French Finale Mountain 241 P

The last express locomotives to be built in France, and even more recent than the big ' Hudsons' described elswhere on this website, were thirty-five 4-cylinder ' Mountain ' type engines constructed between 1947 and 1951 by Schneider at Le Creusot, and classed ' 241 P.'

The ' P ' class had its genesis about eighty years ago on the former Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway, when the increasing weight of the trains on that system showed that the standard Pacifics were becoming overloaded.

Accordingly a series of 4-8-2 locomotives with 5 ft 10 in wheels was built and proved very successful. But the Pacifies, with 6 ft 7 in wheels, still had the advantage of higher speed on the easier stretches of line, so M. Vallentin, Chief Engineer of the P.L.M., decided to combine the good points of both types by constructing a 4-8-2 with 6 ft 7 in wheels.

The resulting machine, No. 241.C.I, was multiplied after the Second World War and the new ' 241 P ' locomotives were responsible for hauling some of the heaviest and fastest trains in France, such as the famous ' Mistral,' on the main P.L.M. line between Paris, Lyons and Marseilles.

With two high-pressure cylinders between the frames and 26 in x 28 in low-pressure cylinders outside, they develop a tractive effort of over 45,000 Ib in compound working, with a power output of 4,000 horse power.

Extensive electrification of the former P.L.M. lines resulted in most of the '241 P ' engines being transferred to the Western and Northern Regions, where they did equally good work. Our picture shows one of them leaving Lille with a heavy express for Paris, shortly before this line too was turned over to electric traction.