RoD Baldwin Locomotives
Booklet published by the Industrial Railway Society in 2014, 22 pages. A5 size booklet (N6132)
This booklet provides a fascinating history of the standard gauge military locomotives supplied to the War Department's Railway Operating Division from the Baldwin Locomotive Worls (based in the USA). The RoD had itself been formed in the early stages of the First World War to operate railways during the conflict, and was a division of the Royal Engineers.
From the introduction: In the first few weeks of the First World War the German army occupied the Douai - Lens - Lille - Valenciennes area of Northern France which contained a large part of the country's mining, steelmaking and heavy metal industries including the locomotive manufacturers Cail, Fives-Lille, Blanc Misseron and Franco-Beige. Consequently, there was a shortage of railway equipment available to Britain and its Allies to assist their efforts to push the German army back; made worse, no doubt, as the Germans retreated, by their taking usable equipment with them and damaging beyond use that which could not be moved, but which could be of assistance to the Allies.
In order to fill this gap, locomotives were ordered from the United States for use by the Railway Operating Division of the War Department. There was a substantial contribution from the American Locomotive Co., with smaller contributions from other firms, but by far the largest number of deliveries came from the Baldwin Locomotive Co., Philadelphia. To keep coverage within reasonable bounds I am confining these notes to standard gauge shunting locomotives built by Baldwins and excluding references to what may be regarded as main-line classes (e.g. the Pershing 2-8-0's); also omitted are narrow gauge types, other material and the products of other American firms.
The condition of the booklet is generally very good. The covers are clean and bright, the staple spine is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound. There is a small price sticker on the rear side cover.
| Condition | New |