Nord 2.641 to 2.675

The Nord 2.641 to 2.675 are French Atlantic type speed steam locomotives for passenger trains, they ensured the express (sometimes prestigious) on the Nord Railway. After the Nationalization on January the 1st 1938, and the formation of the SNCF, they became the 2-221-A-1 to 35.
== History ==
=== The Cration of the Series ===
At the end of the 19th century, the Nord had several 4-4-0 steam engines type, nicknamed "Outrance", to get the express of the company. But the increase of trains weight, push the company to create a new engine to support these ever heavier trains, especially with the gradient of Survillers. It had been decided that this new series will have a 4-4-2 wheel arrangement, and the works were entrusted to Alfred De Glehn, the chief engineer of the SACM at Graffenstad in Alsace. The specifications awaited an engine who are able to pull trains of 300 tons (661,387 lbs), run on 300 Kilometers (186 Miles), in 3 hours, it's the rule of the three "3", and these engines must have a compound engine with 4 cylinders.
Two prototypes were built in 1900, with the numbers 2.641 and 2.642, one of these two was presented to the world exposition of Paris, of the same year. The results were satisfying, both engines were able to pull trains of 440,925 lbs (200 t) at a speed of 82 mph (132 Km/h), and trains of 672,410 lbs (305 t) at a speed of 74.5645 mph (120 Km/h) in gradients of 5 %. With those good performances, the Nord take a command of 33 other engines, to the SACM at Belfort, the SFCM at Cail and to Fives-Lille.
=== An Engine exported ===
Also other railways were interested by the success of these engines, and takes command. Almost every French railways have their own Atlantic series from the SACM who shared the same blueprints: the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est take command of 2 engines (the 221 Est N°2601 and 2602, who formed the 8v series); the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Midi, 30 engines (the 221 Midi 1901 to 1916 and 1921 to 1934); the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Paris-Orléans (P.O) 14 engines (the 221 PO 3001 to 3014), those engines came from an upgraded versions, that the État Railway had taken command to the SFCM too (the 221 État 2951 to 2960). 
Foreign Railways were also intrested by thses engines: The Great Western Railway (GWR) in the United-Kingdom, get the engines no.102 "La France”, no.103 "President", and no.104 "Alliance"; the Pennsylvania Railroad in the USA, get the engine no.2512. Also in Belgium, 12 locomotives with a similar shape were built and became the series “Type 6”. Engines from this family in Egypt.
=== career in the North of France ===
The 33 new engines built for the Nord were numbered 2.643 to 2.675, and were delivered between 1902 and 1905. They were assigned at the depots of: Abbeville; Amiens; Aulnoye; Boulogne-sur-mer; Calais; Creil; Dunkerque; Fives; and Paris-La-Chapelle. During their career in the Nord, they were painted in a Chocolate Brown livery, with gold lines, this was totaly new on the Nord, this livery replace the previous green one on Express engines. The Nord Atlantics provided traction the Express, and they were shooting daily the rapids on the lines: Paris-Amiens; Paris-Calais; Paris-Lille; and the Paris-St-Quentin. They also pulled the most prestigious of the CIWL, such as: the Oiseau Bleu (Blue Bird), which goes from Paris to Amsterdam; The Nord Express (North Express), which connected Paris to St Petersburg; the Calais-Méditérrannée-Express (Calais-Mediterranean-Express), also known as the Train Bleu (Blue Train) which run from Calais to Menton; The Peninsular-Express, also named in France "Malle des Indes" (Indian Trunk), which connected London to Brindisi by rails then to Mumbay by boat, at this time, the train have to pass through France; and the Flèche d'Or (Golden Arrow), the well famous London-Paris, these locomotives pulled this train between Calais and Paris.
Also the goods performances of the Nord Atlantics helped them to catch up with 40 minutes delays on Channel vessels, byregularly exceeding their speed limit of 75 mph (120 Km/h), to go at 87 mph (140 km/h) with ease. In 1910, the engine no.2.643 reached the speed of 89 mph (143 Km/h), but in 1936 the record is broken with the no.2.659 which reached the speed of 96 mph (155 Km/h)!
But despite good performances, age began to catch up the members of the series which began to have difficulties with the trains that became heavier and heavier, with the introduction of new metals car. They were relayed to the lighter rapids and the omnibus with the arrivals of the SuperPacifics (2-231-C at the SNCF) and the Chapelon Pacifics, in tthe 1920s and the 1930s. When the SNCF is form in 1938, every members of the series were still in service, they were all integrate in the locomotive fleet of the new railway. They became the 2-221-A-1 to 35 of the North region of the SNCF, got the new SNCF green livery and continue the same work as they've done on the Nord. The entirety of the class is withdrawn in 1947.
== Preserved member ==
Only one member of the class had survive, number 2.670. Built in 1903 in the SFCM works at Cail, the engine was delivered to the Nord Railway in 1904, and receive the no.2.670. With the creation of the SNCF in 1938, she became the SNCF 2-221-A-30. After being withdrawn with the rest of its class in the 1940s, the engine was preserved and had been chosen to represent its class at the Railway museum of Mulhouse, instead of its sister the no.2-221-A-13 (formely 2.653), considered in less good condition.The engine was restaured in the depot of Laon in 1969, in its 1912 appearance, with its chocolate brown livery, its original no.2.670, and with its superheater.
Category:4-4-2 steam locomotives
Category:4-4-2 locomotives
Category:French steam locomotives
Category:SNCF locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:France
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge