trainspotting.co.ukThe Southern Railway USA Class
A collection of clips depicting former United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class 0-6-0T locomotives, better known in the UK as the Southern Railway "USA Class".
Traversing the roadway Southampton Docks, 1962.
Shunting at Southampton Docks, 1962.
No.30072 at Guildford Shed c1963.
No.30064 at Southampton Central on a railtour, 25/03/1967.
No.30064 on the Fawley Branch during the same tour, 25/03/1967.
The Southern Railway purchased 15 of these locomotives (which had hardly been used and were lying around awaiting disposal) after the Second World War for use at Southampton Docks where their short wheelbase and ample power were a great advantage. Fourteen entered traffic, one being retained for spares.
Steam heating, vacuum ejectors, sliding cab windows, additional lamp irons and new cylinder drain cocks had to be added for them to operate on British metals. More 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. Although they were excellent performers, their austerity construction meant that they deteriorated rapidly. Their steel fireboxes rusted and fatigued quickly, and this came to a head in 1951 when several had to have new fireboxes constructed.
Telephones were installed on the footplate to improve communication on the vast network of sidings at Southampton.
They were replaced by British Rail Class 07 diesel-electric shunters in 1962. Five survived until the end of steam on the Southern Region in 1967, in departmental use at workshops and loco sheds.
There are four survivors of the class preserved on UK railways - 30064 on the Bluebell Railway, 30065 and 30070 on the Kent and East Sussex Railway and 30072 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
In addition, two ex-Yugoslavian Railways Class 62 locomotives of similar design (built by Djuro Djakovic of Slavonski Brod) have been imported and modified to resemble the USA class - both on the Mid-Hants railway. These are numbered 30075 and 30076, the highest numbered SR/BR loco having been 30074.
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