Roco 70039 231 E 34 Steam Locomotive, SNCF

Characteristic :

Brand: Roco
Ref: 70039
System: Analog
> Decoder socket: 8 pins
Company: SNCF
Era: III
Length: 272mm
Minimum radius: 419mm
Scale: HO: 1/87
Operation: 2 rails

French National Railways Company 231 E 34 steam locomotive.

Editing model!

■ Used in heavy rail express service
■ Highly detailed filigree design model
■ The smoke generator can be installed later (Seuthe No. 11 ref 114225)

The 231 E series arose from the post-World War I need for powerful steam locomotives to handle increasingly heavy French express trains. Instead of developing costly new models, André Chapelon was commissioned by the Paris-Orléans Railway to overhaul existing Pacific-type steam locomotives to meet the new requirements. The engineer's studies resulted in increased power and the required fuel savings, primarily through improvements in thermodynamics. His efforts proved successful: the modified locomotive achieved test speeds of up to 174 km/h and, in daily service, impressive top speeds of 130 km/h. By increasing the locomotive's power by 50 percent while simultaneously reducing fuel costs, Chapelon transformed older steam locomotives into viable options for express trains.