Class B12A 4-4-0 (1908)

Class B12A 4-Cylinder Passenger Locomotive
Designed by Karel Belčamin
Rebuilt from class B12 in 1908 by RSR Works, Bevice-Akohniçe, Ruhnia

It became clear quite early on that the boilers of the class B12 4-4-0s of 1894, although free-steaming, were not really big enough, so that the engines often had to be thrashed to keep time. After more than a decade of this treatment, the original boilers were beginning to show their age, although the rest of the engine was still in quite good condition. Beyer Peacock had delivered two new classes of 4-4-0 in 1906 and 1907 and so Belčamin, bearing the situation in mind, took the opportunity of ordering a number of extra boilers. The timing could not have been better. The old B12s, now reclassified B12A, were completely transformed. The rebuilds were able to take any passenger train in their stride and worked in the same links as the new Beyer Peacock engines. With the advent of Šahlmeti's new designs in the 1920s, however, the B12As found themselves outclassed and all had disappeared by the end of the decade.

Text and graphics © Norman Clubb 2012