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The Manila Railway Class 100, consisted of five 4-4-2 Atlantic steam locomotives built by the North British Locomotive Company for the Manila Railway Company in the Philippines in 1906.

History[]

MANUFACTURER[]

For most of its early history, the Manila Railway Company, the predecessor of the Philippine National Railways, operated only tank locomotives on the Ferrocaril de Manila a Dagupan (now the Northern Line). These locomotives used wood fuel instead of coal. Horace L. Higgins, a British engineer who oversaw the Manila Railroad, decided to modernize the motive power. This involved purchasing larger locomotives weighing 40-45 tonnes (88,000-99,000 lbs) and purchase of heavier tracks.

The manufacturers of the previous Dagupan-class locomotives, Neilson & Co. and Dubs & Co., merged with another Glasgow-based manufacturer to form the North British Locomotive Company. Manila Railway Company commissioned this newly formed company to build a series of tender and tank locomotives, later tobe known as the Classes 100 and 70 respectively.

CHARACTERISTICS[]

Having been introduced in 1906, Class 100 was the first-ever tender locomotive in the country. With a 4-4-2 Atlantic wheel arrangement, it was a popular choice for express locomotives in the early 1900s. The locomotive's design was created with Higgins' expectations in mind, particularly its weight. Weighing 41 metric tons (40 long tons) for the locomotive alone, it was 28% heavier than its predecessors, which usually weighed 32 metric tons (31 LT). When combined with its four-axle tender, the locomotive weighed a total of 73 metric tons (72 LT). One of the locomotive's most notable features was the tender cab, which would later influence the Class 130 of 1912 and the first batch of the Class 45 of 1919. Another distinguishing feature was the Americanized tender design, which had four axles instead of the typical three used in British tender locomotives of that era.

SERVICE[]

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Several bonds of the Manila Railway Company, showing Class 100 locomotives.

The Class 100 was advertised as the flagship of the Manila Railway upon their introduction in the late 1900s. According to Locomotive Magazine, they had a brief period of prominence as a premier express locomotives. They appeared on various advertisements for the 'Baguio Special', a mixed rail and bus service that connected Manila and Baguio via Damortis Station in Rosario, La Union. It was the company's flagship service on the North Main Line during this time and transported tourists between the two cities in nine hours at an average speed of 30 kilometers (19 miles) per hour.

In 1916, the Manila Railway was taken over by the insular government and merged with the New Jersey-based Manila Railroad Company. The new government was to introduce more powerful locomotives from the USA. These new locomotives were in service by 1919 and served on the main line for the next few decades, replacing ageing British-built locomotives. The newly introduced Class 45 locomotives then assigned to haul the 'Baguio Special', and the new 'Bicol Express' between Manila and Quezon Province. As a result, the Class 100 was relegated to the less glamorous task of hauling goods trains, consisting mainly of sugar cane trucks, from 1922 onwards.

Class 100 were last seen in 1947, when Manila Railway Machinery Director F. Anson reported that at least one example was still in service. In 1949, ten New Class 100 locomotives with a 4-8-2 wheel arrangement, built by Vulcan Iron Works, entered service. They replaced seven of the ten older 100 Class locomotives destroyed during World War II. The Atlantic was eventually taken out of service as the New Class 100 locomotives took over the remaining traffic from them on the Northern Main Line. The Manila Railroad ordered the remaining locomotive to be scrapped a short time later.

Stock list[]

Image No. Build date Manufacturer Notes
Manila Railroad No. 101 101 1906 North British Locomotive Company First of the class.

Withdrawn and scrapped.

102 1906 North British Locomotive Company Withdrawn and scrapped.
Manila Railroad No. 103 103 1906 North British Locomotive Company Withdrawn and scrapped.
104 1906 North British Locomotive Company Withdrawn and scrapped.
Manila Railroad No. 105 105 1906 North British Locomotive Company Withdrawn and scrapped.

Gallery[]

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