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British locos in Spain


EddieB
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One of my research interests is tracing the history of British locomotives exported overseas.  With strong British influence, Spain has been something of a hot-spot for locomotives built in Britain.  To date, I have identified around 1,470 steam locomotives, spanning the period 1848 to 1955.  Locomotive exports didn't end with steam, as there have also been diesels and electrics, both built and acquired second-hand - culminating with the former British Railways classes 37 and 58 diesels that were sent over for construction of new high-speed standard gauge lines.

 

Here are some pictures of the 277 class Co-Co electric locomotives, 75 of which built by Vulcan Foundry/English Electric in the 1950s.  By the time I first saw them, they had been relegated to freight services and were to be found in the North-West of Spain, allocated to Leon and Oviedo.

 

Here are towo pictures from March 1988 - 277 016 at Leon and 277 037 (in front of 277 004) at Ponferrada.

 

post-10122-0-17344500-1493833925_thumb.jpg

 

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The class finished service in the 1990s, with the last four survivors based at Leon in 1994.  Five have been saved, including 277 047 which is owned by the Asturias Railway Museum, shown here (in need of some TLC) at Gijón-Jovellaños station in September 2003.

 

post-10122-0-45684300-1493833519_thumb.jpg

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I hope Andy (McGomez of this parish) doesn't mind me posting a link to his thread, but I know he's undertaken some detective work and tracked down the lesser-spotted Spanish fifty-eight on numerous occasions.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56781-class-58s-in-spain/

 

And yes Mike, that is a really fine-looking model of the prototype in EddieB's post. Kid=sweetshop <sigh>.

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Yes, the FEVE 1300 was a series of 0-6-0DH metre gauge shunters built in Spain by Naval (1965-67), but with Rolls Royce engines and transmission from Yorkshire Engine Co.  Some were built new for FEVE (nos 1301-5), others acquired in 1972 by takeover of the Vasco-Asturiana, Economicos de Asturias, FC Cantabrico and La Robla - the last being the origin of no. 1320 pictured at Oviedo in 1988.  All had gone by the early 1990s, but some may still survive (outside preserved examples) having been sold on - I'd be interested to learn of any that do.

 

post-10122-0-58826800-1493899672_thumb.jpg

 

The link between Yorkshire Engine, Rolls Royce and Naval had earlier given rise to a broad gauge prototype.  Yorkshire Engine 2892/1963 was an 5'6" gauge example of that company's 0-8-0DH "Taurus" locomotive, intended for train formation work in Madrid and, it was hoped, the precursor of an order for up to forty locomotives.  Shipped out to Bilbao, it was set up locally in the Naval works (Sestao).  Unfortunately, no further orders were forthcoming, but the loco - as RENFE 306 001 - is preserved at the Museo del Ferrocarril, at the old Delicias station, Madrid.

 

post-10122-0-58348300-1493899671_thumb.jpg

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The link between Yorkshire Engine, Rolls Royce and Naval had earlier given rise to a broad gauge prototype.  Yorkshire Engine 2892/1963 was an 5'6" gauge example of that company's 0-8-0DH "Taurus" locomotive, intended for train formation work in Madrid and, it was hoped, the precursor of an order for up to forty locomotives.  Shipped out to Bilbao, it was set up locally in the Naval works (Sestao).  Unfortunately, no further orders were forthcoming, but the loco - as RENFE 306 001 - is preserved at the Museo del Ferrocarril, at the old Delicias station, Madrid.

 

attachicon.gif1H03022a.jpg

Hi Eddie.

 

The Spanish railway enthusiasts refer to this loco as "La Thatcher".

I´m not sure if they mean it in a good or bad way though?

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There was an old thread about British built locos in Spain from 6 years ago and I keep meaning to fill Eddie in on what finally happened to Victoria.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/13515-spanish-skip/?p=398175

 

I live only 30 minutes north of Murcia and keep meaning to take a photo of its new location but it is an area I seldom have to pass through.

