Solved: Allemano's № 858 - 1896 "Cheval Electrique" by M. Gaillot

[Allemano]

There's no need to rush...

What's that vehicle called?
One point for the right and complete answer.

If you haven't registered yet, you'll need to do so in order to reply and to post your own puzzles.

[Bill Murray]

Is it a canal barge winch, possibly Dutch??

[Allemano]

Is it a canal barge winch...

Apparently yes.

..., possibly Dutch??

No.

[Bill Murray]

This one was fun!!!  A half an hour and I learned an awful lot
about canal barges, something not normally found in my part
of the US.

If I translated correctly, it is a French Electric Mule used for towing
barge "trains".  This one seems to date from 1895 and was I guess
made by M. Galliot and was used on a canal from Bethune to Douai.

[Allemano]

You seem to have found it! I'll check it and later return to you!

[Bill Murray]

Anything more???

A fascinating story really and one most of us don't think about when we think about specialized vehicles.
I wonder what happened to those hundreds of tractors for barges when the internal combustion motor was invented
and so much of that traffic was changed to the roads and the enormous truck and trailer combinations we see in almost
every country today.

[Allemano]

This one was fun!!!  A half an hour and I learned an awful lot
about canal barges, something not normally found in my part
of the US.

If I translated correctly, it is a French Electric Mule used for towing
barge "trains".  This one seems to date from 1895 and was I guess
made by M. Galliot and was used on a canal from Bethune to Douai.

Almost correct answer. It's a "cheval electrique" electric horse apparently constructed by M. Galliot. I have it from 1896 though.

[Bill Murray]

Thank you!!

The terms "horse" and "mule" can often be confused in translation.  Google says one thing, a true translation may be a bit different.

I cannot comment too much on the year, my source which was a history of such vehicles indicates 1895 but that may be a translation
problem as well, perhaps the concept was in 1895 and the actual vehicle was finally built in 1896.

In any case, a very pleasant quiz to work on.