I see the flags on the locomotive date to the Second Empire (-1870). Is the locomotive that old?
|
The Second Empire in France lasted during the period 1852 to 1870 under the rule of Emperor Napoleon III. The locomotive was designed in 1883 for the Compagnie du Paris-Orléans by Chief Engineer Victor Forquenot and built by the Sharp, Steward and Co in the UK.. It is therefore not from that period. This engine became symbolic of the fast passenger trains used by the company in the late 19th Century. It differs from 2-4-0 locomotives in that it has an additional load-bearing axle to the rear, providing increased stability. These fast locomotives hauled passenger trains such as the Sud Express between Paris and Bordeaux at speeds of 73.2 kph (45.5 mph) reaching top speeds of over 100 kph (62 mph), which made it the fastest line in the world at that time. This locomotive is also known for having pulled the train out of which the President of the French Republic, Paul Deschanel, fell in 1920. This accident made the headlines of all the French newspapers.
|
|