It was finally finished and "plinthed" on a roundabout/junction on the "Calle Morera" atleast 3 years ago, maybe more.

 

post-7244-0-55653300-1493902221_thumb.jpg

 

This image has been lifted from Saint Google Maps to save me the journey.

I´m sure Eddie will fill you in with the relevant details as the website linked to in the original thread wasn´t working for me just now.

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Thank you for the update on "Victoria", Andy.  Definitely on my "to do" list, as I believe it is substantially one of the few surviving locomotives built by Hawthorns of Leith - and has numbers stamped on its motion that prove it 

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Hi Eddie.

 

The Spanish railway enthusiasts refer to this loco as "La Thatcher".

I´m not sure if they mean it in a good or bad way though?

Probably the same as we might regard a loco nicknamed "Franco"?

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Another chapter concerns three BR class 14 locomotives that were refurbished by Hunslet Engine Works and sent out to a Madrid-based track construction company in 1982.  The locos were formerly D9515/48/49.  About a year ago, there was an article about their preparation in "Railway Bylines".  From what I can tell, they do not appear to have been that successful, and spent a lot of time languishing outside Madrid Charmartin station (though I am open to correction).  Certainly that is where two (numbers unknown) were photographed in an 1988 visit.

 

post-10122-0-59952800-1494004585_thumb.jpg

 

When I next encountered one of these locomotives, it was in the well-known scrap line of Industrias Lopez SA, Zaragoza in 2003.  Carrying the number P601 0 3911 003 CMZ, it was the former D9549 (possibly suggesting that the locos were sequentially numbered in that range, 001-003).  To my knowledge it was broken up at that site shortly after.

 

post-10122-0-23568300-1494004626_thumb.jpg

 

The Lopez scrapyard has been a resting place for steam locomotives since at least the late-1980s.  Sometimes compared to Woodham Brothers at Barry, it has been slow to scrap the many steam locomotives that found their way there (although I think their non-ferrous components have been removed).  I'd better not mention one much-published British photographer who took a lady assistant and pot of red paint to enhance his pictures/videos of some locomotives stored there (not me)!

 

Which brings me to another British diesel in Spain.  When I first visited the scrapyard (during the same 1988 trip), there was a small Ruston & Hornsby diesel acting as a "gate guardian".  I don't recall having seen it on subsequent visits*, but there was a report of it still being there in October 2003.  Any information as to its former ownership and numbering would be appreciated!

 

post-10122-0-97922200-1494004584_thumb.jpg

 

[Edit] *I've found the Ruston lurking behind a pile of steam locos in a photo from May 2003.  Want to play "spot the Ruston"?  

 

post-10122-0-40990400-1494088715_thumb.jpg

 

...and once having found, here it is again in October 2005 - a little more in the open.

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[/Edit]

Edited by EddieB
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Yes, the FEVE 1300 was a series of 0-6-0DH metre gauge shunters built in Spain by Naval (1965-67), but with Rolls Royce engines and transmission from Yorkshire Engine Co.  Some were built new for FEVE (nos 1301-5), others acquired in 1972 by takeover of the Vasco-Asturiana, Economicos de Asturias, FC Cantabrico and La Robla - the last being the origin of no. 1320 pictured at Oviedo in 1988.  All had gone by the early 1990s, but some may still survive (outside preserved examples) having been sold on - I'd be interested to learn of any that do.

 

attachicon.gifB88013a.jpg

 

The link between Yorkshire Engine, Rolls Royce and Naval had earlier given rise to a broad gauge prototype.  Yorkshire Engine 2892/1963 was an 5'6" gauge example of that company's 0-8-0DH "Taurus" locomotive, intended for train formation work in Madrid and, it was hoped, the precursor of an order for up to forty locomotives.  Shipped out to Bilbao, it was set up locally in the Naval works (Sestao).  Unfortunately, no further orders were forthcoming, but the loco - as RENFE 306 001 - is preserved at the Museo del Ferrocarril, at the old Delicias station, Madrid.

