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Early electric loco ? Any ideas ?

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Felstead

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This little darling was found on a photo on the back of which was the title 'Crown Copyright'. It looks like an Engineers Inspection loco from about 1920, but has anyone any ideas, please ?
 

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Iskra

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The panto, looks more like something from a tramway. Do the wheels give any clues as to whether it's tram or railway equipment?
 

Felstead

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With buffers and three link couplings it seems unlikely to be a tram loco, especially as it has sand pipes.
 

edwin_m

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Blackpool Corporation had some rather similar locomotives for hauling wagons on part of the Fleetwood tramroad. As did a few other tramways. Looking at the link below it has sanders, as did many traditional trams.

http://trams.wikia.com/wiki/File:080320_Blackpool_Electric_Locomotive_at_Crich.jpg

But very similar things ran on railways too - though this one is battery powered:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55727763@N02/7170049103

The houses in the background of the OP don't look very British.
 
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John Webb

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There appears to be a railway wagon at the top of the bank; perhaps it's part of a private light railway system with fairly steep banks? Lights don't look very British either. Perhaps supplied overseas via our government, hence the 'Crown Copyright' on the photo?
 

coppercapped

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The houses in the background of the OP don't look very British.

I think you could be right. The patterned brickwork at the top of the walls under the guttering looks as if it could be Belgian or that part of northern France near the Belgium border.

Cute little loco, though!
 

randyrippley

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actylene lamps. Ironic on an electric loco
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
just a thought......were any of the WWI trench railways electrified? That design has all the hallmarks of a cheap military austerity lash-up and would be eminently suitable for working over rough narrow gauge track. My guess its an ex-military locomotive pressed into post-war commercial service on narrow gauge during rebuilding. It would explain the tram-like features and also the Crown Copyright label.
 

edwin_m

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I can't imagine they would have electrified the trench railways, as it would be extra work, at a height where it might be visible to the enemy, and one hit on the OLE would take out the entire route. As far as I know steam was used behind the lines with diesels near the front where the plume of smoke/steam would make a tempting target.
 

theageofthetra

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Houses look Belgian or Dutch to me. I suspect it was involved in some post-war housing rebuilding project- there is something under construction in the background.
 

341o2

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actylene lamps. Ironic on an electric loco
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
just a thought......were any of the WWI trench railways electrified? That design has all the hallmarks of a cheap military austerity lash-up and would be eminently suitable for working over rough narrow gauge track. My guess its an ex-military locomotive pressed into post-war commercial service on narrow gauge during rebuilding. It would explain the tram-like features and also the Crown Copyright label.

there ws a serious proposal for overhead electrification of part of the WWI light railway system, but after the Simplex i/c locomotives had proved themselves, the wiring proposal was dropped and the locomotives ( by Dick Kerr) became petrol electric.

The locomotive as per OP would appear to be at least metre, if not standard gauage
ww1 light railways were almost exclusively 2.0" with a limited amount of 2'6"

Enc. pic. Dick Kerr PE locomotives as delivered
 

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randyrippley

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Hellingly Hospital Railway in Sussex was my first thought, but loco body is a bit different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hellingly_Railway_1906.jpg

that Hellingly one looks like a sheet metal body, as does all the photos I can find on the web of tram locomotives. The queried photo clearly shows a wooden body, which makes me think it was some kind of experimental lash-up (e.g a military trial). Or maybe a cheap rebuild of something crashed?
 
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