Inversión exterior y transferencias de conocimiento: el caso de las primeras locomotoras de vapor de los ferrocarriles españoles (1848-1855)

The purpose of this paper is to study how the formation of the fleet of steam locomotives took place and what were its consequences during the first stage of the Spanish railway history, between 1848 and 1855. The way locomotives were commissioned is important to get to know the processes of knowledge transfer. The main conclusions obtained are that neither the institutional framework of foreign trade nor the absence of a native industrial sector prevented the start of the railroad business. Also, it is noted that the later start of the railways in Spain was beneficial, because the companies acquired a technology that was already consolidated and the formation of the fleet was the ideal one for the needs of that conjuncture.