Vietnam Railways 141 Class

141 Class
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques Tangshan Railway Vehicle Build date 1947-1950 1964-1974 Total produced 112
Specifications Gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) Driver dia. 1,200 mm (47.24 in) Length 28.410 m (93 ft 2.5 in)(SACM version) 19.010 m (62 ft 4.4 in)(Tangshan version) Height 4.244 m (13 ft 11.1 in) Axle load 12.5 t (12.3 long tons; 13.8 short tons) Loco weight 81.5 t (80.2 long tons; 89.8 short tons) Fuel capacity 6 t (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons) (coal) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 450 mm × 610 mm (17.717 in × 24.016 in) bore x stroke
Performance figures Maximum speed 67 km/h (42 mph) Power output 1,100 hp (820 kW) (at wheels) Tractive effort 104.71 kN (23,540 lbf)
Career Operators Vietnam Railways Numbers 141-501~141-527(SACM version) 141-A-101~141-A-108(SACM version) 141-101~141-115(SACM version) 141-121~141-122(Gia Lam version) 141-157~141-216(Tangshan version)

The 141-Class Locomotive is a powerful metre gauge steam locomotive in use on Vietnamese Railways. Mechanically they are very similar to Vietnamese 231-500 Class Locomotives.^[1][2]

History

The first variants of the 141-1 class locomotives were produced by the Société Alsacienne de Construction Mecaniques (SACM) in Mulhouse between 1947 and 1950. An order for 27 (an additional order for 17 was reduced to 8 in 1951) locomotives was placed for the French Indochinese colonies before the partition of North and South Vietnam. Both nations would continue to use the French 141-Class into the 1970s.^[2]

In 1965 the North built two domestic locomotives using dissembled French models and spare parts. These were dubbed the 'Tu Luc' or 'self-reliant' class. The engines were built by Gia Lam Ironworks in Hanoi. More locomotives were planned, but the escalation of the Vietnamese War forces production to move to China. The Chinese class of locomotives, the Zi Li (Unaided or self-reliant,) was an almost identical copy of the French and Vietnamese locomotives, but were slightly lighter.^[2]

Preserved examples

• 141-158: Sai Gon Railway Station
• 141-179: Vinh Railway Station
• 141-182: Di An Works
• 141-206: Da Nang Railway Station

References