SR USA Class 0-6-0T

The SR USA Class was a small fleet of 14 0-6-0 dock shunting tank engines acquired by the Southern Railway in 1946 and 1947 from US Army Transportation Corps surplus stock. Built in 1942 and 1943 by H. K. Porter, Vulcan Iron Works, and Davenport in the United States for wartime port work in Europe, the class is unique in British service: a small group of unmistakably American-looking tank engines that worked Southampton Docks for nearly thirty years. Six have survived in preservation, with the Bluebell Railway holding the largest single concentration of three.

The USA Class were not built for the SR; they were built for the United States Army Transportation Corps as standard small dock shunters for wartime use in Europe. Around 380 engines of the S100 class were built in 1942 and 1943, and they worked port operations in France and the Netherlands during and after the Allied liberation. After the war the engines were sold off as surplus. The Southern Railway found that the older Adams shunters then in use at Southampton were inadequate for the heavy boat-train traffic, and the USA Class engines proved well-suited to the work. The SR purchased 14 in 1946 to 1947, gave them new SR numbers (61 to 74), and added British modifications including a vacuum brake.

All 14 engines spent their working lives at Southampton Docks shunting the boat trains for the Atlantic and Mediterranean steamer services. As the boat-train traffic declined in the late 1950s some engines were transferred to departmental service for engineering trains. The class was withdrawn between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, with several saved directly from BR service.

Six USA Class engines have survived. 30064 at the Bluebell Railway is the most reliably-steamed of the survivors and is currently in working order. 30065 Maunsell and 30070 Wainwright are also at the Bluebell. Other survivors are at heritage railways and museums across Britain. The class's unmistakably American profile, with its high-running boiler, distinctive cab, and tank-with-saddle silhouette, makes the surviving USA Class engines instantly recognisable and one of the most unusual chapters in British steam preservation.

Design and development

The USA Class were not built for the SR; they were built for the United States Army Transportation Corps as standard small dock shunters for wartime use in Europe. Around 380 engines of the S100 class were built in 1942 and 1943 by H. K. Porter, Vulcan Iron Works, and Davenport. They worked port operations in France and the Netherlands during and after the Allied liberation of Europe.

After the war the engines were sold off as surplus, and the Southern Railway purchased 14 of them in 1946 and 1947 specifically for Southampton Docks. The SR found that the older Adams shunters then in use at Southampton were inadequate for the heavy boat-train traffic, and the USA Class engines proved well-suited to the work. They were renumbered into the SR scheme and given British modifications including a vacuum brake.

Service and withdrawals

The 14 engines spent their working lives at Southampton Docks shunting the boat trains for the Atlantic and Mediterranean steamer services. As the boat-train traffic declined in the late 1950s some engines were transferred to departmental service for engineering trains. The class was withdrawn between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, with several saved directly from BR service.

Identification features

An unmistakably American-looking 0-6-0 tank engine: high-running boiler, distinctive cab profile, side tanks reaching to the smokebox, and a square-fronted bunker. The saddle behind the smokebox is visible from the side and gives the engine a profile quite unlike any British shunter.

Numbers and names

SR61–74later DS233 to DS238 for those used in departmental service
  1. 61
  2. 62
  3. 63
  4. 64
  5. 65
  6. 66
  7. 67
  8. 68
  9. 69
  10. 70
  11. 71
  12. 72
  13. 73
  14. 74
BR30061–30074
  1. 30061
  2. 30062
  3. 30063
  4. 30064
  5. 30065
  6. 30066
  7. 30067
  8. 30068
  9. 30069
  10. 30070
  11. 30071
  12. 30072
  13. 30073
  14. 30074

SR 61 to 74 (later DS233 to DS238 for those used in departmental service); BR 30061 to 30074 from 1948. The 14 engines were a subset of around 380 USATC S100 class engines built for the war; the SR purchased its 14 from Government surplus in 1946 to 1947 specifically for Southampton Docks dock shunting.

Notable locomotives

Six USA Class engines have survived in preservation. 30064 is at the Bluebell Railway in working order and is the most reliable runner of the surviving fleet. 30065 Maunsell is at the Bluebell Railway. 30070 Wainwright is at the Bluebell Railway. The Bluebell has the largest single concentration of preserved USA Class engines anywhere. Several others have been preserved at heritage railways and museums.

Allocations and regions

All 14 engines were initially allocated to Southampton Docks for shunting the boat trains and the heavy ocean-liner traffic. From the late 1950s some were transferred to departmental service for engineering trains and were used at various Southern Region engineering depots.

Livery history

The 14 engines were repainted from new in plain Southern Railway green and given new SR numbers (61 to 74). British Railways from 1948 painted the class in plain mixed-traffic black. The preserved examples have appeared in both SR malachite green and BR plain black liveries during their preservation careers.