Imported US Built Locomotives

[TrainzBrainz23]

Where the GCR, GNR, MR, and L&B the only companies to import US built locomotives when the British builders where backlogged?

[adb968008]

15 minutes ago, TrainzBrainz23 said:

Where the GCR, GNR, MR, and L&B the only companies to import US built locomotives when the British builders where backlogged?

Theres not much track record of US locomotives in the UK in the first century of the railways.  Those that came, largely as a result of strikes, were withdrawn early.

A number of early pullman coaches were also imported, AIUI the coaches were built, dismantled and used turned into their own box for their own contents, before being unpacked again and rebuilt into a coach in the UK.

 

The significant US imports were during WW2, with USATC S100 and S160s... of course until the 1980’s, with the class 59/66.

 

There are a few oddities, some preserved NYC subway cars, a couple of switchers, a Caboose etc.

Edited December 17, 2019 by adb968008

[BernardTPM]

Cooke built some 0-6-2 tanks for South Wales, Barry Railway I think. (I remember that from Model Railways)

[The Johnster]

Yes they did, and 0-8-2 tanks for the Port Talbot Railway & Docks.  In another South Wales American connection, the Newport Alexander Docks and Railway bought two US built passenger cars, typical of the type with external verandas at the ends and an open seating saloon, from Barnum and Bailey's UK circus train.

 

The 0-6-2 and 0-8-2 were outside cylinder locos, unusual for South Wales practice.

[jim.snowdon]

9 hours ago, The Johnster said:

The 0-6-2 and 0-8-2 were outside cylinder locos, unusual for South Wales practice.

And not exactly common for British practice as a whole, other than for industrial locomotives.

 

Jim

[Dave Hunt]

The Birmingham & Gloucester bought some 4-2-0s from Norris of Philadelphia in the 1840s, particularly for use on the Lickey incline, but they were not as good as had been promised. They became Midland stock when the B&G became part of the Midland.

 

Dave

[Wickham Green]

On the narrow gauge, the Lynton & Barnstaple bought one loco from the 'States and a few ex U.S. Army locos appeared on other lines after the Great War.

[friscopete]

And a shay .

[Allegheny1600]

The Steel Company of Wales bought five Alco S1 diesel "switchers" (shunters) in the 1950s and Foster Yeoman bought a single EMD SW1001 in around the early 1980s, later joined in the UK by another one at the Hanson quarry in Whatley in about 2003.

 

It's fair to say that FYs experience with the super reliable SW1001 is what prompted them to purchase what became the class 59 in the mid 1980s, which in turn, led to the flood of class 66s.

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

The Birmingham & Gloucester bought some 4-2-0s from Norris of Philadelphia in the 1840s, particularly for use on the Lickey incline, but they were not as good as had been promised. They became Midland stock when the B&G became part of the Midland.

 

Dave

There was a boiler explosion at Bromsgrove in the 1840s that killed the loco crew, probably the result of tampering with the safety valves to get a bit more power out of it, and their gravestones in Bromsgrove churchyard have carvings of these Norris 4-2-0s, though the loco involved was not one of the Norris locos.  I believe I read this in Tom Rolt's 'Red For Danger'.

[Johann Marsbar]

1 hour ago, Allegheny1600 said:

The Steel Company of Wales bought five Alco S1 diesel "switchers" (shunters) in the 1950s and Foster Yeoman bought a single EMD SW1001 in around the early 1980s, later joined in the UK by another one at the Hanson quarry in Whatley in about 2003.

 

 

Two of the Alcos survive on the Nene Valley Railway, one as a pseudo Union Pacific switcher at the "Railworld" site....

 

 

and the other seemed to be having work done on it (at a glacial pace, by one individual, from what I gather) at Ferry Meadows, back in 2017...

 

 

Here is one of the Yeoman switcher back in 1982.....

 

...

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

On 17/12/2019 at 22:08, adb968008 said:

Theres not much track record of US locomotives in the UK in the first century of the railways.  Those that came, largely as a result of strikes, were withdrawn early.

 

 

The L&B Baldwin 2-4-2T lasted until the closure of the line in 1935, outlasting the standard gauge moguls by nearly two decades.

 

On 18/12/2019 at 10:24, friscopete said:

And a shay .

 

Do tell!

