Baldwin Class 10-12-D
Encyclopedia
The Baldwin Class 10-12-D was a class of narrow gauge 4-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive
s built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
(USA) for the British War Department Light Railways
for service in France during World War I
. They were built in 1916-1917 to 600 mm (1 ft 115⁄8 in) gauge.
factory type 73. Weidknecht used these drawings and built similar 11-ton locomotives with subcontracted boilers, presumably built by S.A.Energie, Marcinelle.
The French military circles become interested of this 2′C n2t locomotive type for their Decauville
Light Military Railways in Morocco. A little heavier 14-ton type was designed and an order was placed for Weidknecht to produce these locomotives for the 600 mm gauge lines in Morocco.
Weidknecht delivered 20 more in 1913–1914 for Chemins de fer Militaires du Maroc numbered (1 - 20?).
Three steam locomotive type drawings were sent to Baldwin Works (finance guaranteed by the French Government) for production of C n2t, 2′C n2t, and light Mallet B′B n4v for gauge lines. With the usual American liberty, Baldwin Drawing Office produced their "version Americaine" of these locomotive types. The first C n2t (based to Decauville design) came out in November 1914 and the first batch of 2′C n2t in January 1915. Only two more batches were built for the French.
The reason why the British War Office decided to be the principal military steam locomotive type, remains unknown, but Baldwin started production in 1916.
At this point the production was changed to American Locomotive Company
but locomotives were built after the Baldwin drawings.
Some of the class found during war their way to other theatres of war than Europe.
Baldwin 45163–45222 from batch No 1001–1104 were renumbered by the British War Office to War Department Light Railways
, Middle East
No 581–640 and were shipped to Egypt
to be used in Sinai and Palestine
during the British 1917 offensive against the Turks. After the war most of them remained in Middle East
.
received fifty locomotives and numbered them to NWR No 1–50. Unfortunately their later fate is mostly unknown. British narrow-gauge railways which used them included:
One other locomotive (Baldwin 45215 of 1917) is preserved on the Dreamworld Railway in Coomera, Queensland, Australia. This locomotive worked on a sugar mill in Mackay and prior to the opening of Dreamworld in 1981 after purchase was heavily modified, including a tender, Wild-West style chimney, and conversion to oil-firing. It is currently under overhaul.
by the Rev. W. Awdry was based on this engine.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
(USA) for the British War Department Light Railways
War Department Light Railways
The War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways run by the British War Department in World War I. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in the First World War, and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of...
for service in France during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. They were built in 1916-1917 to 600 mm (1 ft 115⁄8 in) gauge.
Origins of the type
The French (or actually the Belgians) had designed 600 mm gauge 2′C n2t locomotives as early as in 1900–1901 for Chemin de Fer du Calvados. The prototype was TubizeTubize
Tubize is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1 2006 Tubize had a total population of 22,335. The total area is 32.66 km² which gives a population density of 684 inhabitants per km²....
factory type 73. Weidknecht used these drawings and built similar 11-ton locomotives with subcontracted boilers, presumably built by S.A.Energie, Marcinelle.
The French military circles become interested of this 2′C n2t locomotive type for their Decauville
Decauville
The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported...
Light Military Railways in Morocco. A little heavier 14-ton type was designed and an order was placed for Weidknecht to produce these locomotives for the 600 mm gauge lines in Morocco.
Weidknecht delivered 20 more in 1913–1914 for Chemins de fer Militaires du Maroc numbered (1 - 20?).
Baldwin and ALCo built locomotives
When the Great War broke out in August 1914 the French lost most of their locomotive building capacity in the Northern France to German occupied area. Therefore the French Army demanded fast replacement of the locomotive building capacity for their useful 2′C n2t type which had proved to be a reliable locomotive type for the lightly laid military railways.Three steam locomotive type drawings were sent to Baldwin Works (finance guaranteed by the French Government) for production of C n2t, 2′C n2t, and light Mallet B′B n4v for gauge lines. With the usual American liberty, Baldwin Drawing Office produced their "version Americaine" of these locomotive types. The first C n2t (based to Decauville design) came out in November 1914 and the first batch of 2′C n2t in January 1915. Only two more batches were built for the French.
The reason why the British War Office decided to be the principal military steam locomotive type, remains unknown, but Baldwin started production in 1916.
At this point the production was changed to American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
but locomotives were built after the Baldwin drawings.
Some of the class found during war their way to other theatres of war than Europe.
Baldwin 45163–45222 from batch No 1001–1104 were renumbered by the British War Office to War Department Light Railways
War Department Light Railways
The War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways run by the British War Department in World War I. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in the First World War, and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
No 581–640 and were shipped to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to be used in Sinai and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
during the British 1917 offensive against the Turks. After the war most of them remained in Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Peacetime service
After the war many of these locomotives were sold and went on to work in France, Britain and India. Indian North Western RailwayNorth Western Railway
The North Western Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Jaipur. It comprises four divisions: Jodhpur and reorganized Bikaner division of the erstwhile Northern Railway and reorganized Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of the erstwhile Western Railway. This zone...
received fifty locomotives and numbered them to NWR No 1–50. Unfortunately their later fate is mostly unknown. British narrow-gauge railways which used them included:
- Welsh Highland RailwayWelsh Highland RailwayThe Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
- Glyn Valley TramwayGlyn Valley TramwayThe Glyn Valley Tramway was a narrow gauge railway that connected Chirk with Glyn Ceiriog in Denbighshire , Wales. The gauge of the line was...
- Snailbeach District RailwaysSnailbeach District RailwaysSnailbeach District Railways was a British narrow gauge railway in Shropshire. It was built to carry lead ore from mines in the Stiperstones to Pontesbury where the ore was transshipped to the Great Western Railway's Minsterley branch line. Coal from the Pontesford coal mines travelled in the...
- Ashover Light Railway
Preservation
Two Baldwin Class 10-12-D locomotives have been preserved in the UK:- No. 778, Leighton Buzzard Light RailwayLeighton Buzzard Light RailwayThe Leighton Buzzard Light Railway is a narrow gauge light railway in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England. It operates on a gauge, and is just under long. The line was built after the First World War to serve sand quarries north of the town...
- No. 794, Welsh Highland RailwayWelsh Highland RailwayThe Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
One other locomotive (Baldwin 45215 of 1917) is preserved on the Dreamworld Railway in Coomera, Queensland, Australia. This locomotive worked on a sugar mill in Mackay and prior to the opening of Dreamworld in 1981 after purchase was heavily modified, including a tender, Wild-West style chimney, and conversion to oil-firing. It is currently under overhaul.
In fiction
The fictional No. 2 (later Stanley) in The Railway SeriesThe Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
by the Rev. W. Awdry was based on this engine.