Minho e Douro 2-8-0 Locomotives in Portugal

Class 140-101 (Locobase 20563)

Data from "Four-Cylinder Compound Consolidation Locomotives, Minho-Douro Ry, Portugal", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVI [26], No 335 (15 July 1920), p. . Works numbers were 19335-19337 in 1911.

As traffic increased on the M-D in the first decade of the 20th century, Locomotive Superindented Duro Sequeira decided that six-coupled engines were no longer sufficient. So he ordered this trio of high-boilered compound Consolidations from Glasgow that raised the ante considerably, putting the maximum adhesive weight the rail would support. "They have proved very satisfactory in service," LM reported, "and are capable of dealing easily with trains of 300 tons over gradients of 1 in 55 [1.8%]".

The four cylinders-arranged in line abreast with-LP outside and HP inside-drove on the second axle. Only two sets of Walschaert gear served the quartet with a single valve train that had three piston valves on the same rod. The front and rear pistons served the HP cylinder inside while the middle valve piston supplied the exhausted HP steam to the LP cylinder.

LM's approval of the American-style bar frame for its light weight and accessibility may have been influenced by a very high boiler pitch that left a sizable gap between its bottom and the tops of the driver springs.

Class 140-112 (Locobase 20564)

Data from "New Locomotives for Portugal", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVIII [28], No 357 (15 May 1922), p.

The M-D's extensive development of its network led to a bit of a spending spree for new, more powerful locomotives in 1912-1913. A description of the 1912 compound Consolidations appears in Locobase 20563. A year later, Locomotive Superintendent Duro Sequiera apparently decided that several features of that design weren't right for the easier grades of the southern section and bought these simple-expansion engines.

In addition to using only two cylinders in a plate frame (vs bar frames), the locomotives sported superheaters. LM reported that the class handled 440 metric tons (484 short tons) of either goods or mixed traffic trains over long 1 in 56.6 (1.8%) grades at 18.6 mph (30 kph). In addition, reported LM, "maintenance costs [are] lower than that of the compound type." Moreover, superheating meant that "fuel consumption ...is at least as good."