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SNCF 242.A.1

Possibly the peak of a distinguished career, SNCF 242.A.1 was the brainchild of Andre Chapelon, an acclaimed French engineer and locomotive designer. Applying an extensive knowledge of fluid- and thermodynamics, and a great deal of scientific rigor rarely seen in his field, Chapelon designed locomotives that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

SNCF 242.A.1, rebuilt from a 4-8-2 Mountain in 1942, was to be his masterwork. The powerful 4-8-4 was highly fuel-efficient and capable of sustaining 4,000 horsepower at speeds up to 90 mph. But it wasn't to be. The locomotive had simply come too late; after World War II, France's railways were rapidly electrifying, and the SNCF wasn't interested in further steam engines. 242.A.1 was shunted off to run express trains between Le Mans and Brest until it was scrapped in 1960.