THE ETAT 'CASTLES'

摘要

The Ouest railway of France was one of the earliest, being founded in 1835, with the first passenger train running on the 26th of August 1837. It grew to become the major commuter railway into Paris, as well as important long distance routes to Le Harve and Brittany. However, it got into financial difficulties, and in July 1908 a law was passed that it would be taken over by the State and added to the Etat (State) railway. This took place on and from the 1st of January 1909. The new management soon found that the railway was chronically short of motive power and looked around for a manufacturer who could quickly supply some mixed traffic locomotives. Manufacturing capacity in France and Germany was stretched at that time, but the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow was quick off the mark. It was in 1903 that the major manufacturers in Glasgow amalgamated. Dubs & Co., Neilson, Reid & Co., and Sharp, Stewart & Co. Ltd., could see that their combined production capacity and an expected lowering of demand, would make competition wasteful, so they combined under the name "North British Locomotive Co. Ltd."