État 231-011 to 231-060
| Industry | Railway |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Products | Steam locomotives |
État 231-011 to 231-060 comprised a series of 50 4-6-2 steam locomotives constructed in 1910 for the Chemin de fer de l'État. These units were later assimilated into the SNCF fleet as the 3-231.B class. Originally designated 231-011 through 231-060 by État, they were renumbered 3-231.B.1 to 3-231.B.60 under SNCF management. Their boilers were modeled after the Ouest 2900 series Pacific design, and they were equipped with 22 cubic metre tenders, characterized by a restrained aesthetic.
Shortly after entering service, these locomotives experienced several derailments, notably at Perray and Bernay in September 1910, which led to revisions of the leading bogie design. As a result, their operations were limited to freight duties with a speed cap of 60 km/h until bogie improvements enabled their reinstatement on passenger routes in 1912.
Starting that year, the locomotives were based at Batignolles and Vaugirard depots, where they pulled express services to locations including Le Havre, Cherbourg, Le Mans, Thouars, and prominently the Deauville Express. By the early 1920s, half of these engines had been relocated to Dieppe, where they gained the nickname Dieppoises. There, they worked on the Saint-Lazare–Dieppe line via Pontoise. From 1929 onward, their duties expanded to express trains between Dieppe and Le Mans as well as the Manche-Océan route connecting Dieppe with Bordeaux.
In 1931, certain locomotives in this class received enhancements such as smoke deflectors and ACFI feedwater heaters. The entire class was renumbered from 231.B.1 to 231.B.60 in 1938. An attempt during the mid-1940s to increase their power output for a proposed 231.L class did not succeed. These locomotives continued operating until their withdrawal from service in 1957.