USATC S100 Class

The United States Army Transportation Corps (USATC) S100 Class is a 0-6-0 steam locomotive that was designed for switching (shunting) duties in Europe and North Africa during World War II. After the war, they were used on railways in Austria, China, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Palestine, the United States, and Yugoslavia.

USATC S100 class
Former Southern Railway USA class No. 65 preserved at the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Howard G. Hill Builder Davenport Locomotive Works (109), H. K. Porter, Inc (150), Vulcan Iron Works (123) Build date 1942–1944 Total produced 382
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0T  • UIC C nt Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) Minimum curve 150 ft (45.72 m) radius Length 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m) Width 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) Height 12 ft 1+5⁄8 in (3.70 m) Loco weight 100,650 lb (45,654 kilograms) Fuel type Coal or Oil Fuel capacity 2,500 lb (1,130 kilograms) coal, or 300 US gallons (1,100 L; 250 imp gal) oil Water cap. 1,200 US gallons (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area First 50: 19.4 sq ft (1.80 m2), Remainder: 18.3 sq ft (1.70 m2) Boiler pressure 210 lbf/in2 (1.45 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 86 sq ft (8.0 m2)  • Tubes 790 sq ft (73 m2)  • Total surface 876 sq ft (81.4 m2) Superheater None Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 16.5 in × 24 in (419 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Outside Walschaerts Valve type 8-inch (203 mm) piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 21,630 lbf (96.2 kN) Factor of adh. 4.65
Career Operators USATC Disposition At least 25 known preserved, possibly more in derelict condition, remainder scrapped

Wartime development and use

The S100 is a side tank designed by Col. Howard G. Hill. In 1942, the USATC ordered 382 S100s from Davenport Locomotive Works of Iowa, H. K. Porter, Inc, of Pittsburgh and Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre. They were shipped to the British War Department in 1943, where they were stored until 1944. After D-Day, most went overseas but some remained in store.

Construction

Builders	Construction numbers	Years	Quantity	USATC numbers
H. K. Porter,	7408 – 7422	1942	15	USATC 1252 – USATC 1266
Vulcan Iron Works	4365 – 4384	1942	20	USATC 1267 – USATC 1286
Davenport Locomotive Works	2417 – 2431	1942	15	USATC 1287 – USATC 1301
	2473 – 2487	1943	15	USATC 1302 – USATC 1316
H. K. Porter	7501 – 7512	1942	12	USATC 1387 – USATC 1398
	7513 – 7550	1943	38	USATC 1399 – USATC 1436
Davenport Locomotive Works	2492 – 2516	1943	25	USATC 1927 – USATC 1951
Vulcan Iron Works	4425 – 4474	1943	50	USATC 1952 – USATC 2001
	4475 – 4503	1943	29	USATC 4313 – USATC 4341
Davenport Locomotive Works	2521 – 2550	1943	30	USATC 4372 – USATC 4401
H. K. Porter	7460 – 7468	1942	9	USATC 5000 – USATC 5008
	7483 – 7489	1942	7	USATC 5009 – USATC 5015
	7490 – 7501	1943	12	USATC 5016 – USATC 5027
	7571 – 7600	1943	30	USATC 5028 – USATC 5057
	7616 – 7618	1943	3	USATC 5058 – USATC 5060
Davenport Locomotive Works	2589 – 2591	1943	3	USATC 6000 – USATC 6002
	2592 – 2612	1944	21	USATC 6003 – USATC 6023
H. K. Porter	7660 – 7683	1944	24	USATC 6080 – USATC 6103
Vulcan Iron Works	4530 – 4553	1944	24	USATC 6160 – USATC 6183

Use after the Second World War

After the Second World War, SNCF bought 77 S100's and designated them class 030TU. Jugoslovenske železnice (Yugoslav State Railways) bought many S100's and designated them class 62. In the 1950s JŽ assembled more examples bringing the number of class 62 to 129. The Hellenic State Railways in Greece acquired 20 S100's and designated them class Δα (Delta-alpha). Österreichische Bundesbahnen in Austria acquired 10 and designated them class 989. Ferrovie dello Stato in Italy acquired four and designated them class 831.

