St Ghislain 111014 V36 42550

Saint Ghislain former depot, October 11 2014

A soldier in times of war and peace, this V36 only recently turned 'civilian'.

Built in 1940 by Orenstein & Koppel in Babelsberg, Germany, this little diesel was built to support the Nazi war effort.  However, as the fortunes of war turned against the Nazis, she was captured and taken on by the British Army.  Post-War, she was subsequently sold to the Belgian Army who would go on to use her for well over half a century.

After a stay at bases in Germany and the Netherlands, 42550 would find herself based for a solid 48 years at the Belgian Army military base of Kapellen, north of Antwerp, where she was used to shunt army trains on the military terrains.  However, in 2008, the Belgian Army finally decided to dispose of her, after which she was taken on in 2009 by the TSP-PFT for preservation alongside their own V36 (currently under restoration).

Tidbit fact: "42550" is named after the Belgian Army military licence plate she was issued.  She is the only locomotive in Belgium with what, basically, is a car numberplate...