SNCF SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF, "French National Railway Company") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic along with Monaco, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network. Its functions include operation of railway services for passengers and freight, and maintenance and signalling of rail infrastructure. The railway network consists of about of route, of which are high-speed lines and electrified. About 14,000 trains are operated daily. In 2010 the SNCF was ranked 22nd in France and 214th globally on the Fortune Global 500 list. It is the
SNCF 232.Q.1 SNCF 232.Q.1 The SNCF 232.Q.1 was an experimental prototype steam locomotive of the Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) which entered service in 1940. It was Baltic or 4-6-4 locomotive. The locomotive was ordered on 9 March 1936 by the Société nationale des chemins de fer français in an attempt to solve the problem of the crankshaft which limited, in part, the speed of the locomotive and its inherent dynamic augment or hammer blow. The order for its construction was placed with the firm of Schneider et Cie. It was decided to equip the locomotive with a conventional