Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée No. 4701 to 4982
French State Railway 5-240 A 1 to 282
France 1907 282 produced
For fast freight trains on the line through the Cevennes, the PLM opted for the 4-8-0 wheel arrangement, which still allowed a large boiler with a low axle load and good curve guidance. The only problem was the narrow firebox, which was offset by making it relatively long. The locomotives could haul 1,618 tonnes on the flat at 40 km/h and 501 tonnes on a one percent incline at the same speed. From 1919 more than 200 locomotives received a superheater and the four-cylinder compound engine was replaced with a simple one. They also pulled heavy passenger trains when needed and were in use until 1952.
Technical data
General
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1907-1910 | 1919-1936 |
| Manufacturers | Franco-Belge, SFCM, Schneider, Batignolles-Châtillon | |
| Wheel arrangement | 4-8-0 (Twelve-wheeler) | |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (Standard gauge) | |
Dimensions and weights
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 19.90 m | |
| Length loco | 12.95 m | |
| Wheelbase | 9.25 m | |
| Total wheelbase | 14.10 m | |
| Empty mass | 68 t | 69.1 t |
| Service mass | 74.6 t | 75.8 t |
| Adhesion mass | 56 t | 59.8 t |
| Rigid wheelbase | 5.50 m | |
| Axle load | 14 t | 14.9 t |
| Water capacity | 20,000 l | |
Boiler
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Grate area | 3.08 m² | |
| Firebox surface | 15.8 m² | 16 m² |
| Tube heating surface | 231.8 m² | 159.47 m² |
| Evaporative heating surface | 247.6 m² | 175.47 m² |
| Total heating surface | 247.6 m² | 240.6 m² |
| Superheater surface | 65.17 m² | |
Power plant
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Driver diameter | 1,500 mm | |
| Boiler pressure | 16 bar | 12 bar |
| Expansion type | compound | simple expansion |
| Cylinders | four, HP: 380 x 650 mm and LP: 600 x 650 mm | four, 460 x 650 mm |
Power
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Power source | steam | |
| Estimated power | 850 kW (1,156 PS) | 900 kW (1,224 PS) |
| Top speed | 85 km/h | |
| Starting effort | 121.5 kN | 187.1 kN |
| Starting effort simple | 145.8 kN | |
Calculated values
| Property | as built | superheated |
|---|---|---|
| Factor of adhesion | 1 : 4.52 | 1 : 3.13 |
| Optimal speed | 43 km/h | 29 km/h |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 11.4 kW/t | 11.9 kW/t |
| Heating Surface Equivalent | 326.6 m² | 385.8 m² |
| Cylinder volume/HSE | 1 : 1,014.14 | 1 : 1,119.97 |
| Adhesive weight/Total | 1 : 1.33 | 1 : 1.27 |
| Tractive force/Heating surface | 1 : 10.25 | 1 : 16.23 |
| Grate area/Heating surface | 1 : 80.39 | 1 : 78.13 |
| Firebox/Tube surface | 1 : 14.67 | 1 : 9.97 |
| Total/Superheater | 1 : 2.69 |