The Cramptons of the Nord comprised a total of 58 locomotives, which, like almost all French Cramptons, were built by Cail. They had outside cylinders that were raised and inclined. The bearings were generously sized to reduce wear at high speeds. The wheels on the first leading axle were visibly larger than those on the second and also had to carry a significantly higher load.

As a rule, they pulled twelve coaches and sometimes up to 16, each of which only weighed eight tons. Four batches were delivered between 1849 and 1859, most of which had a driving wheel diameter of 2,100 mm (6 ft 10 11/16 in). Only numbers 134 to 145 from 1853 had wheels of 2,300 mm (7 ft 6 9/16 in) and a higher boiler pressure to compensate. Numbers 165 to 170 from the last batch were the first locomotives in France to have Walschaerts valve gear.

A problem on the Paris suburban routes of the Nord was that the previously existing tank locomotives with the wheel arrangement 4-4-0T and 0-4-2T had to be turned at the end stations, which led to unacceptable delays, especially in heavy rush hour traffic. Therefore, between 1901 and 1906, the Nord had a total of 75 tank locomotives built for suburban traffic with a symmetrical wheel arrangement, which had been developed by Gaston du Bousquet. Because these locomotives had a high-mounted, small-diameter boiler, they earned the nickname “Revolver”. Due to the design as 4-4-4T, they had a bogie ahead in both directions, which meant that they could be operated in both directions at a maximum speed of 105 km/h.

A special feature in the cab was that the controls were all duplicated to facilitate operation even when reversing. While the adhesive weight of other locomotives with this wheel arrangement was relatively low, the weight of these locomotives was distributed in such a way that more than half was on the two coupled axles. Thus, the two bogies served to guide rather than carry a large mass while providing sufficient adhesive weight. 

The production took place in three batches at La Chapelle in Paris and Hellemmes in Lille. While the water and coal reserves were still 6,500 liters and 3.0 tonnes in the first batch, they were increased to 7,000 liters and 3.5 tonnes in the two following batches. In the SNCF they were listed as 222 TA 1 to 222 TA 75.

The first series-built compound Atlantics of the de Glehn system were the locomotives of the French Nord, which were delivered from 1900. They were designed to maintain the speed of 200-tonne express trains at 100 km/h on 0.5 percent steep gradients, something the previous 4-4-0 machines could not achieve. Initially the prototypes 2.641 and 2.642 were created, as well as 33 series machines.

The de Glehn system, which later became widespread, especially in France, had separate valve gears and reversers for the high and low pressure cylinders. By keeping the wheel base of the driving axles as short as possible, the length of the coupling rods and the moving masses could be reduced. The tenders initially had a limited capacity due to the length of the turntables, but later tenders with up to 37 m³ of water were used.

They were able to easily exceed the required performances and reached speeds of up to 155 km/h during test runs. Approval was initially given for 120 and later 130 km/h and average speeds around 100 km/h were not uncommon. They later received superheaters and Lemaître blastpipes and became the 2-221 A at the SNCF. Their general design served as a model for many other locomotives.

From 1870, the Nord procured 2-4-0 express locomotives from André Koechlin with a driving wheel diameter of 2,100 mm or 6 ft 10 5/8 in. The leading axle could be shifted laterally by 10 mm. The frame was a double one with cylinders and valve gear on the inside and coupling rods with cranks on the outside. The nickname “Outrance” apparently came from the fact that the machines could be used “to the utmost” due to their durable design.

The initially installed boiler had a firebox with a round top, which lay between the driving axles. From 1877 a larger boiler was used, which had a Belpaire firebox that extended beyond the second driving axle. In addition, the boiler pressure was now 10 instead of 8.5 bars. To carry the extra weight, the leading axle was replaced with a bogie. 

The last batch, twelve of which were built in 1884 and 1885, again had only one leading axle, which was now radially adjustable. Between 1890 and 1898, all locomotives that still had a leading axle were rebuilt to a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and fitted with the new boiler. Some received cylinders with a diameter of 460 mm and were called “Outrances renforcées”.

The Nord had borrowed the Ten-wheeler number 1301 from the Midi at the end of 1896 in order to investigate the suitability of this type for mixed service. Due to the good results, the first 50 locomotives were ordered to pull express freight trains, heavy passenger trains and mail trains. Later the number grew to 277, which also hauled coal trains up to 1,000 tonnes and even express trains on mountainous lines. In service with coal trains they were soon superseded by machines with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, while the heaviest passenger and express trains were soon hauled by newer Ten-wheelers and Pacifics. At the SNCF they were designated 230 A and increasingly used on branch lines. Most were retired in the 1950s, the last in 1962.

The name “Super Pacific” describes a total of 90 Pacific locomotives built for the French Nord between 1923 and 1931. They were a direct development of the 3.1151 to 3.1170 series, also being four-cylinder compounds with deep and narrow Belpaire fireboxes and Walschaerts valve gear. The main differences were a driver diameter of 1,900 instead of 2,045 mm, tubes which were one metre longer and a larger superheater. They delivered an output of around 2,800 hp. 