Several were sold into industrial use in the US, including to Georgia Power and Oklahoma Gas & Electric.

The Oranje-Nassau Mijnen, a coal mining company in The Netherlands acquired two S100's (USATC 4389 and 1948)and numbered them ON-26 (Davenport 2533) and ON-27 (Davenport 2513) respectively. The ON-26 survived the scrapyard and was sold to the museum railway Stoomtrein Goes-Borsele.

Other S100's entered British industrial use with the National Coal Board, Longmoor Military Railway, Austin Motor Company and others.

China acquired about 20 S100's, designating them class XK2. In 1946, Egyptian State Railways bought eight and numbered them 1151–1158. The UK War Department loaned six to Palestine Railways. In 1946 PR bought two of these, both of which subsequently entered the stock of Israel Railways in 1948.

Iraqi State Railways bought five, designated them Class SA, and gave them fleet numbers 1211–1215. All five were Davenport-built examples. At least two were still in service in March 1967: 1211 at Basrah and 1214 as the station pilot at Baghdad West.

Southern Railway

Southern Railway USA class
USA class locomotive No. 30073 at Eastleigh MPD in August 1966.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Col. Howard G. Hill. Builder Vulcan Iron Works, USA (13) H. K. Porter, Inc., USA (2) Model S100 Build date 1942-43
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0T  • UIC C n2t Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 55.2 in (1.402 m) Wheelbase 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) Length 29 ft 8 in (9.04 m) Loco weight 46 long tons 10 cwt (47.2 t; 52.1 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 17.8 short hundredweight (0.81 t; 0.79 long tons) Water cap. 1,000 imp gal (4,500 L; 1,200 US gal) Boiler pressure 210 psi (1.45 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 16+1⁄2 in × 24 in (419 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type 8 in (203 mm) piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 21,630 lbf (96.22 kN)
Career Operators Southern Railway British Railways Class SR: USA Power class BR: 3F Number in class 14 (plus one bought for spares) Nicknames Yank Tanks Locale Southampton Docks Withdrawn 1962–1967 Preserved 30064, 30065, 30070, 30072, others of base S100 class Disposition Four preserved, remainder scrapped
Sources: and

The Southern Railway (UK) bought 15 S100's (14 for operational use and one for spare parts) and designated them USA Class. They were purchased and adapted to replace the LSWR B4 class then working in Southampton Docks. SR staff nicknamed them "Yank Tanks".

By 1946 the SR needed either to renew or replace the ageing B4, D1 and E1 class tanks used in Southampton Docks, but Eastleigh Works was not in a position to do so in a timely manner or at an economic price. The replacement locomotives would need to have a short wheelbase to negotiate the tight curves found in the dockyard, but be able to haul heavy goods trains as well as full-length passenger trains in the harbour area. The railway's Chief mechanical engineer, Oliver Bulleid therefore inspected the surplus War Department tank locomotives. The Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST locomotives stored at the Longmoor Military Railway proved to be unsuitable for dock work because of their 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) wheelbase and inside cylinders, and also many of the survivors were in poor condition. However, the S100s stored at Newbury Racecourse had a 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) wheelbase, outside cylinders and had hardly been used. Those available for sale had been built by the Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania and H. K. Porter, Inc, of Pittsburgh.

Bulleid therefore took Vulcan-built locomotive WD4236 on approval in May 1946 and tested it thoroughly over the next few months. When it was found to be suitable, this locomotive and a further thirteen were purchased in 1947 for £2500 each. Six of these had been built by Porter and the remainder by Vulcan. However, when it was discovered that there were differences in dimensions between the locomotives from different builders the SR exchanged its Porter built locomotives for Vulcans, but could only do so with five examples. The railway therefore accepted one Porter locomotive at a reduced price and purchased another to provide spare parts. Thus, the thirteen further locomotives entered traffic between April and November 1947 as soon as they had been adapted.

