PLM Class 242AT

The 242 AT 1 to 120 are a class of 4-8-4t Northern type steam locomotives. The class were built for the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Railway Company from 1926 to 1929 by: the Société Française de Constructions Mécaniques located in Denain, Batignolles-Châtillon company located in Nantes and the Schneider company located in Les Creusot.
== History ==
They are part of a series of 242 T class locomotives designed to compensate for the lack of power and acceleration of old series on commuter trains and which also included: 242 BT 1 to 31, 242 CT 1 to 50 and the 242 DT 1 to 50. In 1938 120 of them became the 5-242 TA 1 to 120 at the SNCF.
== Stats ==
The class had a four-cylinder compound engine and a Walschaerts Valve Gear, a Belpaire firebox and the exhaust was a 3-jet cloverleaf of the “PLM” type. The bogies were of the classic “PLM” type and had a lateral displacement of + or - 91 mm. Unlike their siblings on the Alsace-Lorraine railways, the T20 AL 8601 to 8630 (future: 1-242 TA 601 to 630), the water tanks were only arranged laterally.
== Operation History ==
The first batch were immediately assigned to the Paris-Charolais depot to replace the 232 AT PLM 1 to 50 (futures: 5-232 TA 1 to 50) and 232 BT PLM 1 to 45 (futures: 5-232 TB 1 to 50). 45) by showing it's traction power. Following deliveries, the class were deposited in: Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Nice, Laroche-Migennes, Montargis, Marseille-Blancarde and Carnoules.
At the end of WW2, the fleet was missing 5-242 TA 9, 17, 29, 30, 32, 36, 47, 50, 63 and 101 which were considered lost and several of them spent many months in the workshop for repair. In 1946, the South-East region created new assignments with: Sens, Chagny and Saint-Étienne. From 1947, the last two depots mentioned handed over their fleet to that of Lyon-Vaise and in 1951 the penultimate assignment was created with Dôle and then in 1956 the last with Vénissieux. The series ended in 1967.
In 1946, and after installing the reversibility, twenty of them were transferred to the Northern region where traction requirements were increased due to the war. These locomotives will be assigned to the Mitry-Claye depot. In 1947 the Northern region created the Fives assignment following a new transfer of locomotives from the South-East region, an operation which was renewed from 1953 to 1960. The extinction of these defectors occurred in 1968.
If the Northern region lent the 2-242 TA 13, 20, 54, 97, 104 and 119 to the Eastern region in October 1963, these having to be returned for 1965, the transfer of surplus fleets meant that the Northern region transferred some of them to the Eastern region in 1955 and in 1954 the latter received them directly from the South-East region where they came to support their siblings 1-242 TA 601 to 630. The extinction of these machines also occurs in 1968 just like their siblings from the ex-AL.
When the first of the class were transferred to the North region it was decided to register them 2-242 TA 1 to 40 but from February 1, 1952 this numbering was abandoned with a return to the ex-South-East numbers and only changing the area code. The same will be done for machines found in the Eastern region. On the other hand, typical northern accessories were fitted such as: the smoke box door, the front registration plate (inscription on the crosspiece as a general rule for other regions) and the smoke deflectors. It should be noted that the Eastern region will also mount smoke screens on machines 1-242 TA 1, 55, 67 and 103 coming from 1-242 TA 601 to 630 reformed and that 1-242 TA 1, 46, 67, 75, 79, 103 and 117 arrived in the Eastern region without having had time to be modified.
== Specifications ==
* Boiler pressure: 16 kg/cm2
* Diameter of HP cylinders: 420 mm
* BP cylinder diameter: 630 mm
* Diameter of driving wheels: 1,650 mm
* Bogie wheel diameter: 1,000 mm
* Capacity of water tanks: 12 m3
* Coal bunker capacity: 5 t
* Mass when running: 116.8 t
* Adherent mass: 64 t
* Overall length: 17.825 m
* Maximum speed in service: 95 km/h
== Survivors ==
Only a single example survived and it is the 242 AT 6 which is on static display at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse.
== Trivia ==
* This is said to be the sole surviving French 4-8-4 to this day ever since Chapelon's 242A1 was scrapped quietly to avoid any embarrasment.
== Source ==
French Wikipedia
Category:French steam locomotives
Category:French locomotives
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:4-8-4 steam locomotives
Category:4-8-4 locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Tank locomotives
Category:4-8-4T steam locomotives
Category:4-8-4T locomotives