Ferrocarril de Langreo facts for kids

This steam locomotive, built in 1852, worked on the Langreo Railway. This photo was taken in 1887.

The Ferrocarril de Langreo (often called FC de Langreo or FCL) was an important Spanish railway company. It ran a special train line in Asturias, a region in northern Spain. This railway was one of the very first in Spain, built in the 1850s. In fact, it was the third train line ever built in the country!

History of the Langreo Railway

A view of the San Pedro inclined plane and the old Florida station.

The Langreo Railway was a private company. Its main job was to move important materials like coal and iron ore. These materials came from mines in Laviana and Langreo. They also moved goods from a factory in La Felguera. All these materials were transported to Gijon, a city on the coast. The railway line was about 50 kilometers (31 miles) long.

Unique Track Size

Most Spanish railways use a standard track width. But the Langreo Railway was different. It used a track width that was very close to the international standard gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge). This was unusual for a non-city railway in Spain. Because of this special size, the company often bought used trains. Many of these trains came from the United States.

Trains from Far Away

Over the years, the Langreo Railway bought several interesting trains:

• In 1959, they bought five large 2-8-0 steam locomotives. These powerful engines came from the Alaska Railroad. They even kept their original numbers: 401, 402, 404, 405, and 406.
• In 1964, they bought special passenger train sets called Talgo coaches. These had been used by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the United States. They were part of a train called the John Quincy Adams (train).
• Also in 1964, they bought four ALCO RS-3 diesel-electric engines. These came from the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis.
• A fifth diesel engine, numbered 1604, was bought in 1971. This one came from the Burlington Northern Railroad. It was an extra engine from the Great Northern Railway after a big company merger in 1970.

Changes Over Time

In 1973, the Ferrocarril de Langreo company joined a larger railway group. This group was called FEVE. FEVE then made a big change to the Langreo line. In 1983, they rebuilt the entire Gijon-Laviana line. They changed its track width to a metre gauge (1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in)). This meant different trains could now use the line.

See also

• FEVE
• History of rail transport in Spain
• RENFE
• Transportation in Spain