Construction and adaptation

Original drawings for the S100, dated 29 November 1941.

Following purchase, members of the class were fitted with steam heating, vacuum ejectors, sliding cab windows, additional lamp irons and new cylinder drain cocks. Further modifications became necessary once the locomotives started to enter traffic, including large roof-top ventilators, British-style regulators (as built they had US-style pull-out ones), three rectangular cab-front lookout windows, extended coal bunkers, separate steam and vacuum brake controls and wooden tip-up seats. This meant that it took until November 1947 for the entire class to be ready for work. Radio-telephones were later installed on the footplate to improve communication on the vast network of sidings at Southampton.

The class was allocated the British Railways (BR) power classification 3F following nationalisation in 1948.

Numbering

The original locomotive carried the War Department number 4326, and the subsequent purchase were numbered between 1264 and 1284 and between 1952 and 1973. Thirteen of the locomotives were re-numbered in a single sequence from 61 to 73 by SR but 4326 retained its War Department number. The locomotive used for spares was not numbered. After 1948 they were renumbered 30061–30074 by BR. Six examples were transferred to departmental (non-revenue earning) use in 1962/3 and renumbered DS233–DS238.

Livery

During the Second World War they were painted USATC black with white numbering and lettering 'Transportation Dept.' on the tank sides. Prior to nationalisation, the locomotives were painted in Southern black livery with 'Southern' in "Sunshine Yellow" lettering. The lettering on the tank sides was changed to 'British Railways' during 1948 as a transitional measure. Finally, the class was painted in BR Departmental Malachite livery, with BR crests on the water tank sides and numbers on the cab sides.

Operational details

30069 at Eastleigh Works in 1966

For fifteen years the entire class was used for shunting and carriage and van heating in Southampton Docks. They performed well and were popular with the footplatemen, but the limited bunker capacity often necessitated the provision of relief engines for some of the longer duties. Two examples were fitted with extended bunkers to address this problem in 1959 and 1960, but a more ambitious plan to extend the frames and build larger bunkers was abandoned in 1960 due to the imminent dieselization of the docks. They also often suffered from overheated axleboxes which was less of a problem when shunting but prevented them from being used on longer journeys.

A more serious issue was the condition of the steel fireboxes originally fitted to the class which rusted and fatigued quickly. This was partly due to their construction under conditions of austerity, and the hard water present in the docks. This came to a head in 1951 when several had to be laid aside until new fireboxes could be constructed. Thereafter there were no further problems.

The class was replaced from their shunting duties at Southampton from 1962 by British Rail Class 07 diesel-electric shunters, when the first member of the class was withdrawn, but the remainder were still in fairly good condition. The survivors were used for informal departmental purposes such as providing steam heating at Southampton or shunting at Eastleigh Motive Power Depot, before the withdrawal. 30072 became the pilot locomotive at Guildford Motive Power Depot and continued to carry out this duty until the end of steam on the Southern in July 1967. Six examples were officially transferred to ‘departmental’ duties and renumbered. These went to Redbridge Sleeper Depot (DS233), Meldon Quarry (DS234), Lancing Carriage Works (DS235 and DS236), and Ashford wagon works (DS237 and DS238; where they were named Maunsell and Wainwright).

Nine examples remained in service until March 1967 and five of these survived until the end of steam on the Southern Region four months later. Two of these engines, 30065/DS237 and 30070/DS238, were sold to Woodham Brothers in South Wales in March 1968. However, before they could make their journey, their bearings ran hot and were declared "unfit for travel" which lead to the two tank engines being dumped at Tonbridge. Five months later, they were taken to Rolvenden where they were purchased for preservation.

