Sorocabana 4-6-2 Locomotives in Brazil

Class 308 (Locobase 15272)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University,Vol 72, pp. 145+ and Vol 78, pp. 246+. Works numbers were 58151-58155 in December 1924 and 58692-58702 in September 1925.

Multi-fuel (coal or wood) Pacific that needed to negotiate curves of 90 metres (295 feet) radius. Perhaps the alignment dictated the use of the 4-6-2 arrangement in this batch, which were specified to be able to interchange parts with the 2-8-2s bought at the same time and shown in Locobase 15273. Given their interchangeability and the freight-service assignment, Locobase hasn't determined why the Sorocabana would order Pacifics in addition to the Mikados, although a second order for eleven more a year later suggests the railway thought there was a clear difference.

10" (254 mm) piston valves supplied steam to the cylinders and the firebox was manufactured with a goal of adding two arch tubes to support a brick arch in the future.

Class 550 / 301 (Locobase 14515)

Data from 301+a+303+EFS+1950+p.31, archived at [] . See also and "Locomotives for the Brazilian Centennial Exhibition", Railway Age, Volume 74, No 8 (24 February 1923), pp. 467-468. Works numbers were 59126-59128 in 1918.

This trio of narrow-gauge wood-burning Pacifics essentially repeated Alco's Pittsburgh Works design shipped to the Mogyana in 1917 (Locobase 20500), but came from the Cooke subsidiary located in Paterson, New Jersey.

The blog post notes that 303 was based at Itaicu in 1950 as part of the E de F Sorocabana stud. He notes sadly that the locomotive no longer exists.