Paris-Lyon / PLM 0-4-2 Locomotives in France

Class 286 (Locobase 13371)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

These adhesion-forward locomotives came first from Creusot in 1856 in a batch of 20 as 313-332 (later 486-503), followed by another 5 from Creusot in 1860 (333-337, later 504-508), and 15 from Grafenstaden in 1860 (286-300, later 471-485).

318-319 were rebuilt in 1867 with longer boilers; see Locobase 13372. Four others were retired in 1886 (498-499), 497 (1890), and 492 (1891).

The others were converted to tank engines; see Locobase 13434.

Class 351 (Locobase 13373)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

These were among the first 0-4-2s in French service. Locobase wonders if the data available in the PLM Wiki reflects a rebuild close to the time of the 1869 Plan book from which it was taken.

Whatever its origin, the class only began withdrawals in 1876 (360), 1882 (962, 968, 969), 1883 (956, 966, 967), 1885 (954), 1890 (965, 967), 1891 (959), 1894 (960), 1898 (955, 957, 958, 961, 964), and 1900 (963). Locobase isn't sure what to make of the note that 958 was transformed into the BB 31.

Class 368 (Locobase 13374)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

In the same year as Gouin supplied the adhesion-first passenger engines described in Locobase 13373, Buddicom supplied another 11. In the 1869 PLM Plan book from which this date is drawn, the two classes have identical dimensions, but the Buddicoms are a touch heavier.

370-371 were rebuilt in 1874 with a steam dome adorned with vertical regulators and 430 kg heavier.

Retirements occurred at earlier dates than those of the Gouin locomotives: 1880 (853), 1881 (943, 944, 951, 952), 1883 (946, 947, 949, 950), 1888 (945), and 1894 (948).

Class 379 (Locobase 13375)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

At the same time the Creusot works was supplying the adhesion-forward engines shown in Locobase 13371, Cail was producing this quintet of very similar locomotives derived from the 1852 locomotives supplied by the same builder (Locobase 13377).

Two -- 972 and 974 -- were rebuilt in 1884 and 1886 with domes holding vertical regulators and weighing 430 kg more.

For so small a class, the range of retirement dates spanned a surprising range. 970 was withdrawn in 1883, 973 in 1892, 971 in 1898, 974 in 1903, and 972 in 1905.

Class 451 (Locobase 13376)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

When Gouin started supplying the passenger engines shown in Locobase 597, the firm also produced this septet that rolled on significantly smaller drivers. The two classes were otherwise identical.

Two of the seven in this class were retired in their original numbers: 457 in 1876 and 455 in 1879. The next decade saw the departure of the rest: 1881 (989), 1883 (988), 1885 (987), 1888 (985), and 1890 (986).

Class 458 (Locobase 13377)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

Cail's 1856 locomotives shown in Locobase 13375 were preceded by this batch from 4 years earlier that had smaller drivers.

Withdrawals from service began in 1876 (468) and continued in 1881 (981-984), 1882 (979-980), 1883 (978), 1884 (975), 1898 (976), and 977 (1904).

Class 841 (Locobase 13378)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

Gouin's supply of locomotives to the P-L included express locomotives and these mixed-traffic engines. They were heavier than the other batches and had slightly larger boilers, but shorter wheelbases.

Two saw their boiler pressure rating raised to 8 kg/sq cm: 818 in 1874, 820 in 1889. Meanwhile, 821 had its pressure raised to 9 kg/sq cm in 1887 and 820 followed in 1892. 818 was withdrawn in 1889, 821 in 1898, and 819 and 820 in 1898.

Most were withdrawn in the 1880s after a makeover in 1876.

Class Rhone (Locobase 597)

Data from the PLM Wiki at [], last accessed 4 November 2011.

0-4-2 wheel arrangements were relatively uncommon, but several French and British railroads adopted the layout to support the firebox and to gain a more even weight distribution among the axles, which improved adhesion. Sharp, Stewart of England built 0-4-2s for freight engines, eventually venturing into mixed service locomotives with larger drivers.

Ernest-Alexandre Gouin used Sharp plans to build 20 engines for the Paris-Lyon in 1851.

The PLM Wiki contains a photograph that shows the large sandbox located just behind the dome (which was just behind the stack). In the photo, the open top was front-hinged and emphasizes the design of the two legs that draped down over the boiler.

After this introduction, many French railroads used this backward-appearing arrangement. See Series 2.451 entry for a later French Nord Railroad class.