 

attachicon.gif1H03022a.jpg

 

I think that I have seen a suggestion that this loco actually *is* TAURUS - albeit with replacement broad gauge wheelsets and other modifications.

 

Apparently, the original standard gauge wheelsets remained stored at YE after the rebuilt loco was exported to Spain.

 

I can't vouch for this - just what I read !

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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Interesting theory, but not sure if it is wholly true.  The prototype Taurus was YE 2875.  It was loaned to British Railways, who declined to purchase, so the loco was returned to YE's works at Meadowhall.  Here it was apparently dismantled, but many components found their way into other locomotives - certainly including the Taurus that went to Spain.  

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Slightly off topic I suppose, but I was a HUGE fan of the Portuguese EE 1800 Class, and I believe they worked (just) across the border during the 1970s.

Maybe the same is/was true for the CP 1400 Class.

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I think that I have seen a suggestion that this loco actually *is* TAURUS - albeit with replacement broad gauge wheelsets and other modifications.

 

Apparently, the original standard gauge wheelsets remained stored at YE after the rebuilt loco was exported to Spain.

 

I can't vouch for this - just what I read !

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

t

 

An 0-8-0 frame was one of the remaining assets at YE when it closed down.

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Since this thread seems to have gone all "modern image", can I drag it back in time a bit?

​The museum in Madrid at the former Delicias station is well worth a visit and includes a number of British built locos.

post-9472-0-26000900-1494187157_thumb.jpg   

This one, built in 1862 by John Jones, particularly caught my eye.

Laurie Marshall's book on Steam on the RENFE is well worth finding, as it was published in 1965 when many of Spain's more antique locos were still around. A particular favourite of mine is the series of 2-6-0s built by various (mostly Scottish) builders for the Great Southern of Spain Railway.

Best wishes

Eric   

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Yes, there are several railway museums in Spain - we've already mentioned the one at Vilanova i La Geltrú in another thread - and the one at the former terminus at Delicias is certainly worth visiting for its collection of British-built steam locos (as well as the Yorkshire Engine Co. diesel further up this thread).  Smaller museums include those at Ponferrada, Gijon, Azpeitia and Rio Tinto - which all feature locomotives of British origin - besides many locos plinthed at railway installations, in towns, military sites and on private land.

 

The loco illustrated by Eric is of considerable interest.  It was one of a pair built by John Jones for the FC de Tardiente a Huesca, passing into the ownership of Norte (as their no. 1).  It was sold to industry around the turn of the last century - though what use a 2-2-2T locomotive was to industrial concerns is a matter of conjecture - becoming successively Azucarera de Alfaro no. 3 and Cia. Indus. Azucarera SA Aranda de Deuro no. 3.  The Spanish are keen to recount it was at the latter site (near Miranda de Ebro) that it was "discovered" by a British visitor in 1965 - a Mr Fraser - leading to its restoration and preservation.

 

 

 

One of the former Great Southern of Spain 2-6-0s survives on a plinth in the town of Aguilas.  It is former GSS no. 4 "AGUILAS" (Nielson 3846/1889), later RENFE 130.2124.  Unfortunately it is displayed without its tender (which is preserved elsewhere - I'm trying to remember where).

 

post-10122-0-85678400-1494189260_thumb.jpg

 

The author of the website Eric has linked for Laurie Marshall's pictures completed a book on the Great Southern Railway of Spain a few years ago (see http://www.faydon.com/Web%20Page%20GSSR.htm). Unfortunately it appears that it is now out of print but copies might still be available.  Certainly a lot of modelling potential on that line.

Edited by EddieB
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  • 4 weeks later...

Like to see that photo, Jerry. From what I remember the loco was stored outside the museum display (and I missed it during my only visit to date). From what I remember (no notes with me atm), it was a prototype built by YE, but the production series were built in Spain.

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