Alar del Rey a Santander 4-4-0 Locomotives in Spain

Class 24 (Locobase 11330)

Data from Charles Alfred Opperman, Traite Complet des Chemins de Fer Economiques D' Interet Local (Paris: Imprimerie Pillet Fils Aine, 1873), pp.164-165. See [] for a detailed narrative of the planning, construction, and operation of the FC Alar del Rey a Santander.

Works numbers were 196-198, 234-241.

See Locobase 11157 for a description of Vaessen's radial truck, which allowed the locomotive to negotiate sharper curves.

Opperman notes that the Alar del Rey (also called the Isabel II) was a short line (139 km) between Alar del Rey and the Biscayan port of Santander that scaled several significant grades and negotiated many curves. In the Barcena-Reinosa section, a segment he admits is an extreme example, the line traveled 34 km to connect two towns that lay 16 km as the crow flew (a vol d'oiseau) and measured 559 metres from its lowest to its highest point.

The Alar del Rey bought at least two types of Vaessen-truck locomotives. This class had the taller drivers and Eight-wheeler layout suitable for a passenger engine. The locomotives were named Agricultura, Industria, Comercio, 2 de mayo, Iberia, Burgos, Valladolid, Las Flores, Barcena, Reinosa, and Torrelavega