Stock list

USATC No.	SR No.	BR No.	Dept No.	Builder	Year	Withdrawn	Notes
1264	61	30061	DS 233	Porter 7420	1942	March 1967
1277	62	30062	DS 234	Vulcan 4375	1942	March 1967
1284	63	30063		Vulcan 4382	1942	May 1962	Withdrawn due to collision damage
1959	64	30064		Vulcan 4432	1943	July 1967	Preserved
1968	65	30065	DS 237	Vulcan 4441	1943	August 1965	Preserved
1279	66	30066	DS 235	Vulcan 4377	1942	August 1965
1282	67	30067		Vulcan 4380	1942	July 1967
1971	68	30068		Vulcan 4444	1943	June 1964
1952	69	30069		Vulcan 4425	1943	July 1967
1960	70	30070	DS 238	Vulcan 4433	1943	October 1962	Preserved
1966	71	30071		Vulcan 4439	1943	July 1967
1973	72	30072		Vulcan 4446	1943	July 1967	Preserved
1974	73	30073		Vulcan 4437	1943	December 1966
4326	74*	30074	DS 236	Vulcan 4488	1943	August 1965	Never carried SR number

Postwar design influence

Several European railways produced designs based on the S100. JŽ added to their class 62 by ordering several similar examples from Đuro Đaković (factory) of Slavonski Brod, Croatia. These differed in minor details, principally the use of plate frames instead of bar frames, resulting in a higher boiler pitch. This gives the steam pipes a shoulder instead of being straight, and requires smaller domes with a flatter top to fit JŽ's loading gauge.

The British Great Western Railway (GWR) had used many S100s in South Wales during the Second World War. The GWR 1500 Class was partially inspired by the S100 in its use of outside cylinders and short wheelbase.

Original drawings for the S100, dated 29 November 1941

Continuing commercial use

A small number of former JŽ 62's remain in commercial service, more than 65 years after they were built. At least two work as switcher locomotives (shunter locomotives) at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Survival and preservation

More than 100 S100s survive: either preserved, stored, or derelict. Most are in Europe or North America, but there are also two in China and one in Egypt. Project 62 has an online database of them.

Private owners in Baraboo, Wisconsin, are currently restoring S100 #5002. #5002 was used for the Naval Yards in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later sold to the EJ Lavino Company in Pennsylvania, then sold to Tombstone Junction and later to the Kentucky Railroad Museum.

In 2006, one was purchased for preservation from steelworks in central Bosnia and was sent to Britain.

USATC No.	Builder	Post World War II Owner	Location	Image
1310	Davenport 2481	SEK Δα61	Thessaloniki, Greece
1311	Davenport 2482	Anshan Steel XK2-51	Sujiatun, Liaoning, China
1396	H.K. Porter 7510	JŽ 62-084	Gračac, Croatia
1415	H.K. Porter 7529	SEK Δα53	Thessaloniki, Greece
1430	H.K. Porter 7544	Benxi Steel XK2-28	Benxi, Liaoning, China
1923	Vulcan 4770		U.S. Army Transportation Museum
1959	Vulcan 4432	SR 64 later BR 30064	Privately owned
1960	Vulcan 4433	SR 70 later BR 30070	Kent and East Sussex Railway
1961	Vulcan 4433	ÖBB 989.01 later Zuckerfabrik Siegendorf 2	Probstdorf, Austria
1968	Vulcan 4441	SR 65 later BR 30065	Kent and East Sussex Railway
1972	Vulcan 4446	SR 72 later BR 30072	Ribble Steam Railway
1987	Vulcan 4460	SEK Δα65	Tithorea, Greece
1999	Vulcan 4472	SEK Δα55	Railway Museum of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
4383	Davenport 2532	SNCF 030.TU.22	Musée vivant du chemin de fer, Longueville, France
4389	Davenport 2533	Oranje-Nassau coal mines	Stoomtrein Goes - Borsele, Netherlands
4400	Davenport 2549	SEK Δα57	Thessaloniki, Greece
5001	H.K. Porter 7461	Granite Rock Co. 10	California State Railroad Museum
5002	H.K. Porter 7462	EJ Lavino & Co 2	U.S. Army Transportation Museum
5014	H.K. Porter 7488		Goldfield, Nevada
5019	H.K. Porter 7499	Albermarle Paper Co 1	Old Dominion Chapter NRHS
5042	H.K. Porter 7584	JŽ 62-046	Chemin de fer touristique Haut Quercy, Martel, France
6008	Davenport 2597	SEK Δα63	Railway Museum of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
6013	Davenport 2602	SEK Δα59	Thessaloniki, Greece
6102	H.K. Porter 7682	SNCF 030.TU.13	Saint Pierre du Regard, France
6172	Vulcan 4542	SEK Δα60	Thessaloniki, Greece

