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Midi 1901 to 1916 and 1921 to 1934

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The Midi 1901 to 1916 and 1921 to 1934 is a class of 4-4-2 Atlantic type locomotive for passenger and express of the Compagnie des Chemins de fer du Midi et du canal latéral à la Garonne. These 30 SACM Atlantics, were extrapoled from the Nord 2.641 to 2.675.

History[]

During the early 1900s, the Midi railway wanted powerfull express steam locomotives that could ran ont the Bordeaux-Sète and Bordeaux-Hendaye lines. The chief mechanical engineer of the Midi, Mr. Moffre, find an intreast in the Atlantics of the Nord Railway, and he decided to take an order of 30 similar engines to the SACM, in 1902.

Midi 1901 to 1916 and 1921 to 1934[]

These engines were delivered in three batches. The first batch was made of 6 engines, which received the numbers 1901 to 1906, wollowed shrotly after by the second batch made of 10 engines, registered as nos. 1907 to 1916. The engines of the two first batch were nearly identical to the Nord 2.641 to 2.675, but with some differences:

  • Presence of a sandpit Gresham type on the first ferrule of the boiler, between the chemney and the pressure dome.
  • Presence of a chronotachometer Hausshälter type.
  • A deep ton whistle, which had the shape of a spin and whose sound is close to the siren of a steamship.

In 1905, the third and last batch was delivered to the Midi, identical to the other engines of the class, but with some differencies like a bigger firegrate and the absence of the pendulum between the second driving axle and the rear axle.

The Midi atlantics were allocated to the depots of Bordeaux, Toulouse and Narbonne. They replaced the 4-4-0s of the class 1700, ahead of some famous express like the Sud Express (South Express), the Barcelone Express and the Luchon Express. They were also used to pull express and fast trains on the Bordeaux-Sète main line, the Bordeaux-Hendaye radial, the the Pyrenean transversal Bayonne-toulouse, the Côte Vermille (Vermilion coast) and Narbonne - Port-Bou lines. They were also seen working on single tracks lines sucha as the Montauban-Castres, Toulouse-Foix and Morcenx-Tarbes lines. And since 1912, on the line from Bordeaux to Pointe-de-Grave.

Over the time the 1900s would receive some modifications by the company, such as replacing the original doubles valvs exhaust for a new one Nord-type cone exhaust. But this new exhaust sees its performances be impaired by the presence of a red flame grill to avoid the risk of fires while the engines ran on the line of the Landes. To address the skating problem of the Atlantics, a second sandpit was fetted between the third and the fourth ferrule of the boiler. To increase their power, in 1914, the Midi Railway fetted on nos. 1908, 1911, 1915 and 1916 a Schimdt A-type Superheater, in Its workshops of the company at Bordeaux. it is possible that it was planned the rest of the class receives the same modifications, but after World War I, the Midi would push for the electrification of its network, and the 1900s won't receinved new improvements.

The Midi Atlantics began to see their services being limited with the electrification of a part of the railway. In 1925, the line Bordeaux-Toulouse was electrified, in 1927, It was the line Bordeaux-Hendaye, and in 1928 It was the turn of the Oriental Transpyrenean line to be eletrified. And finaly the Médoc line and the Toulouse-Montauban line were in turn electrified between 1934 and 1935. The fast decline of the engines began in 1932, with the some engines being parked cold.

P.O-Midi 221-901 to 916 and 921 to 929[]

With the amalgamation of the Midi and PO railways, the 1900s were took in charge by the new P.O-Midi Railway and received their numbers 221-901 to 916 and 921 to 929. Some of them would received their P.O-Midi, while other kept their former Midi number plates, only the plate with nema of the former Midi, was removed. It is unlikely that they've ever wore the Grey artillery livery of the P.O. Some 221-900s were allocated at Bordeaux-St-louis, from where they were used as reserve locomotives on the Bordeaux-Hendaye line, and replaced the default electric locomotives type 2C2 (4-6-4). The essential of the class pulled direct passenger trains and local trains, and express goods trains on the triangle Bordeux-Montauban-Toulouse, that they ensured with the 4-6-0s of the class 230-501 to 526. Sometimes, as the ex-Midi Pacifics show to not be enough powerfull to ensure the heavy OCEM metallic coaches, the Atlantics pulled these trains in double header.

This declin would continue toward the creation of the SNCF, in 1938, which would not take them back into their ranks, some engines being even take away from their home networks, at Le Mans and Balbigny to be cut off. However, the recommissioning of some machines during the occupation from 1940 to 1944 is hypothetical.

Tenders[]

The 1900s have towed, during their career, at two different type of tender:

  • The engines of the first sub-class nos. 1901 to 1916 were attached to a bogie tender with a cappacity of 20m3 (5,283.4 gal) of water. A copy of the tenders of the Nord Atlantics.
  • The engines of the second sub-class nos. 1921 to 1934, received a three axles tender with a cappacity of 16m3 (4,226.7 gal) of water, identical to the one of the Midi class 3500.

Sources[]

Books and magazines:

  • FOURNIER, Luc (2014), Les Atlantic série 1900 du Midi, fières coureuses des deux mers, La Revue Périodique du Cercle Historique du Rail Français, Special Edition no. 3, 28-30.

Web sites:

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