THE 141-R AND LARGE PASSENGER TRAINS

Auteur : Clive Lamming

Nothing in the design of the 141-R was intended for the large passenger trains of the 1940s and 1950s in France. The 141-type axle layout was traditionally that of the so-called "mixed" locomotives which, by definition, were neither suitable for speed nor for pulling heavy, fast passenger trains reserved for 231s or 241s. Neither were they suitable for heavy, slow freight trains reserved for the 150 or 151.

All that remained were omnibus passenger trains, or short, light freight trains; and above all " express trains ", which carry parcels, rather light and fragile goods, and anything else required to travel relatively quickly.

141-R-1187, now preserved at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse and reproduced by IXO, in 1975 at Paray-leMonial, already restored and in perfect condition, photographed by J.H. Renaud. It was probably an amateur train, as steam had officially disappeared from the SNCF network.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Collection Trainsconsultant-Lamming

FIRST PHASE 141-R OPERATIONS: MAINLY FREIGHT

On the Eastern network, the Chalons depot was the first to be served by 141-Rs, with engines Nos. 1 to 700 reserved exclusively for freight trains operating on lines 1 and 10 to the Paris region, Metz, Nancy, Reims and elsewhere. On the Northern network, they handled the heavy coal trains between the mining areas and the major industrial centres. In the West, they ran freight and a few express trains at Rennes, Le Mans, Brest and Nantes. The same applied to the south-east, especially around the Mediterranean and on the right bank of the Rhône. As they were fulfilling they continued to do their job for many years.

An 'R' at the head of a long, heavy regional passenger train on the Côte d'Azur in 1963. The owner of the "Mob", a rather sporty version with its double banana seat, was complaining and losing time on the level crossing. The 'R' takes its time... © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © photographie Yves Broncard

THE SECOND TRANCHE LOCOMOTIVES DISCOVERING NEW HORIZONS

The 141-R No. 701 to 1,340, forming the second tranche, and especially the coal-fired ones (700 to 1,100) were used in express services, either on the Grande Ceinture, Aulnoye, Amiens, Boulogne, Bordeaux, Nevers, Dijon, Villeneuve-St-Georges, etc., or on local trains in Nevers, Moulins, Dijon and Dijon. By the early 1950s, these were also being used on suburban trains in the south-east of Paris, and on local trains at Nevers, Moulins, Dijon, etc. In the West of France, particularly the southern Brittany line between Le Mans and Tours or Angers, 141-Rs replaced 231-D "Pacifics" at the front of passenger trains which, while not particularly prestigious, were nevertheless considered to be fast.

The 141-Rs that took over the heavy electric passenger trains at Le Mans, weighing up to 850 tonnes, pulled "heavy expresses" at a leisurely 100 km/h, which seemed not to bother passengers. It is worth mentioning that some of these 'heavy expresses' were overnight trains between Le Mans and Quimper or Nantes...

The "Bruhat" carriages, like all SNCF carriages metallised in the 1950s-1960s, were used on regional express trains pulled by 141-Rs. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Collection Trainsconsultant-Lamming

A CIWL high-speed sleeper train, possibly the "Train Bleu", passing through Cannes-la-Bocca station in the 1960s. The very moderate speed limit on the line meant that the "R" trains could operate without being noticed for their slow speed. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Collection Trainsconsultant-Lamming

ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN: THE 141-R REPLACED THE 241-A AND 241-D!

At the Marseille depot, the 141-Rs were replacing the prestigious 'Mountain' trains of the South-East, the 241-A and 241-D: they were capable of handling heavy passenger trains without any problems, and offered better re-starts after the numerous station stops on the route from Marseille to Nice, effectively undermining the commercial performance of these Mountain trains.

Extremely powerful on start-up, the 141-Rs proofed to be highly competitive at the front of passenger trains which, given the difficult route and profile of the Marseille-Nice line, were unlikely to be able to run at more than 100 km/h between the many stops. As numerous photos show, the 141-R could even tow the highly prestigious 'Mistral', proudly bearing the train's ' nameplate' on its smokebox door.

ELSEWHERE, AT THE SAME TIME

THE AMERICAN BIG BOY

The expression "In the world" is constantly used by American journalists. Everything is the greatest, the most beautiful 'in the world'. In the case of the Big Boy, however, they're right, and quite simply right, because it really was the greatest steam locomotive in the world!

AT FULL POWER

With a weight of 541 tonnes, including tender, it was the most powerful steam locomotive ever built, with over 5,000 bhp enabling it to tow trains weighing between 7,000 and 9,000 tonnes! No steam locomotive had ever approached such dimensions and performance.

The emblematic "Big Boy" was used to make Americans admit the cost of the war effort undertaken by the country in 1943-1944. Its gigantic dimensions and incomparable power perfectly embody those of the country. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Collection Trainsconsultant-Lamming

THE MALLET SYSTEM

This is an articulated locomotive, of the type invented by Anatole Mallet (1837-1918). This Swiss engineer became interested in so-called "compound" locomotives in 1877, when he came up with the idea of using two sets of driving axles: a fixed rear axle, attached entirely to the locomotive and fitted with high-pressure cylinders, and a movable front axle fitted with low-pressure cylinders powered by articulated steam passages.

Although the American networks used the Mallet system extensively and with great success for their articulated locomotives, they simplified the process by dispensing with "compounding" and using only high-pressure cylinders on the two sets of driving axles. The Big Boy caused a sensation when it entered service in 1941.

AN ERA

Interior view of a "Grill-Express" self-service dining car, a major innovation in 1970. The SNCF appealed to children: be careful not to spill your tray! But we were forgiven and the floor was soon cleaned up: it was only chips and a "haché"... © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Collection Trainsconsultant-Lamming