USA class

Former 30070 in preservation with Longmoor Military Railway livery

Four British examples of the USA class have been preserved:

• 30064 Privately owned - (Previously preserved at the Bluebell Railway but left in 2022 after being purchased by a private buyer with plans to restore to working order).
• 30065 Kent and East Sussex Railway - (Under overhaul)
• 30070 Kent and East Sussex Railway - (Operational) Returned to service in December 2017 following overhaul and outshopped in Longmoor Military Railway Lined Blue as No. 300 Frank S. Ross.
• 30072 Ribble Steam Railway - (Undergoing major boiler repairs)

Two JŽ class 62 locomotives built by the former Yugoslav Railways to foreign design have been acquired for use on the North Dorset Railway and given British liveries. There are minor technical differences.

• *30075 (formerly 62-669 built 1960- (Undergoing overhaul)
• *30076 (formerly 62-521 built 1954- Stored).

In fiction

An engine of this prototype appears in the Thomas & Friends TV series as Rosie.

Gallery

• 
  Southern Railway (GB) USA Class at Eastleigh locomotive depot in February 1967. Photo: Keith Chambers
• 
  Yugoslav Railways (JŽ) No. 62 070 shunts between Zidani Most and Maribor in August 1971.
• 
  Locomotive (7461 of 1942; originally USATC 5001), operated by the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
• 
  Locomotive 4383 preserved in Longueville dépôt (France).
• 
  Locomotive 4389 in Goes (Davenport No. 2533)
• 
  China Railways XK2-31 in Anshan, 1987

References

Sources

• Bradley, D.L. (1975). Locomotives of the Southern Railway: Part 1. London: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. ISBN 0-86093-593-0.
• Cotterell, Paul (1984). The Railways of Palestine and Israel. Tourret Publishing. ISBN 0-905878-04-3.
• Hughes, Hugh (1981). Middle East Railways. Continental Railway Circle. ISBN 0-9503469-7-7.
• Kidner, R.W. (1993). Service Stock of the Southern Railway. Headington, Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-429-6.
• Longworth, Hugh (2005). British Railway Steam Locomotives: 1948-1968. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-593-0.
• Russell, J. H. (1991). Pictorial Record of Southern Locomotives. Haynes (Oxford Publishing). ISBN 0-86093-443-8.
• Tourret, R. (1995). Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War. Abingdon, Oxon: Tourret Publishing. pp. 207–222. ISBN 0-905878-06-X.
• Tourret, R. (1995). Allied Military Locomotives of the Second Works War. Abingdon, Oxon: Tourret Publishing. ISBN 0-905878-06-X.

Further reading

• Sprenger, J. Howard; Robertson, K.J.; Sprenger, C.C. (23 July 2004). The Story of the Southern USA Tanks. Southampton: KRB Publications. ISBN 978-0-9544859-3-1.
• Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives. Winter 1959–1960.

External links

• USA 0-6-0T Southern E-Group
• Loc 4389 Archived 22 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Stoomtrein Goes-Borsele
• Project 62 Project 62 - owners of 30075 and 30076
• USA 0-6-0T Southern E-Group
• SR USA Dock Tank SR "USA" class Dock Tank No.WD 1959 (BR 30064) Bluebell Railway