The CP 1050 series diesel shunting locomotives

Built by French manufacturer Gaston Moyse.

The CP 1051 to 1068 series diesel shunting locomotives entered service with Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses in the 1950s.

Their acquisition formed part not only of the programme to modernise CP’s rolling stock fleet, but also of the process of replacing steam traction with diesel.

The French manufacturer Gaston Moyse, based in Paris, built the fleet of 18 new shunting locomotives CP acquired in 1955. With 120 horsepower and a maximum speed of 38 kilometres per hour, the CP acquired these units to provide shunting and marshalling services at stations.

As soon as they were available, the CP sent the shunting locomotives to the Lisbon Santa Apolónia locomotive depot, where they mainly shunted passenger trains. CP also allocated part of the fleet to the Campolide station depot, which at the time handled many coaches. Still in Lisbon, they also carried out shunting and marshalling duties between Alcântara-Terra station and the Port of Lisbon. CP also deployed some units to the Barreiro depot, Casa Branca station and Faro station.

From the 1960s onwards, their geographical area of operation expanded, notably with the transfer of the locomotive tractors serving the Lisbon area to Entroncamento, Évora, Pedreira de Monte das Flores, Tunes and Vila Real de Santo António. The subsequent acquisition of new rolling stock and the streamlining of shunting services gradually reduced the use of this series of diesel locomotives. By the 1980s, the fleet had been partially retired. The remaining units continued active service in Faro, Barreiro and Entroncamento.

The original paint scheme for this diesel locomotive series was dark green. The series reached the end of its service life in the 1990s, by which time it had been repainted yellow and bore the CP logo that is still in use today. Currently, the CP 1056 and 1067 locomotives form part of the collection at the National Railway Museum in Entroncamento.