Hi Steve,
I believe that this may well be ex. War Department Jubilee track as used for the trench railways in Northern France in the latter part of the First World War.
Surprised to find a great photo of sectional railroad track, including a stack of 4 curved sections. The gauge appears to be 24 inches (or maybe it's 60 cm). The location is a steamship coaling depot in Papeete, Tahiti about 1918.
Here's a link to the photo that I posted over at mylargescale.com: http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/SteveShyvers\Track Photos\Papeete Coal.jpg
I had to add a "%20" to the above i.e. ...\Track%20Photos\... to get the link to work.
The photo shows sections of track and four modular switches that fan out to a 10-foot high or so coal heap. If ever you needed to see a prototype for tinplate sectional track this is it. In fact the track is contemporaneous with tinplate. An interesting detail is that the switch points are articulated and are not stub-style. These were high tech switches.
"Jubilee" track was designed to be carried and laid by hand.
Apparently the track was used to transfer the coal to a pier next to a docked ship, or maybe to a lighter. It looks like the coal was hand-shoveled into wicker baskets about 24" tall. Four of these baskets were placed on a tiny 4-wheel flat car. Because there is no evidence of power equipment for handling the coal I will assume that the flat cars were moved by hand.
In France they used to run stonking big Alco and Baldwin 2-6-2 and 4-6-0 locomotives on this stuff!
http://www.narrow-gauge-pleasure.co.uk/aboutngr.html
and this site has some pics of an Alco 2-6-2 in War Department colours:
http://home.iae.nl/users/summer/16mmngm/Pics_htms/FRoissyDompierre.htm
... and yes, I have copies of both the Baldwin 2-6-2 and 2-4-0 locomotive erection drawings. These are inside frame locomotives, whilst the Alco 2-6-2 (as per Ffestiniog Railway's Mountaineer) is an outside frame loco.
http://www.festrail.co.uk/the_alco_in_war_dept__grey_livery.htm
When I have time I hope to build one - although perhaps not for 60cm gauge!
Best wishes, Susan.
