locobase 7515)

Data from 1946 Beyer, Peacock catalogue hosted on Martyn Bane's website at [] (accessed 21 May 2006).(Thanks to Teemu Koivumaki whose 2023 email included a comprehensive spreadsheet of Brazilian steam locomotive builders, works numbers, and owners.) Works numbers were 6940-6945 in 1939 and 7254-7258 in 1948.

From 1921 on, Beyer, Peacock supplied Pacifics to the Leopoldina. By the time of the order shown in the specifications, 31 4-6-2s were handling mainline duties on the largest British-owned railway in Brazil.

This sextet featured a large round-topped firebox behind a medium-sized set of drivers. Compared to most other metre-gauge Pacifics, these were relatively small locomotives.

Class 364 (Locobase 7516)

Data from 1946 Beyer, Peacock catalogue hosted on Martyn Bane's website at [] (accessed 21 May 2006). (Thanks to Teemu Koivumaki whose 2023 email included a comprehensive spreadsheet of Brazilian steam locomotive builders, works numbers, and owners.) Works numbers were 6858-6859 in 1937, 7020-7025 in 1942, and 7238-7241 in 1947.

A very active part of the Leopoldina's traffic was suburban commuter service in and out of the major Brazilian cities in the southeast. The 1937 pair of Pacific tanks were the first of their wheel arrangement supplied by B,P to the Leopoldina. 10 more followed - 6 in 1942, 4 in 1947. Unlike the 4-6-2 tender engines, these had Belpaire fireboxes.