0-4-2 Steam Locomotives in Chile

Class 5th/Tipo 10 (Locobase 21347)

Data from Chilean State Railways (EFE) diagram book, 10, supplied in August 2025 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange collection. See also Martin Coombs, Chilean steam locomotive lists, Part 1, Broad gauge locos (v2.64, March 2026), pp. 17-18, 53-54. at []. Works numbers were 617, 619 in 1866.

Martin Coombs shows six locomotives coming from the Avonside builder. The first three came in 1963 with taller drivers than the trio shown in this entry. (#17 El Tabon and #19 San Ramon rolled on on 60" (1,524 mm) while the Batuco sported 66" (1,676 mm) wheels.)

The next three arrived three years later with San Pedro (20) and Paso Hondo (22) in a more modest freight setup; Coombs notes that both the 20 and 22 received smaller diameter drivers in 1870, but the later entry within the EFE section in his indispensable series gives the diameter as 56". Lebu (21) turned 66" drivers in its axle boxes; the FCSV shops converted the 0-4-2 to 4-4-0 in 1874.

Class Empresa (Locobase 9311)

Data from American v English Locomotives, Correspondence, Criticism, and Commentary respecting Their Relative Merits (New York: Robert K Pease, 1880), pp. 36-37 and Facts and Opinions: Regarding the Economical Construction and Working of Railways of Narrow Gauge with Steep Gradients and Sharp Curves, when Worked with an Improved Class of Engine and Rolling Stock By T. W. Armstrong Compiled by T. W. Armstrong, 1870 -- Pt. 1 is reprinted from the Times, Oct. 19-21, 1869, Feb. 18, Mar. 1, Mar. 12, 1870.

The publication of which the edition used by Locobase reprinted a documente presented to both Houses of the General Assembly of New Zealand by Command of His Excellency in 1878. At issue was how the demand for motive power on New Zealand's railways should be met-- through the purchase of the mother country's locomotives or by continuing to buy American engines.

The exchange in the correspondence ripened considerably when the Engineer-in-charge, North Island J P Maxwell rebutted a report favorable to the American case by R M Brereton, formerly Engineer-in-Chief of the Great India Peninsula Railway. Maxwell blasted away at the American claims with both barrels.

WW Evans took up the challenge in New York in a spirited mixture of facts, sarcasm, and invective. To demonstrate his claim that American-built engines were superior, he describes a set of trials conducted in 1869 on the Santiago line he had charge of building. Each country supplied two locomotives, one for goods (freight) traffic, another for passenger service. All had copper fireboxes and brass flues.

Evans claims that the the only Americans involved were the two drivers of the American locomotives. All of the other participants were British. He noted that the cost transporting each locomotive "...over the mountains from Valparaiso to Santiago, over common road, was about $5,000." One can only imagine the difficulties encountered.

After laying out the comparative statistics in a table, Evans reports on the results, which are outlined for each locomotive in its own entry. The Hawthorn engine described in this entry struggled badly, according to Evans. Tasked with taking a 35 8-wheeled cars over an 11 2/3-mile (18.75 km) distance to "the Summit" (not otherwise described), says Evans, "The English goods engine having failed to carry the 35 cars with 586 tons beyond the 3rd miles, was backed to the station and tried with 130 pounds (PSI); failed a second time; was backed to the station and tried with 20 cars having 335 tons; got stalled twice and got to the summit in 88 minutes."

See the other Locobase entries in the series (9312-9314) for other results.

Class Valparaiso/Tipo 5 (Locobase 21341)

Data from Chilean State Railways (EFE) diagram book, 5, supplied in August 2025 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange collection. See also Martin Coombs, Chilean steam locomotive lists, Part 1, Broad gauge locos (v2.64, March 2026), p. at [].

Continuing to develop the four-coupled leading layout for the FCSV, Hawthorn delivered these engines, which used a few more and slightly larger diameter 2" tubes. Coombs noted that PC Dewhurst grouped several more locomotives from Hawthorn and other builders as Tipo 6. By then, however, most had received new boilers and converted to 4-4-0s. Locobase presesnts them in separate entries according to their later EFE Tipo classes.

The diagram includes PC Dewhurst comments that the duo "were used to run express trains from Valp[araiso] to Santiago." and the railway later fitted 18" cylinders. He added: "#10 made record trip Santiago to Valpo with Peruvian Minister on declaration of war in 1879. time 2 hours 40 minutes-Still a record."

The EFE withdrew both engines in 1918.

Class Vencedora (Locobase 9313)

Data from American v English Locomotives, Correspondence, Criticism, and Commentary respecting Their Relative Merits (New York: Robert K Pease, 1880), pp. 36-37 and Facts and Opinions: Regarding the Economical Construction and Working of Railways of Narrow Gauge with Steep Gradients and Sharp Curves, when Worked with an Improved Class of Engine and Rolling Stock By T. W. Armstrong Compiled by T. W. Armstrong, 1870 -- Pt. 1 is reprinted from the Times, Oct. 19-21, 1869, Feb. 18, Mar. 1, Mar. 12, 1870. See also Martin Coombs, Chilean steam locomotive lists, Part 1, Broad gauge locos (v2.64, March 2026), pp. 10-11. at []

Locomotive #3 bore the name Obstaculo. Apparently the two originally rolled with 54" (1,372 mm)drivers and had the steam dome positioned over the firebox. Later received the 60" shown in the specifications and new domes over the middle of the barrel. Coombs noted the 3 as having been "Rebuilt as new in 1873-4, with new boiler barrel and cylinders, also new tender tank and axles with new steel tyres."

Coombs reported the two engines received new

See Locobase 9311 for the full details of the Chilean trials.

Unlike the goods-engine competion, both locomotives managed their trains without having to drop cars off. But W W Evans reported that the British locomotive took 37 1/2 minutes to make the trip. Part of the difficulty, the not-too-objective Evans observed lay in the quality of the manufacture shown in the British engines: "I must in justice say that the two English engines were about as badly designed, as badly balanced, and as stiff and clumsy affairs as I ever saw."