The SNCF 4-240A class and SNCF 5-240P class was a group of 37 (12 + 25) 4-8-0

4-8-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. The type was nicknamed the Mastodon or Twelve-wheeler in North America....

 steam locomotives designed by André Chapelon

André Chapelon

André Chapelon was a noted French mechanical engineer and designer of advanced steam locomotives. Engineer of Ecole Centrale Paris, he was one of very few locomotive designers who brought a rigorous scientific method to their design, and he sought to apply up-to-date knowledge and theories in...

, and regarded by some, as one of his best designs.

They started life as Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans (Paris-Orleans Railway) 4500 class 4-6-2

4-6-2

4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...

s before being rebuilt. The new boiler with the long, narrow Belpaire firebox came from the Nord "Super Pacifics". With all the pipes, domes, and pumps, these were double-chimneyed, husky looking locomotives of very different appearance than the Pacifics.

Use

4-240A

SNCF south-west.

These 12 4-8-0s were created to tackle the 1:10 gradients of the Brive to Montauban

Montauban

Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....

 division of the line from Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 to Toulouse

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

, steeper than those to Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

. The intention was to provide one-third more adhesive weight than the 4500s. On level ground, they could manage 28 coaches at 53mph (85km/h).

5-240P

SNCF south-east.

These 25 4-8-0s were created by 1940 to tackle the 1:12 gradient of the Les Laumes to Dijon

Dijon

Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....

 division of the line from Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 to Lyon

Lyon

Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

. Used in passenger and fast freight services between Paris and Lyon. Withdrawn by 1950 with the electrification of the Paris - Dijon section. These later locomotives had mechanical stokers and bogie tenders.