Updated: 27 May 2003 |
Belgium is a small country, but has had more than its share of innovative and thoroughly competent engineers.
Egide Walschaerts, (1820 - 1901) inventor of the famous valvegear, is one. Alfred Belpaire, of firebox fame, is another.
It also seems to have had more than its share of very peculiar locomotives. Here are some joys to treasure.
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THE BROTAN BOILER: 1908
Above: No 2804, originally built at La Meuse in 1900. Converted to a water-tube boiler in 1908. Photographed Feb 1916, in German hands.
This is one of the two Type 29 locos that were fitted with a Brotan water-tube boiler in 1908. Note the characteristic "visor" (visière) on the top of the chimney, which was supposed to improve the draught. (Thanks, Claude!)
The Brotan boiler was originated by Johann Brotan, chief of the Gmünd Workshop of the Austrian StEG (the Staatseisenbahn Gesellschaft or State Railway Company); he invented and patented this form of boiler in 1902. It was widely used in Hungary, but only in small numbers in other countries.
BELPAIRE'S LEVER-DRIVEN DESIGN: 1873
Above: A lever-driven loco. This is No 761, designed by Belpaire and Stevart, and built by Carels in 1873. It appeared that year at the Vienna Exposition.
The aim of this design was to keep the weights on the three axles equal ??
For more lever-drive locomotives, see Russian Reforms
No 761 was retired in 1901. Since it gave more than 25 years service, it can't have been too bad.
THE UGLIEST LOCOMOTIVE? 1880
Above: Loco No 1452 photographed at Malines in 1880, "tout pimpante" as one commentator put it, polished & ready for the National Exposition at Brussels.
If she looks right she is right. But does she look right? This strange machine must be a prime candidate for the title of "Ugliest Locomotive". It is not exactly obvious, but 1452 was a cabforward design. The rectangular water tanks are at the rear, either side of the smokebox. The unusual boiler had a figure-of-8 section, the top cylinder being 0.7m in diameter and the bottom 1,05m.
In May 1880 the Minister of the Interior granted Belpaire a patent for "A light locomotive of special construction". It was built at the arsenal at Malines in the same year.
This was the last single-driver loco built for the Belgian State.
THE MAURICE URBAN STEAM-TENDER LOCOMOTIVE: 1866
Above: It's not every loco that has a chimney front and back. Two tender-motor locos (Nos 148 and 149) as built at Louvain in 1867.
This loco was designed for the Chemin de Fer du Grand-Central Belge, which worked the 1.8% Lodelinsart incline near Charleroi, drawing loads of 250 - 300 tons at a modest 12.5 mph.
POTTED BELGIAN BIOGRAPHIES.
This stamp is the only portrait I have found. They value their engineers in Belgium.
For more biographical info see:
TECHNICAL DATA.
Cylinders
450 x 600 mm
Wheel diam
1.70 m
Safety valves
Ramsbottom
Exhaust
Boty variable
Injectors
Friedmann
This loco "never gave full satisfaction". I know the feeling. The path from cylinders to the exhaust in the smokebox was too long, and the reaction forces of the rocking levers tended to distort the framing. The snag with this lever business- and I don't think it's that obvious- is that if you are transmitting 1 ton of force through the piston rod, then the reaction force on the bearing of the lever is twice that.
Maintenance would have been somewhat greater, and I should think any leaks of steam from the cylinders would have been likely to obscure the driver's view.
Wheel configuration
1A1 (2-2-2)
Driver diam
1.30 m
Safety valves
Ramsbottom.
Note the large steam collector (?) on top of the boiler, and two small domes with the steam pipes to the cylinders emerging. The rear one dives under the loco and goes back to feed the tender engine, which had its own rear chimney for its exhaust. No 148 was converted back to a conventional 0-6-0, so this design was clearly not a success. Can't say I'm surprised.
Egide Walschaerts. (1820 - 1901)
Born at Malines, Belgium. He studied at Liège, and in 1842 entered the state railway workshops, working as a mechanical engineer. He invented his valve gear in 1844,and introduced several other improvements to steam engine design. He was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Exposition of 1878.
Alfred Belpaire. (1820 - 1893)
Born at Ostend. Assistant engineer at l’Atelier des voitures de Malines. He finished his career as administrator of the State Railways of Belgium. By 1898, the majority of the Belgian engines were of the Belpaire type, which efficiently burnt small coals that could be obtained cheaply. His rectangular firebox was adopted in Belgium, France, England and the USA.
http://belpaire.uni.be/stamboom/DOC/ALFRED/alfredbelpdoc6.htm (external link)
