The Disposable engines that Conquered the World - USATC S160

I've been around the world ('round the world) And I've seen it all (seen it all) I've been around the world ('round the world) The sun will always rise and fall I've been around the world ('round the world) And I wanted to see (see it all) I've been the only girl ('round the world) All surrounded by mystery

The DR Class 52 Kriegslokomotive was also built to only last a few years, but nowdays its the most common preserved locomotive in the whole of Europe. In Bosnia they are even in active service.

From Alaska, and we still have 2 of them; no.556 is a static display in downtown Anchorage, and no.557 is being restored to operational status at an engine shed out in Wasilla.

"A handful in Spain ended up in Alaska." I'm sorry, but...what?! That deserves it's own video.

Funny story: in a presentation railway in the uk called KWVR there are one and when it was being shipped to the uk there was a note on it telling the people who got it to check the firebox and when they did they found tons of beer and whisky turns out the boat it was on belonged to a load of smugglers who where trying to bring beer and whisky to England

You can tell just how widespread the USATC locomotives were just by looking at all the names the S160 went by. In addition to its USATC designation and the Baldwin designation of Class 19S, it was known as the OBB Class 956, CSD Class 456.1, SNCF Class 140U, SNCB Type 281, SEK Class Theta Gamma, MAV Class 411, FS Class 736, PKP Class Tr201, SZhD class ShA, RENFE Class 553, TCDD Class 45171, JZ Class 37, FCC Class 80, CR Class KD6, KSR Series 8000, KoRail Class Sori 2, and IR Class AWC. This thing operated on literally every continent that has rails on it, most of the time for several decades. To make matters even better: these weren't the only US Army war locomotives that served around the world for several decades, the slightly larger S200 class, the S100 "yank tank" switcher, and S118 "MacArthur" narrow gauge engine, were all also carried by war with American troops and left scattered across dozens of nations.

One thing you missed in the video was that the Americans also built a slightly modified version of these locos during the war for Queensland railways in Australia. These locos worked right up to the 1960s and two survive in operational condition today

An excellent video! I wanted to make a quick correction regarding the S160’s in the United States: most, if not all the S160’s that exist in the USA (not including Alaska) never went overseas, and instead found work at various military bases, such as Fort Bragg, and probably most famously, For Eustis, where S160’s were used as Military training locomotives up until the 1970’s. One of those engines, #1702, currently operates on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, NC, albeit heavily modified with a number of cosmetic differences, and a larger tender.

By far my favourite American locomotive class. One of my local heritage railways has 2 in operation and 1 undergoing restoration

US engineering. It isn't perfect, but it works.

Number 1702 still operates on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in my home state of North Carolina, I even had the honor of seeing her in person on July 30th of 2023. Granted, she’s been heavily modified through the years and barely looks like an S160, but she’s still one at heart. In fact, 1702 never left the US, but was originally stationed at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty) outside of Fayetteville NC between 1942-1946.

WWII Europe: “Hey America, can we get some help with our motive power for our rails?” American Locomotive Industry: mass production intensifies

6:37 Some never left the US, like 1702. Built by Baldwin in 1942 it was used for training purposes at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. In 1946 it got bought by the Warren and Saline River Railroad, having some modifications done. It got sold to the Reader Railroad after the WSR dieselized in the 60’s, getting modified again. In 1985 it got sold to the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad (rip FEVR), operating between Fremont and Hooper, Nebraska. In 1991 it got sold to the. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad where it got modified again, and still is today.

Here in Hungary the class number was 411 hence the 4 driven axles and the nickname was Truman because of they were biult in America. There's many of them being preserved here as statues, but one, the 411.118 is still operational and maintained by a foundation. The members call her Vassné (Mrs. Vass) because the man who maintained her as a statue and started to bring her back to life is called István Vass.

I think the point missed is these locomotives weren't really designed to be "disposable". They were designed to be simple, reliable, and easy to maintain in primitive conditions with basic tools, and they survived in service because they were reliable and easy to maintain and would keep running long after more "sophisticated" designs would require major maintenance. For instance, they lacked the superheating that was effectively standard on US locomotives by that point. The axle box issues were mostly caused by British train crews unfamiliar with greased bearings failing to lubricate them properly.

Glad the S160s got a video after the S100s. Both great steam locomotives

Fun fact: the S-2-8-2 from derail valley is somewhat based on the S200

There is an S160 currently operating in the United States. Great Smokey Mountain Railroad 1702 is a S160. The railroad cosmetically altered the locomotive’s appearance to look like a consolidation from the Southern Railway in the United States. Including a centered headlight and a Southern Crescent style number plate.

"There is nothing more permanent than a temporary fix"

There is a fair bit of it in WWII equipment that far outlived its design life. One of the more high profile cases is the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. Started as HMS Elephant in 1944 to a 'light fleet carrier' design, it was a disposable ship that could be built quickly whilst being able to operate the generation of war designed aircraft that were often much larger and heavier than their pre war counterparts. Renamed Hermes prior to completion, which was delayed by the outbreak of peace and the subsequent developments of carrier aviation, she would go on to serve in the Falklands war in the 1980s before being sold to India, becoming the Viraat. She finally left service in 2017.