ROD Baldwin loco?

[MikB]

A family friend has a photo in her hall showing her grandfather, named as Fred Wilson, standing beside a big loco, looks to be a 2-8-0. The tender shows the ROD of the Railway Operating Division of WW1.

The loco has a few features resembling the later WW2 S160 locos made by the US Baldwin and Lima companies for use in Britain and to make good European war losses. So I'm thinking it might be a Baldwin engine, perhaps of a design that was a forerunner of the S160.

I'm also wondering if the double-vertical-cylinder attachment above Fred's head might be a braking air-pump, and if it is, does that confirm the shot was taken in France?

Can anyone confirm or refute?

 

Edited 3 October , 2022 by MikB

[William Shelford]

I can confirm that this is a Baldwin 2-8-0 loco. The ROD had three batches of 50 of these, the first arriving by the end of 1917. The photo will have been taken in France (or Belgium) as these would not have been used elsewhere, they were outside the UK loading gauge.
Also you are correct in thinking that the cylinder above Fred's head is the air pump.

If you can read the number on the cab, I might be able to find out more, about that particular loco.

For more details on the ROD see ROD, The book "Railway Operating Division on the Western Front" by William A T Aves, published 2009.

[MikB]

Thanks very much for your answer. Our friend's view was that it might be 'family legend' that it was taken on service in France, but the faint ROD supported that pretty strongly, together with your remarks on where Baldwins were used.

The best guess as to Cab No. that I can come up with from my phone-photo of a photo is '1294' or '1234' - but it's only the 1 and the 4 that I'm half-certain of. Dunno how much better an image it might be possible to get from the original print, because it's quite faded - but I'll see what she can do, plus her son is quite into technical optics...

Thanks again.

[MikB]

20 hours ago, William Shelford said:

...

If you can read the number on the cab, I might be able to find out more, about that particular loco.

For more details on the ROD see ROD, The book "Railway Operating Division on the Western Front" by William A T Aves, published 2009.

I've just received a WhatsApp closeup from the lady, and the Cab Number is very clearly 1394. Sorry for my earlier misread.

 

Edited 5 October , 2022 by MikB
Pic added