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A Peculiar Locomotive.
(N. Blake, Hamilton Railways.)

The sketch drawing reproduced on this page shows a queer type of triple-boiler locomotive built for the Belgian State Railways many years ago. Presumably the object of the design was to obtain added efficiency by employing three separate boilers instead of one big one. The engine was of the tender type and had outside frames.

When built the engine ran very well. The wheel arrangement was of the 2–4–2 type, the cylinders being arranged inside between the frames. The highest speed attained was from 60 to 62 m.p.h. on the level, and a fair load was hauled for an express engine in those days.

As might be expected, however, trouble soon arose when the engine was tried on general service work. Unequal temperatures in one or other of the boilers would cause it to expand or contract irrespective of the other two boilers. The result was leaky tubes, boiler plates and strained fireboxes.

The cost of building and maintenance was also very much higher than a steam locomotive of normal type, nor was there any apparent gain in either thermal efficiency, horse power or speed over the regular type of railway engine. It is not surprising therefore, that the engine was scrapped after a few years' service, and, needless to say, no more of this class were built.

A twin boiler locomotive of similar design was built for a Continental railway at a later date. It also was a failure, so the type was not perpetuated.