Biography

Goicoechea was born in 1895. He worked for the remote coal narrow gauge railway of La Robla (León), the longest narrow gauge line in Western Europe, which is now operated by FEVE. He developed a welded steel carriage and various parts of the train’s suspension, brakes, and traction. In 1936, he proposed a lightweight articulated meter gauge trainset, but the management did not approve it.

Goicoechea designed the Iron Belt to protect Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War. However, before finishing it, he switched sides to the Nationalists. This decision helped the Nationalists capture Bilbao on June 12, 1937.

In 1938, he described a train made of articulated triangular structures with independent wheels, capable of reaching 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in regular service. In 1941, a test unit with triangular chassis and truck wheels, with carriage rims welded on, was built and successfully tested up to 75 kilometers per hour (47 mph) when pulled by a steam locomotive.

In 1942, Goicoechea worked with the company Hijos de Juan de Garay in Oñate and other companies to build a first test train made of seven short cars, each 4.44 meters (4.44 m) long, with a semi-circular shape. The train was pulled by a power unit based on a powered bogie from Ganz Works. That same year, he partnered with José Luis de Oriol y Urigüen to start the Patentes Talgo company. They named the test train Talgo I (Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol). The Talgo I was tested until 1945, then damaged during a test run and later scrapped in the early 1950s.

In 1944, Goicoechea worked with the American Car and Foundry Company to design the Talgo II. However, he left the company in 1945 before the train was completed.

Later, he proposed a rail tunnel through Gibraltar to connect Spain and Morocco, but the idea was never realized.

He died in 1984 at the age of 89.