Where and who?

[centurion]

Is this train in France or another front (note the leaves of the plant in the lower left hand corner which do not look like something found in Northern France). The men appear to be wearing entirely different coloured uniforms. The man trying to earn a blighty by getting his foot crushed could well be in khaki but the other guy is not.

[tootrock]

Rather than the leaves of a plant in the lower left corner could they be a load of broken planks?

And can I see W^D on one of the trucks?

Martin

[tipperary]

The bloke on the footplate in khaki and looks to have respirator bag on. the surroundings look to me to be covered in layer of light coloured dust looks very dry.john

Yes Martin top plank has WD mark

Edited 26 November , 2011 by munster

[grantowi]

Front of second wagon has W^D with 652 underneath

Grant

[jay dubaya]

They be planks not leaves and certainly British waggons with the W^D stamp

[Old Owl]

Looks like a diesel locomotive--did they have diesels during WW1? more likely to be WW2?

[Terry_Reeves]

The photograph appears in Narrow Gauge at War (Vol 2) by Keith Taylorson and is credited as being a Canadian Official photograph. The caption reads:

" A Dick Kerr petrol electric hauls a trainload of shells through the ruined village of Lieven-Agres. This is an unusually well engineered line and may have been captured from the Germans, who regarded their light railways as more "permanent" ".

The central figure in the light coloured uniform is Portuguese I believe, whilst the other two are British or Canadian.

TR

[Old Owl]

Just checked on Google and apparently they did exist during WW1--so over to the experts

[tipperary]

Looks like a diesel locomotive--did they have diesels during WW1? more likely to be WW2?

There is a recent thread on the forum with a question re a diesel engine manufacturer cant seem to get me hands on it.john

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=168350&view=findpost&p=1638305&hl=%2Bengine+%2Btank&fromsearch=1

found it

Edited 26 November , 2011 by munster

[centurion]

Thanks everybody.

Re diesel. In 1917 it was decided not to run steam on the RE 2ft gauge lines at the front in France as

• The locomotives were often too heavy for the lines as laid
  
• Steam and smoke could be spotted easily by German observation balloons and would invite artillery fire (steam could even be spotted at night if the sky was clear as it obscured stars).
  

Accordingly it was decided to use internal combustion engines on these lines. ROD acquired a significant number of petrol engined locos from at least four different companies (one of which provided converted Ford model Ts) and supplied them, with drivers, to the RE narrow gauge operating companies. A petrol engined loco looks very much like a diesel. At the same time it became policy not to bring standard gauge steam locos to within less than 5 miles of the front line unless there was no alternative (again because the steam and smoke could be spotted). Narrow gauge lines built and operated by RE narrow gauge operating companies would take supplies onward. Troops either had to march or, if lucky, were trucked or bussed the last miles.

[tootrock]

Where exactly is (or was) Lieven-Agres?

I can't find it on Google Maps.

Martin

[b3rn]

http://natgeotv.com.au/tv/britains-greatest-railways/episode.aspx?id=229 - this episode was on the History channel the other night, the presenter takes a ride on something similar ... (p.s. synopsis says WWII but a fair bit of the episode was WWI)

[Chris_Baker]

Liévin and Angres are two towns/villages which lie west/southwest of Lens. Angres may have been referred to as Liévin-Angres.

[jainvince]

Looking at both 1915 Trench Map and later, it is possible that the train is on an already existing light rail or tramway line which would account for its higher standard of constriuction. If it was on a new line then away from the front line then it would most likely to be to a reasonably high standard. Certainly, the loco was normally used on such lines as Motor Rail Tractors (small locomotives)were used nearer the front.

Bernard

[centurion]

Looking at both 1915 Trench Map and later, it is possible that the train is on an already existing light rail or tramway line which would account for its higher standard of constriuction. If it was on a new line then away from the front line then it would most likely to be to a reasonably high standard. Certainly, the loco was normally used on such lines as Motor Rail Tractors (small locomotives)were used nearer the front.

Bernard

In "Transportation Services of the British Armies" (1919) it is stated that German narrow gauge was superior to British as it used better spec rails and prefabricated steel sleepers (rather than wood). (As the author was Lt Col Fewtrell DSO the Australian who eventually commanded the British Light Railway Directorate one is inclined to believe him). If as has been suggested the line was captured from the Germans this might explain this.