British heritage railways are home to a small but distinctive group of locomotives with overseas associations. Some are foreign-built engines that came to Britain in preservation. Others were built in Britain for export and brought home after their working lives abroad. This page lists them all, grouped by the country they are most closely associated with, whether by build or by overseas service.
South African locomotives preserved in Britain
Several ex-South African Railways locomotives are preserved and at work on British heritage railways, brought back to Britain after withdrawal in the 1980s and 1990s. The Welsh Highland Railway is the main home for the 2 ft gauge ex-SAR Garratts; the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre keeps a far larger 3 ft 6 in Cape-gauge engine.
138, ex-South African Railways NG/G16 Garratt, Welsh Highland Railway
Ex-SAR NG/G16 Beyer-Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2 working WHR services.
140, ex-South African Railways NG/G16 Garratt, Welsh Highland Railway
Ex-SAR NG/G16 Beyer-Garratt.
143, ex-South African Railways NG/G16 Garratt, Welsh Highland Railway
Ex-SAR NG/G16 Beyer-Garratt.
3405 "Janice", South African Railways Class 25NC 4-8-4
3405 "Janice", a Glasgow-built SAR Class 25NC 4-8-4 of 1953, repatriated to Quainton in 1991 by the North British Locomotive Preservation Group. One of the largest preserved locomotives in Britain.
77, South African Railways NGG13 Garratt
An ex-South African Railways Class NGG13 Garratt, built by Hanomag in Germany in 1928 (works no. 10629). One of the German-built Garratts that preceded the more numerous British-built NGG16s. Now at the Exmoor Steam Railway in North Devon.
87, ex-South African Railways NG/G16 Garratt, Welsh Highland Railway
Ex-South African Railways NG/G16 Beyer-Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2, mainstay of WHR services.
Swedish-service locomotives preserved in Britain
A small number of British-built locomotives that worked in Sweden have been repatriated and restored to British form. The most prominent is WD Austerity 90733, sold to Swedish State Railways post-war and brought home in 1973.
American locomotives preserved in Britain
Three American-built locomotives are preserved on British heritage railways: two ex-USATC S160 2-8-0s built by Lima during the war and an industrial Baldwin Pacific. The S160s spent their war service in Europe before being repatriated for restoration.
15, Baldwin 4-6-2
Baldwin Pacific narrow-gauge locomotive at the Brecon Mountain Railway.
5197, USATC S160 2-8-0
An American USATC S160 2-8-0, built by Lima in 1945. Repatriated to the UK in 1995, restored at the Llangollen Railway and back in traffic from 1998. Now resident at the Churnet Valley Railway.
6046, USATC S160 2-8-0
An American USATC S160 2-8-0, sent new to SNCF in France in 1945 and later to Hungary as MÁV 411.144. Repatriated and first steamed in the UK in 2012; now in operational service on the Churnet Valley Railway.
German-built locomotives preserved in Britain
A handful of German-built locomotives are preserved on British heritage railways, including industrial narrow-gauge types and a SAR Garratt that came from the Hanomag works in Hannover. The Brecon Mountain Railway is the main custodian of the ex-South African German-built Garratt fleet.