Norte 4-6-0 Locomotives in Spain

Class 1900 Grandes/230-2001 (Locobase 3353)

Data from Pere Comas and Alfred Puig, Breve Historia de la Traccion Vapor en Norte, Trensim TS10H001, Noviembre de 2010, pp. 33-35, 92-93 ; and MATERIAL MOTOR RENFE 1947 diagram book posted by carlos lavagoneta arroba and retrieved from Picasa [], last accessed 1 June 2014., p. 113. Works numbers were 4254-4277 in 1904.

These are essentially repeats of the 1901 class (Locobase 3354), although they had slightly larger cylinders and taller drivers. The change responded to Norte's wish to raise its train speeds on the Castillian plain. Otherwise, the engines had the same high boilers with Belpaire fireboxes and outside constant-lead radial valve gear. The "simple and robust" locomotives were based at sheds in Miranda, Zaragoza, Valencia, LTrida, and Tarragona.

The Duke of Zaragosa, writing in The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XIV (15 April 1908), p. 71, reported that on those days that he worked locomotives of this class, he was able to reach speeds of 59 mph [95 km/h] with a trailing load of 220 tons. "[B]ut the usual average speed is 40 mph [64 km/h], owing to the frequency of curves of 10 chains' radius and gradients of 1 in 50."

Class 1900 peque'as/230-2031 (Locobase 3354)

Data from [] . OS. See also Pere Comas and Alfred Puig, Breve Historia de la Traccion Vapor en Norte, Trensim TS10H001, Noviembre de 2010, pp. 33-35, 92-93 ; and MATERIAL MOTOR RENFE 1947 diagram book posted by carlos lavagoneta arroba and retrieved from Picasa [], last accessed 1 June 2014., p. 113. Hanomag's works numbers were 3452-3461 in 1901 and 3460-3461, 3883-3890 in 1902, followed by Borsig works numbers 5189-5198 in 1903.

Comas and Puig comment that the 1900s took their designation from Norte's system for identifying three-driving-axle locomotives as well as their fortuitous arrival at the beginning of the new century. They were designed to tackle the hilly Madrid-Irgun pulling longer trains of fast passenger and express passenger services.

Nock's RWC III, pl 72 shows the engine's Belpaire boiler, square sandboxes ahead and behind the thimble-shaped steam dome, and piping draped over the boiler. The boiler reflected a departure for the Norte as the railway accepted the need to "put to one side" the Stephenson motion in favor of the Walschaert and to raise the vessel's center of gravity. From this time on, the "high boiler" (alta caldera) would be characteristic of Norte engines.

Comas and Puig note that many European railways faced with similar demands adopted four-cylinder compound layouts, but the Norte preferred to generate its power "with two large cylinders rather than with four much smaller ones."

A considerably revamped design with taller drivers and slightly more cylinder volume came several years later; see Locobases 3353 and 3357. Their designation as the "1900 Grandes" (referring to the bigger drivers) led to the retrospective dubbing of this first group as the "1900 peque'as" (or Small 1900s).

Class 230-2075 (Locobase 3357)

Data from diagram Loco: 154, Societe Alsacienne de Constructions Mecaniques from locomotive book supplied by Dany Machi up at [] as

Diagrammes des machines SACM construites a GRAFENSTADEN (October 2007). See also See also Pere Comas and Alfred Puig, Breve Historia de la Traccion Vapor en Norte, Trensim TS10H001, Noviembre de 2010, pp. 33-35, 93-94 ; and MATERIAL MOTOR RENFE 1947 diagram book posted by carlos lavagoneta arroba and retrieved from Picasa [], last accessed 1 June 2014. Works numbers were Hanomag 5943-5965 in 1911, SACM 6454-6463 in 1913, Henschel 12212-12221 in 1913, and Hartmann 3726-3734 in 1913.

Although in principle repeats of the original 1901 design, perhaps, these engines show a greater difference from the first batch than OS Nock's description (RWC III, pl 72) of them as "modified only in the smallest detail." This later batch had larger cylinders and were superheated -- a change which changed the internal layout of the boiler as well.