French Pacific Under Overhaul

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:55 pm

French television story on the overhaul of a French 231 (4-6-2 to us, the French count axles). Of note are the Westinghouse (of Europe, no doubt) air brake components, and the view of something seen only rarely here, a cranked axle--this engine, like many French machines, is a 4-cylinder compound, and likely has two throttles and two sets of reverse gear for maximum fuel efficiency. That's the sort of thing you do in a land without good coal, or if you try to get better coal, it has to come from England:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXxS9lK7-Zc

What she looks like when she's running:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9P_FW0BFE

A rather different machine from a 141R!

FLO · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:07 am **Posts:** 328

Cool! Thank you for posting this.

I just started watching the first video and paused to make this post. My French is rusty, but I can follow what the steam mechanic in the boiler suit says. He says at the beginning, "c'est une machine Chapelon," which as you can guess means that this is a Chapelon machine.

Now back to watching the rest of the video.

rlsteam · **Posted:** Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:46 am

Et la musique au commencement d'un de ces films, je pense qu'elle est "Pacific 231" du compositeur français Arthur Honegger -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfysyex_DAk

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:28 am

rlsteam wrote:

Et la musique au commencement d'un de ces films, je pense qu'elle est "Pacific 231" du compositeur français Arthur Honegger -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfysyex_DAk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKRCJhLU7rs

Ah, la original, "Pacific 231," "un 'essai' de Jean Mitry," 1949:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKRCJhLU7rs

Hope my French is half as good as yours!

Zog · **Posted:** Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:37 am

I am impressed by the video of the engine running!

They even supplied their own Papa Boule!

Hal Reiser
MP 30 Hudson Division

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:53 am

Well, I have to admit my French is really shot, but here is another video clip on the rebuilding, with an appeal for money (isn't that familiar?) Oh well, didn't the late David P. Morgan make a statement that steam was an international language, and Walschearts was as easily understood in English, French, or Russian?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpumMuMvDg0

Earlier (2009), when the engine was running.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupL_C5GwZg

Two things that stood out for me was how they coaled the engine--not, not the use of the front-end loader, but how the coal was so carefully trimmed, including that "block" coal that the French used--and also how you could hear the water boiling as steam was being built up, a sound that is normally overwhelmed by all the other sounds a steam engine makes.

Looks like the same outfit also has a diesel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aWaEr9ItFQ