Alejandro Goicoechea

Alejandro Goicoechea Omar (his first surname is also spelled Goikoetxea) (23 March 1895 - 30 January 1984[1]) was a Spanish engineer.Goicoechea worked for the remote coal narrow gauge railway of La Robla (León), the longest narrow gauge line in Western Europe which today is operated by FEVE, developing a welded steel carriage and various elements of suspension, brakes and traction.[2] Goicoechea authored the Iron Belt to protect Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War.In 1938, he described a train composed of articulated triangular structures with independent wheels, capable of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) commercial speeds.In 1942 Goicoechea worked with the company Hijos de Juan de Garay in Oñate and other companies to build a first test train consisting of seven low-slung cars of only 4.44 metres (4.44 m) length, of a roughly semi-circular cross-section, pulled by a power unit based on a powered bogie from Ganz Works.
ElorrioBiscayMadridSpanishengineerLa RoblaIron BeltBilbaoSpanish Civil WarNationalists conquering BilbaoOñateGanz WorksAmerican Car and Foundry Companydid not become reality