SNCF 141RIn May 1969 I went on a Locomotive Club of Great Britain tour round Northern France, motive power being provided by one of the few remaining Class 141R 2-8-2 locos in service in the last pocket of steam operation.
This was a class of about 1000 locos give or take a few lost in transit, built in the US in 1945 by various manufacturers to provide locos for the shattered French railway system as WW2 drew to a close.
The one used on our tour was one of the early ones, 141R338 built by the American Locomotive Company.
With an appreciative audience looking on, she runs round her train at Desvres on not a very good day.
Picture added on 12 February 2010 at 10:17
