The caption on the photo:

"Locomotiva tipo R.441 per le colonie italiane in Africa, riprese sul ponte trasbordatore interno alle officine"

mentions a "type 441" locomotive. On this page about the Eritrean Railways (one of several Italian colonial railways) http://www.trainweb.org/eritrean/scrapb ... frica.html

I found this:

"The next Mallet type, class 441, was considerably larger, weighing 46 tonnes and differing from the class 440 by having single-expansion steam distribution. Sixteen of these were built between 1933 and 1936 and were the most powerful engines to operate on the system � having a tractive effort of 13,606 kg (29,970 lbs) compared to 6,946 kg (15,435 lbs) of the class 440 Mallets. The first eight 441s, delivered in 1933, included three engines with Walschaert valve gear and five with Caprotti valve gear. These engines were all super-heated, but the second batch, delivered in 1936 were saturated, although having Walschaert gear. Later, one of the final batch was converted to compound working, while in 194S four others were transferred to Libya by the British administration. Towards the end of the 1950s, only the single compound engine was still in service in Eritrea � an indication that the Italian builders possibly miscalculated the boiler's ability to supply enough high-pressure steam to the four hungry cylinders of the 441 class engines."

The builder is Ansaldo of Genoa.

Something to also refer to.

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