[Gordon A]

I believe I have seen a picture of a centre cab bo-bo imported by one of the oil companies,

 

Gordon A

[Fat Controller]

4 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

I believe I have seen a picture of a centre cab bo-bo imported by one of the oil companies,

 

Gordon A

I think this was at Fawley. Herewith a link to a photo:-

 

[Steamport Southport]

51 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

 

Do tell!

 

There's not a great deal of information on it, but it did exist.

 

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/23/Shay.htm

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88505720@N06/23389121850

 

 

Jason

[009 micro modeller]

On 19/12/2019 at 12:53, Compound2632 said:

 

Do tell!

 

Is this the one?

 

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/23/Shay.htm

 

Edit: just realised we posted at exactly the same moment.

Edited December 20, 2019 by 009 micro modeller

[Allegheny1600]

According to R. Tourret in "United States Army Transportation Corps Locomotives" (Tourret 1977), a number of Whitcomb 65 ton diesels were shipped to Britain during the war, assembled at Newport Ebbw Junction workshops and operated mainly in the south Wales area but were also seen in Cricklewood, Didcot, Eastleigh and Southampton as well as at various of the WD railway sites - all before largely being transferred to the European theatre of war. Most were then repatriated to the USA but Holland and Italy continued to operate them.

What a sight they must have been in wartime Britain!

These were quite handsome centre cab Bo-Bos of 650Hp, here is a video of a preserved one operating in New York state;

 

[Fat Controller]

FS actually re-engined some of the last survivors, using them on engineering trains; most notably around Arezzo.

[Johann Marsbar]

One of the Dutch preserved lines did manage to return a wartime Whitcomb to the Netherlands a couple of years back....

https://www.destoomtrein.nl/cms/index.php?show=PO0072LI

It had ended up shunting at a cement plant in Mason City, Iowa.

[Marshall5]

4 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

I think this was at Fawley. Herewith a link to a photo:-

 

Wasn't this a GE 45 tonner?  I have a recollection that this, or one very similar was at Steamtown Carnforth in the late? 70's but later cut up.  There was mention of it, maybe on Nat Pres, a couple of years ago. Sorry to be so vague.

Ray.

[Fat Controller]

10 minutes ago, Marshall5 said:

Wasn't this a GE 45 tonner?  I have a recollection that this, or one very similar was at Steamtown Carnforth in the late? 70's but later cut up.  There was mention of it, maybe on Nat Pres, a couple of years ago. Sorry to be so vague.

Ray.

I think you're correct about it being a GE; there used to be quite a few working on 'short lines' in Southern France.

[eastglosmog]

On 18/12/2019 at 10:11, Wickham Green said:

On the narrow gauge, the Lynton & Barnstaple bought one loco from the 'States and a few ex U.S. Army locos appeared on other lines after the Great War.

The Snailbeach, Ashover and Glyn Valley Tramway all bought second hand Baldwins after the Great War, but they were all ex British Army, not US Army locos.

[The Johnster]

The Whitcombs were indeed assembled at Ebbw Jc, being shipped in main assemblies to Cardiff Docks, which had a floating crane capable of lifting them off the ships.  Most S160s came in this way as well, but fully assembled and hauled dead to Ebbw Jc for preperation for service.  Photos show Whitcombs apparently with unpainted aluminium bodies, all a bit Judge Dredd...

[Nearholmer]

"Imported" might be read to include vast numbers of locos that passed through during both WW1 and WW2, some operating in Britain, but most simply being assembled and passed forward to Europe. I had a thread about GE 44 Tonners, which fall into the latter bracket, here a few months back, will post a link if I can find it. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/146832-ge-44-ton-switchers-in-europe/&tab=comments#comment-3665501

 

 

Hasn't anyone mentioned USATC S160 and S100, of which many did run in Britain, and some even married local engines and settled down to work in Southampton Docks?

 

Also, WW1 US Army 2ft gauge locos were pretty rare here; it was the US-Built British Army ones that were more common.

 

BTW, haven't we had this exact thread before, and weren't there two Shays in Britain, one at Bilston and ........ er...... another one?

 

Kevin

Edited December 19, 2019 by Nearholmer

[Compound2632]

26 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

BTW, haven't we had this exact thread before, and weren't there two Shays in Britain, one at Bilston and ........ er...... another one?

 

 

Deja choo!