Southern Railways USA Class

These American built shunting locomotives are two of 382 that were built for the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War 2 for service overseas. The class saw service in England, North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and Western Europe after D-Day. Post-war, survivors were employed in a number of countries including France ,Austria, Greece, Egypt, Palestine Iraq and Yugoslavia .
After the war, the 42 members of the class which had been loaned to the War Department were placed in store at Newbury Racecourse station. 15 were purchased by the Southern Railway, at £2500 apiece,and 14 of them were put into service at Southampton Docks where their short wheelbase was well suited for working over the sharp curves around the dock lines. The SR found that several of the locomotives had not been steamed since their trial runs. The locomotives now on the K&ESR were War Department Nos. 1960 and 1968 and were put into service by the SR in April and November 1947 as Nos. 70 and 65 respectively.
They have been subject to various modifications for British conditions including ancillary equipment, bunker capacity and cab alterations for greater crew comfort. Despite these alterations the locomotives still had the appearance of typical American ‘switchers' with bar frames, no running plates, stove-pipe chimneys and sand domes. Outside valve gear and cylinders driving on to the rear axle are also distinctive features.