Sharp Stewart Serie 120: British steam locomotive

Sharp Serie 120

Serie 120 is a series of steam locomotives produced by the English company Sharp Stewart for the Spanish railway companies M.Z.A. (Madrid–Zaragoza–Alicante) and TBF (Tarragona–Barcelona–Francia), which later merged into Renfe. Later, the same manufacturer released the 130 series, designed for freight transport.

In 1875, the Tarragona-Barcelona-Francia railway was built. There was a shortage of materials for this line, which were supplied by various companies. Therefore, in 1877, six locomotives of the 120 type were ordered from Sharp Stewart, intended for high-speed and express trains.

These locomotives, which were delivered between 1877 and 1878, had factory numbers 2708 and 2713. On the railway, they were numbered 23 and 28. In 1891, when TBF merged with MZA, they were numbered 176–181. However, over time it became clear that the power of these locomotives did not meet the requirements of the routes on which they had worked since their creation. Therefore, it was decided to deploy them on the outskirts of the Catalan network. To adapt them to the new conditions, in 1901 they were converted into tender locomotives (type 120-T). Of these locomotives, only 176, 178, 179 and 180 entered the RENFE fleet, receiving the series 120-0201–120-0204. In 1965, locomotives 120-0203 and 120-0204 were decommissioned.

*Not to confuse with Renfe S-120.