Argentinian Steam Locomotives

The development of the Argentine railway network began in the middle of the 19th century and was strongly influenced by British capital and engineers. As a result, most of the steam locomotives used in Argentina were built in Great Britain. Numerous manufacturers, including Beyer, Peacock, North British, Robert Stephenson & Co. and Vulcan Foundry, supplied locomotives to the various railway companies. In addition, locomotives from the USA and other European countries were also used.

Among the largest railway companies were the Buenos Aires Great Southern, Central Argentine, Buenos Aires & Pacific and Buenos Aires Western. Before the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, these companies operated several thousand locomotives between them. Their fleets included a wide variety of locomotives for passenger, freight, suburban and branch-line service.

Initially, relatively simple two-cylinder locomotives predominated. Later, compound locomotives and larger locomotives with three or four coupled axles became increasingly common. Typical wheel arrangements included 4-4-0, 4-6-0 and 4-8-0 for passenger and freight locomotives, while numerous tank locomotives were used on suburban and branch lines. The different track gauges used in Argentina, ranging from 1,676 mm or 5 ft 6 in broad gauge to standard gauge and metre gauge, also contributed to the variety of designs.

Some locomotives were built specifically for the special conditions encountered in Argentina. One of the most unusual examples was the E24 class of the General Belgrano, built by Esslingen in 1955. These metre-gauge locomotives had six coupled axles and an additional rack drive. They were intended for the steep sections of the line towards Bolivia and combined conventional adhesion with rack propulsion.

The nationalisation of the major private railways in 1948 was followed by the gradual introduction of diesel traction. Nevertheless, steam locomotives remained in widespread use for many years. In 1978, Ferrocarriles Argentinos still had 681 steam locomotives, which were mainly used for freight and shunting. Steam traction finally disappeared from regular service in Argentina in the early 1980s.