Rapido Trains UK have revealed their 00 Gauge USATC S160 2-8-0 versions. Although it was first announced back last August that they were produce the USATC S160, today, appropriately on D-Day, the first ten versions to be produced have now been announced.
Designed by Major J. W. Marsh from the Railway Branch of the Corps of Engineers, this all-American loco had to fit the more restrictive loading gauge of the UK. They had to be easy to build, quick to repair and reliable. Taking inspiration from its predecessor the S200, and the British WD Austerity 2-8-0, the S160 lacked the finesse of many of the British locomotives it would work alongside, but other than a few teething problems and operational challenges it met its brief perfectly.
Constructed in the United States in multiple batches from 1942 to 1945, they were split between the ALCO, Baldwin, and Lima Locomotive Works. Collectively, almost 800 locomotives were shipped to the UK. The locomotives passed through major workshops before being sent on to the respective railway company. The first 396 were assigned to the four railway companies (although under the control of the government Railway Executive Committee) only six were officially assigned to the Southern Railway.
These models are currently in the tooling stage and will feature: a wide range of tooling variations, two factory-fitted speakers, one in the loco and another in the tender, dual LED firebox glow with dynamic fire draw effect, twin flywheel motor, detachable loco-to-tender connection, pickups fitted on both the loco and tender and a 21-pin DCC Decoder socket. RRP will be £269.95 or £379.95 Sound Fitted.
- 926001 USATC S160 No.1604 – Wartime Black (GWR)
- 926002 USATC S160 No.2415 – Wartime Grey (LMS)
- 926003 USATC S160 No.1712 – Wartime Grey (LNER)
- 926004 USATC S160 No.2356 – Wartime Grey (SR)
- 926005 USATC S160 No.700 Major General Carl R Gray Jr – LMR Blue
- 926006 USATC S160 No.5820 Big Jim – Grey as Preserved
- 926007 USATC S160 No.6046 – Black as Preserved
- 926008 USATC S160 No.2253 Omaha – Maroon as Preserved
- 926009 USATC S160 No.95820 Big Jim – BR black as preserved
- 926010 USATC S160 No.5197 – Black as Preserved
The Southern Railway had only six locomotives on loan. this was due to the SR electrification scheme, meaning that the railway had a healthy surplus of steam locomotives available for wartime traffic, allowing other regions to take more S160 locomotives. They arrived on the SR relatively late, just ready for the preparations for the D-Day landings. Many S160 locomotives were however commissioned in SR works and allowed to run-in on SR metals before being dispatched to other regions.
Model item number 926004 No.2356 is represented in her December 1943 condition. She was manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive Works , Philadelphia in 1943, was allocated to Exmouth Junction shed before being transferred to Germany in September 1944.
The tooling variations applicable to this model includes: Standard lamp irons, straight strap smokebox door, westinghouse air pump, pipework mounted in front of chimney, straight running boards, right hand drive with pole reverser and original pattern firehole door, standard wartime tender and boiler-mounted ejector pipe fitted. Finished in light matt grey with Transportation Corps U.S.A. on tender.
Until the days of preservation, the only S160 retained in the UK post-war was WD 93257 (later No.700) Major General Carl R Gray Jr, used to train military personnel in driving and caring for steam locos at the Longmoor Military Railway.
Eight locos have been repatriated to the UK in preservation and all of them are different from their counterparts, some more subtly than others.
These models are available to pre-order now either direct with Rapido Trains UK or slightly discounted at retailers such as Kernow Model Rail Centre.
What an unexpected and exciting model – well done Rapido!