French Northern Railway No. 3.1101 and 3.1102

The 3.1101 and 3.1102 were two 4-6-4 locomotives designed by Gaston du Bousquet for the Nord and built at their La Chapelle works in 1911. They were the first tender locomotives of this wheel arrangement in the world and were built because the existing Atlantics were not powerful anymore for the growing train weights. They were four-cylinder De Glehn compounds and had drivers with a diameter of 2,040 mm. Du Bousquet died while they were still under construction. For nearly 30 years, they remained the only 4-6-4 tender locomotives in France since the railways ordered efficient Pacifics instead.

3.1101 was completed in April 1911 and had a conventional superheated boiler, although with a large grate of 4.28 square metres. 3.1102 was completed three months later and had a water-tube boiler. This did not prove itself and was exchanged for a conventional boiler in 1913. This locomotive was withdrawn in 1936 and sectioned. Today it can be found at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse and is filled with lights that show the path of the fire, smoke, water and steam. 3.1101 was withdrawn in 1939.