Midi 0-6-0 Locomotives in France

Class 451 (Locobase 11322)

Data from August Perdonnet et Camille Polonceau, Nouveau Portefeuille de L'Ingenieur des Chemins de Fer, Tome Second (Paris: Librairie Scientifique, Industrielle et Agricole, 1866), pp. 528-529.

Compared to the four-coupled terminal switcher shown in Locobase 11321, this six-coupled tank had a higher boiler pressure and smaller drivers. Weight distribution among the three axles varied. The leading axle's load was 8,800 kg (19,400 lb), the center one came in at 10,500 kg (23,149 lb), and the rear axle bore 9,500 kg (20,944 lb).

Class 501 (Locobase 11316)

Data from August Perdonnet et Camille Polonceau, Nouveau Portefeuille de L'Ingenieur des Chemins de Fer, Tome Second (Paris: Librairie Scientifique, Industrielle et Agricole, 1866), pp. 528-529. Supplemented by Wikimedia at [], last accessed 22 September 2018.

Inside cylinders.

NB: Heating surfaces in the Locobase entry are derived from the 197 tubes' exterior diameter (50 mm). When the tubes' interior (fire side) diameter is used (a more common practice in many Continental locomotives), the tube heating surface area was 123.5 sq m (1,329 sq ft), resulting in an evaporative heating surface area of 131.49 sq m (1,415 sq ft).

Class 601 (Locobase 11317)

Data from August Perdonnet et Camille Polonceau, Nouveau Portefeuille de L'Ingenieur des Chemins de Fer, Tome Second (Paris: Librairie Scientifique, Industrielle et Agricole, 1866), pp. 528-529. Supplemented by Wikimedia at [], last accessed 22 September 2018.The first 20 locomotives were delivered by Graffenstaden and the other 20 were produced by Cail.

Considerably bigger than the six-coupled class shown in Locobase 11316. The larger cylinders now lay outside and turned smaller drivers. Combined with a higher-pressure boiler, these changes conferred a much higher tractive effort.

NB: Heating surfaces in the Locobase entry are derived from the 197 tubes' exterior diameter (50 mm). When the tubes' interior diameter is used (a more common practice in many Continental locomotives), the tube heating surface area was 118.28 sq m (1,272 sq ft), resulting in an evaporative heating surface area of 131.49 sq m (1,359 sq ft).

Class 801/030 B (Locobase 15171)

Data from L M Vilain "Chemin de Fer d'Orleans" as reported by "quelet" (Papotier) in a post on 28 September 2012, 19:46 within the thread "Re: recherche document 230H, 230F, Forquenot, 030B" on the LR Presse's [], last accessed 4 May 2013; and Maurice Demoulin, Traite Pratique de la Machine Locomotive (Paris: Libraire Polytechnique, Baudry et Cie, 1898), pp. 120, Table, p. 439. See also "MIDI Locomotive 030 STrie 800", begun 20 February 2016 by Aubrac at Forums LR Presse at [], last accessed 22 September 2018.

Vilain lists all of the builders with dates and road number series:

1867 Midi, Bordeaux 801-806

1868 Grafenstaden 807-826

1869 A. Koechlin 827-846

1872 Midi, Bordeaux 847-848

1872 Fives Lille 849-868

1872-1877 Schneider 869-948

1882 Cail 949-978

1882 IRP (Austria) 979-1023

1882 Wiener-Neustadt 1024-1033

1883 IRP (Austria) 1034-1043

1883-1884 Schneider 1044-1087

1883-1886 Fives-Lille 1088-1177

1889 Schneider 1178-1202

Several hundred of the widespread Bourbonnais six-coupled design, this long run featured locomotives with outside cylinders, dome centered over the second axle. An unusual feature of this design was the ability to interchange drivers of two different diameters (NOT on the same locomotive at the same time, of course) depending on the service required. Steeper profiles might call for 1,310 mm (51.6") wheels, while faster trains on more level track could use the 1,610 mm drivers shown in the specs.

Aubrac showed in two photos how the engines were designed to accommodate either set. The buffers (tampons) on the front beam had their pistons mounted off-center in the vertical plane on a plate that had two bolt holes at top and bottom. Put on the 1,610 mm drivers and the tampon plate would be bolted to position the tampons in the upper half of the plate. Change the drivers to the 1,310 mm set, remove the plate, spin it 180 degrees and bolt it back on with the tampons in the lower half.

Noting a later Aubrac post that reproduced the names assigned to most of the first 80 locomotives, Starluc added on 7 March 2016 that the practice of naming locomotives represented a feeling that such machines "were a dear engine, a marvel of technology, and one baptised a locomotive as one christened a ship (the analogies between the the two worlds, railway and maritime, are very important to think about in general)." [Locobase's rough translation].

So why give up? One reason, Starluc suggested, was that it was easier to identify a locomotive as part of its class by its number than by its name.

Of the 402 engines produced, 139 remained in service in 1935, and 56 were available to the SNCF in 1938.

Class Engerth (Locobase 11320)

Data from August Perdonnet et Camille Polonceau, Nouveau Portefeuille de L'Ingenieur des Chemins de Fer, Tome Second (Paris: Librairie Scientifique, Industrielle et Agricole, 1866), pp. 528-529. See also Albert Jacquet, "'Engerth'" Locomotives on French and Belgian Railways", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVIII [28] (15 April 1922), pp. 104-106. Emill Kessler provided the first seven in 1855 and the next eighteen in 1856-1858. Ernest Gouin of Paris completed the class in 1857.

This locomotive design was very similar to the single Engerth procured by the Paris-Lyon at the same time. The Midi used the engines both for goods traffic and to haul passenger trains over the Pyrenees' steep gradients Adopting the Wenger compressed air brake system undoubtedly helped. Jacquet implies that the later "general and compulsory of the Westinghouse system" may have annoyed the Midi as it had already fitted the Wenger to most of its motive power.

A later boiler included a dome over the middle ring. As late as 1913, some of the class still pulled trains over the Lozere and Cantal lines. Most likely, the locomotives offered good traction and low axle loadings.

Class Pic du Midi (Locobase 11318)

Data from Ernest Taillard, Les Locomotives et le Materiel de Transport: Exposition Universelle de Paris de 1867 (Paris: Dunod, Editeur, 1867), pp.131-133.

Shown at the 1867 Exposition Universelle, this six-coupled freight engine was the very first to be built at Midi's Bordeaux shops. Its relatively high drivers meant less tractive effort, it also allowed use of the class in mixed-traffic operation over an imposing ruling grade of 1 to 1.7%. An unusual feature, at least of the display engine, was the provision of both 1,300-mm and 1,600-mm driver sets.