RAILWAYS - LE CONTINENTID92910055
On the obverse, an image in colour of the steam locomotive Crampton nº 80, also known as Le Continent, which covered the Paris-Strasbourg route. On top of the central image, the legend CRAMPTON 80 – LE CONTINENT. Outside the image, devices reminiscent of different rails.
On the reverse of all the coins, inside a central circle, the legend HISTORIA DEL FERROCARRIL (HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY). Underneath, the value of the coin: €1.5 EURO. Outside the central circle, an image of a railway track.
On the reverse of all the coins, inside a central circle, the legend HISTORIA DEL FERROCARRIL (HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY). Underneath, the value of the coin: €1.5 EURO. Outside the central circle, an image of a railway track.
| Series | History of the Railway |
| Year | 2021 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 7,000 |
Le Continent
Maker: Thomas Russell Crampton
Year of production: 1852
Country: France
Traction: Steam
Transport: Passengers and freight
Top speed: 120 km/h
Diameter of the driving wheels: 2,300 mm
Tensile stress: 3,457 kg
Working pressure: 8 kg/cm2
Cylinders: 2 (400 x 500 mm)
France inaugurated its first commercial line, running from Rive de Gier to Givors (15 km), on October 1 1830 thanks to the initiative of Marc Seguin, the father of the French railway. In 1827, Seguin had built and patented a multi-tubular boiler which, one year later, he would install and trial at his Perrache workshop.
Despite Seguin’s pioneering efforts, the history of the French steam locomotive industry would not begin until 1838, when the Établissements Schneider plant produced the first unit, named La Gironde. However, British engineer Thomas Russell Crampton, a student of Marc Brunel, would be the man to nurture French locomotives to maturity. He did so by improving many of the component parts and achieving excellent manufacture, the culmination of which was the successful Crampton model, known for its capacity to increase speed and stability at one and the same time.
One of these locomotives, Le Continent, was built at the workshop of J.F. Cail in Lille (Département du Nord) and formed part of a series of 12 units. Like all the French Cramptons, it boasted the double-walled feature and two huge driving wheels: in this case, the diameter was 2,300 mm. It had a single driving axle; two cylinders; working pressure of 8 kg/cm2; and could reach a top speed of 120 km/h. Initially, it covered the Paris-Strasbourg route and later, was used by the Est Company, where it was operative until 1914, although it hauled historic trains from1946 onwards. It is now on display at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse (European Collectivity of Alsace). It is most certainly one of the great gems of European railway heritage.