YANK TANKS IN SOUTHAMPTON
It might say ‘British Railways’ on the side tank, but the outline of ‘USA’ 0-6-0T No. S64 is distinctly foreign. The United States Army Transportation Corps ‘S100s’ – also known as ‘USA’ tanks – were the only overseas-built and designed locomotives to be employed by British Railways, but despite being strangers in a foreign land the design continued in use almost until the end of BR steam. They were inherited from the Southern Railway, which had purchased 14 ‘USA’ tanks after the Second World War to replace the ageing ex-LSWR Adams ‘B4’ 0-4-0Ts as dock shunters at Southampton. Foreign locomotives were rare on our railways, and it was only the advent of the Second World War that heralded the wholesale arrival of American engines in large numbers on British soil, with the USATC ‘S100s’ and ‘S160’ 2-8-0s, which were imported to assist with the war effort. The latter spent a relatively short amount of time on our shores before they were exported for use on the frontlines in Europe and Africa, but the former enjoyed greater longevity as they proved to be the perfect engines to take the place of ‘B4s’ as Southampton Docks shunters. No. S64 was one of those engines. Southampton Docks, like so many other dock systems, presented the SR with a peculiar problem, in that locomotives needed to be powerful enough to haul the heavy freight trains, yet have a short enough wheelbase to negotiate the tight curves. With 21,600lb of tractive effort and a wheelbase of just ten feet, the ‘USA’ tank engines were ideally suited to the job at hand, and were so adept at their new roles that they continued in use on the system, and as shunters elsewhere on the Southern Region, until the end of steam operations on July 9 1967. In fact, two ‘S100s’ were the last BR(S) locomotives to be withdrawn, being officially disposed of in September that year. The locomotive depicted, No. S64, later BR No. 30064, has another claim to fame. It was transferred to Meldon Quarry near Okehampton – formerly part of BR(S) but taken over by the Western Region in 1964 – to replace classmate No. DS234 in 1966, becoming the last working steam locomotive on the WR. It is one of four preserved ‘USAs’ and is based at the Bluebell Railway, but hasn’t steamed since 1983. The outline of ‘A4’ No. 60028 Walter K. Whigham (below) may be more familiar than the ‘USA’ but the colour is certainly unusual. Along with ‘A4s’ Nos. 60024 Kingfisher, 60027 Merlin and 60029 Woodcock, it was painted into experimental blue livery with red, cream and grey lining in June and July 1948. Some observers have commented that the ‘Streak’s’ livery is more purple than blue.