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'LA ARGENTINA' - FIRST PROJECT LOCOMOTIVE OF ING. L.D. PORTA 

Driver's Side Cab Profile of "La Argentina"
Note tender bogie profile and name "Presidential Locomotive of Gen. Peron" stenciled on the tender.

 

 

Coal space and water space inside "La Argentina's" tender. Porta notes that at the time he designed the tender far too small for the engine (in practical terms as opposed to going flat-out for thermal efficiency/minimal dead weight).

 

 

Three Views of La Argentina's Cab Showing Driver's Side, Firedoor, and Fireman's Side Respectively

Note the regulator (throttle) handle extension for shunting purposes. Note also the high center line of the boiler which allows a deep firebox for improvement of combustion and full access above the frame for the foundation ring. Likewise the positioning of the firehole door is critical for hand firing and Porta deliberately positioned such so as to not "break the fireman's back" as was the case on British locomotives! Also note vertically sliding firedoor used to control secondary air admission, and secondary air ducts below.

 

 

Cab/tender access on "La Argentina". Again, Porta positioned this so as to aid firemen when shoveling coal from tender to firebox. An interesting comparison can be made with the photo below of Shaun McMahon. 

 

 

Shaun McMahon firing former SAR Garratt NGG16A No. 141 on the Alfred County Railway during February 1998. The bunker access is slightly too low and the back has to be bend in order to shovel coal form the bunker. The firedoor, though, is lower still (not visible) and many hours of continous firing on these locos could be painful work inside the confines of the cab.

photo by Nigel Day