Origins
Following the conclusion of World War II, the North American locomotive industry built an unprecedented series of 1340 main-line steam locomotives to help re-construct the French national railway network, which had been ravaged by six years of hostilities. The engines which became known by their French (axle-based) classification of 141 R were an integral part of the US Marshall Plan and the general American effort to rebuild Western Europe. All the 5 major locomotive factories in the United States and Canada turned out these multi-use engines, which were primarily a slightly more modern adaptation and technical update of the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) "Light Mikado" engine from the time of World War I. Indeed the similarities between USRA Light Mikado and the 141 R remain striking, despite of that, the newer "Heavy Mikado" from 1945 and 1946 also features a distinct European look and more of a French touch, with it's elegant front-end deflectors.

SNCF service
The engines quickly distinguished themselves in regular operation with the SNCF and became appreciated for their heavy haulage capability, good acceleration and massive durability. For more than two decades following their introduction to service they remained the work-horse of the French railways and served in both passenger and freight capacities, until diesel units or expanded electrification replaced them by the early 1970s. Of the more than 1000 engines originally built, today only 12 examples remain, 7 of those in France, while 5 of them in Switzerland (see link).

141 R 568
The 141 R 568 itself was built by perhaps the most famous of all American manufacturers, Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. The engine was out-shopped in November 1945 and arrived in France in early 1946. It was commissioned on 11 April 1946 to the depot of Longeau (nothern region). After being decommissioned on 21 March 1975 (having run 1'050'000 km) at the depot of Sarreguemines, it was sold to private owners in France, renovated and remained in occasional preservation use in France until 2005, when it was sold to William Cook Rail who in turn moved the engine for main-line operations to Switzerland. The 141 R 568 is the only American steam locomotive in Switzerland and at the same time also the only stoker-fired engine in the country. Of all the operational 141 Rs, it's the only one to feature the black and red livery. And it's the only remaining one which was modified applying the priciples of André Chapelon, the famous French steam locomotive engineer.
VVT was appointed responsible for the engines management and operation at the beginning of March 2008. It will presently remain based
at Schaffhausen but will be transfered to the VVT's own shed at St.Sulpice when the infrastructure there allows it.

Pictures from the transfer from Geneva to Schaffhausen (1.11.2006)

Pictures from the workshop in Schaffhausen (24.3.2008)