140 C Ouest - History

History

The 340 locomotives were ordered in three series. The first series, 70 locomotives, numbered 140-101 to 140-170 were built in France by Schneider et Cie. at Le Creusot, SACM at Belfort, and Fives-Lille. These were built and were put into service in 1913.

The declaration of war in 1914 forced the Chemin de Fer de l'État to entrust the construction of the second series of 200 locomotives to Nasmyth, Wilson and Company of Manchester and North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow. Two hundred engines, numbered 140-171 to 140-370, were delivered in 1916 and 1917. Six engines (140-337, 338, 339, 340, 368 and 369) were lost at sea on 30 April 1918, when the cargo ship transporting them, the SS Saint Chamond was topedoed off the north Cornish coast, 14 nautical miles north of St Ives Head. These engines were mostly used for hauling freight trains.

The third series of 70 locomotives was ordered by the French rail-mounted heavy artillery (Artillerie Lourde sur Voie Ferrée, ALVF). They were numbered 1 to 70, and half were built by Vulcan Foundry between 1919 and 1920. After the war, these 70 locomotives were sold, with half going to the Chemins de fer de l'Est as Est 40.001 to 40.035, and half to the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) as 140 K 1 to 140 K 35.

On the formation of the SNCF in 1938, the Est locomotives became 1-140 C to 1-140 C 35; the État locomotives became 3-140 C 101 to 3-140 C 370; and the PLM locomotives 5-140 K 1 to 5-140 K 35. After World War II, the locomotives were concentrated in the Eastern Region, and while the ex-État locomotives only needed their region prefix changed from "3" to "1", the ex-PLM locomotives were renumbered to 1-140 C 36 to 1-140 C 70.