United States Army Transportation Corps, 1942-1947
Steam Locomotives

History of the United States Army Transportation Corps 

                                                                                                  by Sith Sastrasinh, from New Jersey, U.S.A.

The USATC came into being in July 1942. Its railway section was organized into Military Railway Service (MRS). The 1st MRS was in charge of railway operations in N. Africa and, later on, in Italy and Southern France. The 2nd MRS covered the remaining part of Europe that USATC was responsible for. Under MRS were Railway Grand Divisions (RGD), each RGD had four or five Railway Operating Battalions (ROB) and one Railway Shop Battalion (RSB). These units (RGD, ROB and RSB) were assigned numbers in 7xx series. Each division and battalion was sponsored by a railroad company. The military personnel were mostly recruited from the sponsoring railroad. The 757th RSB, stationed at Kassel (Henschel Works) after the war, was sponsored by Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific RR. This unit erected a number of class 52 Kriegslok after the war from left over parts. These BR 52 locomotives carried builder's plates indicating that they were built by the 757th RSB at Henschel Locomotive Works. After the War the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was set up to provide emergency relief. This organization was involved in the transfers and sales of USATC locomotives to other national railways.

The following USATC locomotives were used in Europe:

1. Standard gauge 2-8-0 (USATC S160 design) Variants of S160 were S162 and S166 for Russia and S161 for Jamaica. This is a large class (2120 total), but compare this to Reichsbahn BR 52 that were built during the war (6239 total). Starting in 1942 these locomotives were shipped to N. Africa and England. Russia also received 200 of these locomotives during the war. Many that arrived in England were loaned to British Railway Companies, with 174 to GWR, 168 to LNER, 50 to LMS and only 6 to SR. These locomotives were returned to USATC after the D-Day and later shipped to the Continent. Most of the N. African engines were shipped to Italy with the invasion forces. After the war those locomotives that remained in Italy were taken over by the FS as class 736.001-243. Forty locomotives were operated by the DR (West) in 1947 from Bremen shed. All 40 were withdrawn by August 1947 and were sent to Hungary. Thirty engines went to Austria in 1946 as class 956. All were scrapped in 1955-56. Hungary received 510 engines. They were classified as MAV class 411.001-484. The other 26 engines were used for spare parts and never received running numbers. Czechoslovakia received 80 engines (CSD 456.101-80). Another 65 locomotives went to Yugoslavia as JDZ 37.001-65. Poland had 575 of these locomotives. The first 75 were received under the auspices of UNRRA (PKP Tr201.1-75). Another 500 was transferred directly from USATC stocks (PKP Tr203.1-500). These locomotives lasted on the PKP system until the 1980s. In mid 1950s the PKP reboilered three Ok22 with boilers from Tr203 and reclassified them as Ok55. One of the 2-8-0 chassis received a new boiler with side tanks and became TKr55. Hellenic State Railway (SEK) received 27 engines in 1947 (class THg). THg # 521-37 were coal burners; # 551-60 were oil burners. In 1959 the FS sold another 25 engines of this class to Hellenic State Railway. These locomotives received numbers 571-95. Turkey received 50 locomotives in 1947 (TCDD 45.171-220). Finally, in 1959 the Alaska Railroad sold five of these locomotives to F.C. Langreo in Spain. Very few (less than 20) of the S160 were lost during shipment from the U.S. and very few came back to the U.S. after the war.

2. Standard gauge 0-6-0T (U.S. Army Spec.# T1531) Most of these 382 locomotives were built for service in Europe. They began to arrive in England in July 1942. Some of them were used on military railways and depots as well as various collieries. They were shipped to France after the invasion. Later on many of them were used in and around Antwerp docks. After the war SNCF bought 77 of these locomotives and classified them as 030TU. The British Southern Railway bought 14 of them (No. 61-74). Most of these engines lasted well into the British Railways days. The last nine were withdrawn in 1967. Austria received 10 of these locomotives. They were renumbered in three batches, according to the builder (989.01-5, 989.101-3 and 989.201-2). Around 120 engines were received by the JDZ, although only 106 received the running numbers (66.001-106). The rest were probably used for spare parts. Twenty locomotives went to Greece in 1947. They became Hellenic State Railway class Da number 51-70. Five USATC 0-6-0T were sent to North Africa in 1943. These were shipped to Italy in 1944. FS obtained four of them (831.001-4). They were finally withdrawn in 1953.

3. Standard gauge 2-8-2 (U.S. Army class S200) The British Government actually ordered 200 locomotives of this design under Lend-Lease agreement in 1941. They were intended for services in the Middle East and Persia. During the war 29 engines were sent to Turkey. After the war another 24 were transferred to TCDD in 1946. These 53 engines received TCDD numbers 46.201-53. During the campaign in Italy 31 locomotives were shipped from the Middle East to British-controlled area in Italy. One was lost when it caught fire. The remaining 30 were tranferred, under the auspices of UNRRA, to FS in 1946. They received FS numbers 747.001-30.

4. Whitcomb 65 ton, 650 h.p. diesel electric locomotives (wheel arrangement Bo-Bo) The British Government originally ordered 110 of these central cab diesel locomotives, under Lend-lease agreement, for service in the Middle East. Forty nine of these were shipped to Italy and remained with the FS after the war as numbers 120.001-49. More locomotives of the same type were ordered by the U.S. Army. Some of these were sent to England before shipment to the Continent. Some were sent directly to France and Italy. After the war most of these USATC locomotives were shipped back to the U.S. Twenty of them were purchased by the NS. They received NS numbers 601-19, with one used to provide spare parts. These locomotives were soon rebuilt with new engines and electric motors. The Italians also rebuilt theirs with new engines.

5. GE 45 ton, 380 h.p. diesel electric locomotive (wheel arrangement Bo-Bo) This was also a central cab design. Most of them saw service in Europe. Some were shipped to England first; some were shipped directly to the Continent. Mainly they were used for switching, although occasionally they were used to haul freight and ambulance trains. After VE day most of them were crated and shipped back to the U.S.

6. GE 25 ton, 150 h.p. diesel electric locomotive (wheel arrangement Bo) Ten of these small locomotives were shipped to England between April and June 1944. Two of them were unloaded at the Utah Beach on July 10, 1944, the first Allied railway equipment landed in France. After the war all of them went back to the U.S.