La Locomotive a Vapeur - Paperbackby Andre Chapelon (Author), George W. Carpenter (Translator) Written by the great French engineer Andr? Chapelon, the man responsible for what were the world's most efficient and, on a pound for pound basis, most powerful steam locomotives ever built. Published in 1952, in this book Chapelon reviews in detail developments in the design and construction of all the steam locomotive's major parts, and compares the merits of simple and compound expansion.