WW2.

[Limey]

While reading Eisenhower's Crusade in Europe I was interested to see that the American forces transported a lot of their supplies by train. From England they were loaded on to landing craft outfitted with rails and then off in France by a flexable track system from the landing craft to the main rail system. Apparently because of the lack of locomotives left serviceable in Europe after the invasion they even shipped locomotives from the U.S. as well.
     Does anyone know what configuration these locos where.

Regards, Limey

[Doneldon]

Limey-

I'm sure that others will have more information on this than I have, but I can start by saying that I'm aware that the locomotives were all fairly large because loads were to be heavy ones. Mikados (2-8-2 wheel pattern) were among the more common designs. I know because I have a builder's plate from a 2-8-2 which was built be Baldwin for the US military in Europe. Beyond that, I suggest that you seek information on line. You'll find complete rosters of equipment sent for use during the war.

By the way, it's important to note that the main reason the US had to send rail equipment to Europe was that we, along with our allies, were
responsible for destroying what was already there!

                                                                                -- D

[jward]

to add to doneldon's post, there were also several diesel designs used overseas as well. eurpoean railroads have very restrictive clearances compared to north america, so some modifications had to be made to standard designs to enable them to fit. in addition, military spec diesels usually had provisions for adjusting the wheelsets for different guages of track.

the most common diesels i've run across that saw service overseas were the alco rsd1, a special modification of the rs1 with 6 wheel trucks and a low clearance cab. this locomotive was reverse engineered by the soviet union who built many copies in their own shops.

another common diesel was the ge 45 ton as made by bachmann, with a special "drop cab" in which the entire cab was lowered so the cab floor was even with the walkways around the sides.

a third common one was a center cab switcher built by whitcomb, distinctive in that the hoods sloped down away from the cab in both directions. think along the lines of a low clearance diesel version of a steeplcab electric.

the rsd1 would probably be the easiest to model, with a basic rs1 from atlas fitted with 6 wheel trucks from an rsd5 and a scratchbuilt cab. the bachmann 45t shouldn't be a difficult conversion either, as the cab section was dropped into the area between the trucks, the whitcomb would have to be scratchbuilt, or maybe there was a brass model available. that's a shame as i think they were the most interesting of the 3 types.

[J3a-614]

Let us also recall that what may have been one of the most common locomotives of the US Military Railroad Service was the S-160, better known as the "GI 2-8-0."  Something like 2000 or so were built by all the major builders, and many of them continued to operate in Europe and other areas for years afterwards.  Some were still running in China at least until a few years ago.  A very few wound up on US railroads, among them No. 1702, which was, by turns, on the Warren & Saline Valley, the Reader Railroad in Arkansas, and is now on the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad in North Carolina.  Several wound up in Jamaica at one point, and about a dozen or so ran for years on the Alaska Railroad.  No. 557 was recently returned to Alaska, and is under restoration to eventual operation.  

Another poster named Pat Durand is a strong Alaska Railroad fan, and has been building models of all sorts of Alaska Railroad models.  This includes a number of S-160s based on British DJH-.Grandspot kits.  He and I both think this could be a good Bachmann seller, what with 2000 or so being built, and operating on just about every continent except Antartica.  Might not be a huge seller here, but would logically be a seller for here and everywhere else.  Price it right, and I can imagine some WW II-era American modelers buying several and taking the motors out, and using them as part of a freight shipment, in tow on their own wheels, to a port for shipment.  

http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-creations-durand.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-562/index.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-551/index.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-557/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S160_Class

http://www.lner.info/locos/O/s160.shtml

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88857036@N00/4178278975/

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/bengts/Anglok/USA/krig/2.jpg

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/jdhsmith/term/slusatcS160.jpg

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/jdhsmith/term/slusatc.htm.

http://www.british-ho.freeserve.co.uk/showcase/traction-steam/djh_usatc_s160_1.htm

Some were built for broad gauge for service in Russia and India.  These would have been shipped by flatcar to ports--another tidbit for the American WW II modeler:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markcarter/5731770019/

[jward]

i was able to find photos of each of the locomotives i referred to in my earlier post.



Alco RSD1






GE 44 Ton Drop Cab. compare to the bachmann 44 tonner.





whitcomb center cab

[Woody Elmore]

My dad served on an troop transport. He remembered locomotives being stored on deck for the trip from England to France. They also delivered freight cars.

People who go to europe and ride the trains often say what a great ride they had. They forget that the rail infrastructure in western europe had been destroyed.

As for diesels, locomotives for Russia were off loaded in Iran. I have no idea just how they got to Russia. I believe that those particular locomotives had adjustable gauge wheel sets.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

Let us also recall that what may have been one of the most common locomotives of the US Military Railroad Service was the S-160, better known as the "GI 2-8-0."  Something like 2000 or so were built by all the major builders, and many of them continued to operate in Europe and other areas for years afterwards.  Some were still running in China at least until a few years ago.  A very few wound up on US railroads, among them No. 1702, which was, by turns, on the Warren & Saline Valley, the Reader Railroad in Arkansas, and is now on the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad in North Carolina.  Several wound up in Jamaica at one point, and about a dozen or so ran for years on the Alaska Railroad.  No. 557 was recently returned to Alaska, and is under restoration to eventual operation.  

Another poster named Pat Durand is a strong Alaska Railroad fan, and has been building models of all sorts of Alaska Railroad models.  This includes a number of S-160s based on British DJH-.Grandspot kits.  He and I both think this could be a good Bachmann seller, what with 2000 or so being built, and operating on just about every continent except Antartica.  Might not be a huge seller here, but would logically be a seller for here and everywhere else.  Price it right, and I can imagine some WW II-era American modelers buying several and taking the motors out, and using them as part of a freight shipment, in tow on their own wheels, to a port for shipment.  

http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-creations-durand.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-562/index.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-551/index.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/creations/PD-557/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S160_Class

http://www.lner.info/locos/O/s160.shtml

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88857036@N00/4178278975/

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/bengts/Anglok/USA/krig/2.jpg

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/jdhsmith/term/slusatcS160.jpg

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/jdhsmith/term/slusatc.htm.

http://www.british-ho.freeserve.co.uk/showcase/traction-steam/djh_usatc_s160_1.htm

Some were built for broad gauge for service in Russia and India.  These would have been shipped by flatcar to ports--another tidbit for the American WW II modeler:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markcarter/5731770019/

I myself wouldn't mind a couple models of the S160 2-8-0 for my model railroad with one looking like ones that were used hereon military bases as late as the late 1960's at Ft Eustis and ones as they looked when in England. Here is a link to a forum where there are some pictures of some of the Ft Eustis S160 2-8-0's. http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30852
And here is a picture of one that was used in the UK as well as #2626 in full American appearance.
http://www.railalbum.co.uk/steam-locomotives/usatc-s160-1.htm