Spanish State Railways 242F

In Spain the 4-8-4 wheel arrangement was called “Confederacion”. The only series-produced tender locomotive of this wheel arrangement in Western Europe was the RENFE 242 T, numbered 2001 to 2010. These ten locomotives were designed by José Augé Farreras and built in 1955 by MTM. Each locomotive weighed 142.5 tonnes of which nearly 80 rested on the driving wheels which had a diameter of 1,900 mm. The boiler was the same as in the 2-10-2 of the Norte series 5000. As the F in the class designation suggests, they were built as oil burners from the start.

The first of the class set up a record as the fastest Spanish steam locomotive with 150 km/h, hauling a train of 480 tonnes. In regular service they were limited to 120 km/h and their maximum power is sometimes stated as 3,110 kW or 4,225 hp. On an incline of one percent, they could haul 600 tonnes with 55 km/h. Originally they were used on the Madrid-Hendaye line, but when this was electrified in 1968 they came to the Ebro-Zaragoza line. After they had been withdrawn in 1974, 242 F 2009 was restored from 1987. Today it is on display in the Museum at Madrid-Delicias.