Rapido Trains UK 926508 USATC S160 2-8-0 'Omaha' Maroon with Transportation Corps U.S.A on Tender No.2253 (as Preserved) Steam Locomotive - DCC Sound

Expected Delivery Late 2025 (Subject to change at Manufacturer's Discretion).

No.2253 arrived in the UK in May 1943, where it was loaned to the LNER and based at Neville Hill in Leeds. It was returned to the USATC in September 1944 and sent to France, eventually working for the SNCB at Aarschot. The engine was later bought by the Polish State Railway and became TR203-288. No.2253 returned to the UK in 1992 and entered traffic on the NYMR for a short period. The locomotive was later sold to Peter Best and cosmetically restored prior to display at Locomotion in Shildon. In 2019 the locomotive steamed again, carrying a lined maroon livery and later that year was named Omaha. It has subsequently appeared at several preserved railways on hire.

Tooling variations

• Standard lamp irons
  
• Straight strap smokebox door with door mounted lamp iron
  
• PKP air pump
  
• Front running plate-mounted sandboxes
  
• Pipework mounted behind chimney
  
• Stepped running board on right hand side
  
• Right hand drive with screw reverser and original pattern firehole door
  
• Cab rear shutters fitted
  
• Standard wartime tender
  
• Boiler-mounted ejector pipe fitted
  
• Alternate piston valve covers fitted
  

Features

• Two factory-fitted speakers, one in the loco and another in the tender.
  
• Dual LED firebox glow with dynamic fire draw effect.
  
• Twin flywheel motor.
  
• Detachable loco-to-tender connection.
  
• Pickups fitted on both the loco and tender.
  
• 21-pin DCC Sound Fitted.

Livery - Maroon (satin finish) with Transportation Corps U.S.A. on tender.

Manufacturer - Baldwin Locomotive Works – Philadelphia - 1943

Repatriation date - 1992

Current location - Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway (on loan)

Date of model - 2023

History:

“In the days to come the British and American peoples will for their own safety, and for the good of all, walk together side by side in majesty, injustice, and in peace.” -Winston Churchill addressing a joint session of the US Congress, 26 December 1941.

The year is 1942, the world is at war and the United Kingdom has limited resources to combat the enemy, let alone launch an invasion of the European mainland. What is available is becoming stretched far too thinly, including the nation's railways. Due to years of consistent bombing, the railways were struggling to cope with the increased traffic and locomotives and rolling stock were in short supply. Thankfully our American Allies stepped up, aiding us in our hour of need. 

Despite having joined the fray themselves in late 1941, and needing resources to pursue their own goals, they managed to reinforce the UK with a multitude of supplies, including a fleet of one of the most iconic locos to run on Britain’s Railways, the S160, a spectacular 2-8-0 powerhouse!

Designed by Major J. W. Marsh from the Railway Branch of the Corps of Engineers, this all-American loco had to fit the more restrictive loading gauge of the UK. They had to be easy to build, quick to repair and reliable. Taking inspiration from its predecessor the S200, and the British WD Austerity 2-8-0, the S160 lacked the finesse of many of the British locomotives it would work alongside, but other than a few teething problems and operational challenges it met its brief perfectly.

Constructed in the United States in multiple batches from 1942 to 1945, they were split between the ALCO, Baldwin, and Lima Locomotive Works. Collectively, almost 800 locomotives were shipped to the UK. Landing mainly in Newport, South Wales, as well as Birkenhead, Glasgow and London, the locomotives passed through major workshops before being sent on to the respective railway company. The first 396 were assigned to the 4 railway regions of the era and under the guise of them being run in, 174 were issued to the Great Western Railway, 168 to the London & North Eastern Railway, 50 to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and a much more modest 6 to the Southern Railway. The final 400 UK-issued locos were also stored in South Wales, where they were kept as part of the D-Day preparations. With the invasion on the horizon, June 1944 saw the stored engines sent for servicing and processing, all leaving by early September 1944. 

Between 1942 and 1945 a whopping 2120 S160s were built by our American friends, these remaining locomotives along with those stored and gathered locos in the UK, were shipped to mainland Europe and further afield to facilitate wartime supply trains, aiding our European neighbours who had also had their railways ravaged by 6 years of conflict, and ensuring the Allied war effort prevailed.

Until the days of preservation, the only S160 retained in the UK post-war was WD 93257 (later No.700) Major General Carl R Gray Jr, used to train military personnel in driving and caring for steam locos at the Longmoor Military Railway.

Following WW2 the S160s were scattered across the globe, from China to Hungary. Whilst in the ownership of a plethora of different railways they were often refitted to accommodate their owners' needs. As time went on the original shape and details of many of the locos would evolve, which was in part, due to the interchangeable nature of their original design. Eight locos have been repatriated to the UK in preservation and all of them are different from their counterparts, some more subtly than others.

Despite all having key visual differences, several of the preserved versions have been returned to running order, with no less than three examples currently in operation with a number of others under restoration.