Date of issue : March 2001  ( 1st know date of use : 20.03.01 ) Size - Format : 47 x 27 mm. - Format type 2 Paper : Thermal self adhesive - multicoloured  Imprint : Thermal on black Imprint varieties : 6 ( Mobba and Epelsa with 4, 5 and 6 digits ) Design : FNMT Printer : FNMT. Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre Printing : 50.000.000 of labels
Click on the image to enlarge it

Second issue of the ATM set that during 2001 is dedicated to the Railways history in Spain.

During the 1st World War, the Ferrocarriles del NORTE de España ( North Spain Railways Company ), and because the great difficulties to obtain motor material of their French habitual suppliers, contacted the US ALCO Company ( American Locomotive Company ). 
55 units of model MIKADO 141 were acquired, served in two times between 1917 and 1918. This type of locomotives had also manufactured for the Japanese railways, of there the name of MIKADO. 
 

NORTE enumerated its new machines as a 4500 series, from the 4501 to the 4555 and, years later, RENFE ( Spain Railways Company ) as a  141-2001 to 141-2052 ; three of the machines ( 4509, 4541 and 4550 ) suffered serious accidents with the explosion of the boilers, reason why they were made unusable and they did not pass to hands of the RENFE when taking place the unification in 1941 of the most part of the great Spanish railway companies. The steam locomotive that illustrates this issue would be of model MIKADO 141, machine 2040 in the RENFEnumeration and machine 4542 in NORTE numeration.

The locomotives Mikado Alco are also known in Spain as "chalecos" ( vests ) ; in contrast to the great and spectacular railway masses of the "American" locomotives, these had a streamlined and "European" image : in the textile sense they did not have the category of "americanas" ( jackets ), but of vests, giving origin to this curious nickname. 
( Note : In Castellano or Spanish language, "americana" is the name of the US reference, but also the name for a jacket ).

The system 141 Mikado was finally the best adapted to the hilly Spanish profile ; this explain the numerous series of Mikados that RENFE incorporated during the '50s. ( North British, Euskalduna and Maquinista manufacturers ). 

The ALCO were locomotives of 2 cylinders, distribution Walschaerts and reheated steam, with 1800 CV. of power.
 

We show here some examples of Cards with the ATM issue Railways - 2.
 

Steam locomotive MIKADO 141 - 2021 ( 1918 )	Steam locomotive MIKADO 141 - 2023 ( 1918 )