The 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.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• southern railway
• steam
• southern
• rail
• railway
• region
• british Railways
• USA 0-6-0T
• 2-6-0
• BR Standard
• Southampton
• Southampton Docks
• 30072
• USATC
• S100
• 30064

[Talklean]

Was it unusual for railtours to go down the Fawley Branch? It certainly seems to have attracted a lot of interest at the time. Is this the last time a steam train went down there? Given that you cannot even take a mobile phone onto the site now.

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@Talklean The Fawley branch was still open to passengers at the time although operated by Hampshire DEMUs. This was in fact the last steam hauled train on the line - the Manchester Rail Travel Society's

Hants and Dorset Branch Flyer. 30064 was the Eastleigh works shunter at the time. She was withdrawn the same year, fortunately sold for preservation and is now on the Bluebell Line. There is an ATOC proposal to reintroduce passenger services as far as Hythe, to be operated by South West Trains.

[SuperBostyn]

Excellent piece of footage.I'm a Belgian member of the British train site "Steam Tube".Could I upload this to that side.I will mention the source of course.

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@SuperBostyn No problem.

[JimTLonW6]

Attractive video, I love the opening shot with the A 30 car and the other 'of their time' vehicles. There does seem to have been a very informal attitude to to members of the public on running lines in the Fawley shots! Isn't one of these locos working on the Keighly and Worth Valley Line?

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@JimTLonW6 That is correct, they have No.30072.

[Northstander]

@SouthernRailwayFilms I am pretty sure that 30064, which features on this video, used to be on the Bluebell. Not sure if it is still there though as I don't think they actually owned it.

[rogertra]

The "informal attitude" of people on the running lines is so common in North America on fan trips and at other times as to pass un-noticed. It's only noticable in the UK because of the "Nanny State". :-)

Joking of course but really, in North America they really are way more lax about such matters.

[mvjedforest]

I never saw the USAs in action so it was a pleasure to watch your video of them working. Also interesting to see the crowds at track level-those were the days!! 5*