RAILWAYS - THE MADRILENIANID92910059
As the current year of 2021 is the European Year of Rail and also marks the 80th anniversary of Renfe, we wish to dedicate the collection to the history of the railway so as to draw our customers closer to the evolution of one of mankind’s most important modes of transport.
The collection consists of 20 coins: 15 issued in 2021 and the other five, in 2022.
On the obverse, an image in colour of the train known as La Madrileña. On top of the central image, the legend LA MADRILEÑA. Outside the image, forming a circle, 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.
| Series | History of Railways |
| Year | 2021 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 7,000 |
Madrileña
Maker: Stothert, Slaughter & Co. (Bristol)
Year of production: 1851
Country: United Kingdom
Traction: Steam
Transport: Passengers
Top speed: 32 km/h
Diameter of the driving wheels: 1,700 mm
Working pressure: five atmospheres
Power: 186 hp
On February 9 1851, Isabel II opened Spain’s second railway track, running between Madrid and Aranjuez. The man who championed the project, José de Salamanca, travelled to France and England to deal personally with the purchase of the locomotives. According to his biographer, Hernández Girbal, Salamanca followed the advice of Stephenson and bought a first lot of four units from Stothert, Slaughter & Co. (Bristol).
The second of these locomotives, named the Madrileña, hauled the first pilot train months before the commencement of commercial activity, pulling four cars with 200 passengers on board. An English engine driver under the orders of one of the company’s managers drove the locomotive in this, the first railway journey from Madrid, during which the convoy travelled at a speed of “eight leagues per hour”.
According to the Madrid-Aranjuez Railway Manual, the only contemporary description available nowadays, it was registered as Number 2 and had a 120 running gear. From the drawings in the manual, the locomotive would appear to be of the Long Boiler type, a model devised by Robert Stephenson in 1842, increasing power by endowing the boiler with greater capacity. The design was highly suited to meet the demands of this railway track. It had two cylinders located on the exterior and two driving wheels with a diameter of 1,700 mm. It could reach a pressure of five atmosphere and had a maximum power of 186 hp.