The first batch consisted of 40 locomotives which were delivered between 1923 and 1925 and were numbered 3.1201 to 3.1240. They could haul trains heavier than 600 tonnes at 120 km/h and the first ones got tenders which had been sourced from German locomotives which had come as war reparations. Later locomotives of the batch got larger tenders with a water capacity of 34 instead of 31 cubic metres. In the thirties, these locomotives were fitted with ACFI feed water heaters, smoke deflectors and Lemaître blast pipes. 

A second batch of only eight locomotives was delivered in 1930 and numbered 3.1241 to 3.1248. They could be recognized by a second steam dome and had an ACFI feed water heater from the start. Their tenders now had a capacity of 37 cubic metres. A third batch of 40 was delivered in 1930 and 1931 and was numbered 3.1251 to 3.1290. The main difference were the piston valves which were better suited for high-speed operation.

Already in 1929, two prototypes with the numbers 3.1249 and 3.1250 had been delivered. The first one had Caprotti valve gear and the second one had Dabeg valve gear. As early as in 1932, both were rebuilt to simple expansion with Cossard valve gear. This was also no success and so both were scrapped in 1946.

When the SNCF was founded in 1938, the standard locomotives became 231 C 1 to 88 and the two prototypes became 231 D 1 and 2. After World War II, more powerful express locomotives like the 231 E Pacifics designed by Chapelon took over the most important trains on the northern territory. So most 231 C were used in commuter service after World War II, while others were withdrawn. The last ones were gone by 1962 and today, only 3.1200 (ex 231 C 78 and 3.1280) is preserved.

Over a long period from 1866 to 1891, the Nord had a total of 430 freight locomotives of basically the same type built. With the 0-8-0 wheel arrangement, they were among the most powerful models at the time of their introduction. The nickname “180 Unités” came from a French unit to measure tractive forces. Four units corresponded here, for example, to a freight car with a load of less than ten tonnes, which is pulled on the flat at 50 km/h.

The cylinders, which were quite large with a diameter of 500 mm, were already mounted outside the frame. In reality, the locomotives could pull coal trains weighing 680 tonnes on lines with a maximum gradient of 0.6 percent. At 1.2 percent, 415 tonnes could still be pulled. In later series, the boiler pressure was increased from 8.5 to 10 bars, which increased the train weights accordingly.

The locomotives built after 1879 were fitted with a boiler with a Belpaire firebox. From 1890, a driver's cab was installed ex works. Between 1907 and 1913, 108 locomotives were rebuilt into tank locomotives. Other machines from the Nord-Belge that were almost identical in construction were also rebuilt in this way and used in Belgium.

When the SNCF was founded in 1938, only two of the non-rebuilt tender locomotives were still in use. Of the 108 tank locomotives, a total of 104 were still in use. The last of these remained in use as shunting locomotives until 1962. Today only 4.853 survives, which was not converted into a tank locomotive and was used in a sugar refinery until the 1960s.

When the existing 4-6-0 locomotives for mixed traffic could no longer cope with the increasing train loads, new superheated locomotives were developed for pure freight train service, which only had one leading axle. In addition to the 2-10-0 locomotives of the series from number 5.001, 2-8-0 locomotives were developed which were to be given the numbers 4.061 to 4.340.

The boiler was from the 3.1150 series Pacifics and featured corrugated Serve tubes. The Belpaire firebox with inclined grate found its place by locating the fourth domed axle at a greater distance from the third and moving the lower, front part of the grate between the wheels. As was usual with most large French locomotives at the time, a De Glehn type compound engine was used, which acted on the second and third coupled axles. After the steam was introduced into the high-pressure cylinders at a maximum of 16 bars, it entered an intermediate reservoir at 7.8 bars and from there it reached the low-pressure cylinders.

The production initially comprised several series from different manufacturers, which were completed in 1912 and 1913. 1919 followed 20 pieces at Franco-Belge and 1922 another 100 from the SFCM, formerly Cail. The last 40 units only followed in 1928 and 1929 from three different manufacturers and brought the total number of units to 280. Nord-Belge procured 35 identical locomotives, which bore the numbers 421 to 455 and later became the SNCB Type 48.

The locomotives were given the nickname “Le Boeuf”, i.e. “The Bull” because of their pulling power. They were used in large parts of the Nord network and also pulled pure coal trains. Different models with three axles and a capacity of 17 or 19 m³ of water were used as tenders. The smaller of the two made it possible for the locomotive to use turntables that were 18 meters long. After the First World War, they were also used in front of passenger trains, as the large diameter of the coupling wheel allowed speeds of up to 105 km/h. During this period they also received four-axle tenders of the 140 “Pershing” with a capacity of 22 or 24 m³ and Prussian tenders with 31.5 or 34 m³. Some locomotives later received a Lemaître-type blast pipe, which increased the output by 100 hp. Their decommissioning took place between 1950 and 1959.