US Army steam locomotives

[Army-Gandydancer]

Maybe some of you with more knowledge can help an old gandy dancer out. I've bee researching what types of steam locomotives that the US Army Transportation Corps used in the 1900's. So far I have found that they used mostly 2-8-0 locos with a few 2-8-8 locos. I have not been able to find any info about the use of 4-6-2 locos. I know there were a few other types used too. Any research help would be greatly appreciated.

[Moose2013]

@Army-Gandydancer

Moose checked the website below and did not find the Army listed as an operator of this locomotive. Search the web page below for "army".

Moose checked "Guide to North American Steam Locomotives " by George Drury, but it doesn't appear to even mention the Army's locomotives.

https://steamlocomotive.com/locobase...SA&wheel=4-6-2

[Army-Gandydancer]

I looked at the following site too http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=USAX

That site listed the following; 0-6-0, 0-6-0T, 2-8-0, and 2-10-0. I did find on other sights where the 2-8-2 was used too.

Most web sites only list the US Army's diesel roster. Of course most of them are not available in N Scale either. Most are older GP's and a lot of 90 ton and smaller switchers. When I was at McAllister Army Ammunition Plant in 90-91, the biggest loco allowed to run on base was 90 tons. Other bases I worked on used SW switchers or older GP's like the GP7, GP9, and GP10.
@Moose2013, I think you are rubbing off on me, I want to concentrate more on steam locomotives versus diesels.

But if I can't find any good 2-8-0 locos with DCC and sound or unlettered 2-8-2 Mikado's then I might have to resort to getting a few diesels.

NOTE: While the 4-6-2 Pacific and 2-8-2 Mikado were both designed by the US Railroad Administration, that didn't mean that they were actually on the US Army Transportation Corps roster.

[Jugtown Modeler]

But if I can't find any good 2-8-0 locos with DCC

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/spec280.html

https://www.trainworld.com/bachmann-...ann-51357.html

[Moose2013]

...I think you are rubbing off on me, I want to concentrate more on steam locomotives versus diesels.

Moose can vouch for the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0.

It might be a hard to find a use for a 4-6-2 for Army Trans. Corp. operations given its design typically had large 69"+ drivers, best suited for passenger trains.

[Army-Gandydancer]

I've been keeping an eye on the Bachmann 2-8-0 and have it saved to my wish list. Though I'll have to change the name and such to US Army. Which is another problem. I can find N Scale US Army Transportation Corps decals easy enough but can't find any for steam locomotive. I ordered some Micro Scale USATC diesel decals but they are smaller than what is on my Model Power 4-6-2.

Speaking of 4-6-2's here is my Model Power Pacific. It is pulling five 50' Pullman trooper sleepers.
USATC 4-6-2.jpg

[MRLdave]

Making a generalization, the army pretty much used/uses locomotives as switchers, they don't do any long distance pulls.........they will move cars around the bases, and assemble trains, but then the class 1 railroads will haul the train to the next location. For that reason a 4-6-2 would be an unlikely candidate since they were considered "passenger" locos. The exception would be trains the army operated in Europe during the second world war.

[Army-Gandydancer]

Making a generalization, the army pretty much used/uses locomotives as switchers, they don't do any long distance pulls.........they will move cars around the bases, and assemble trains, but then the class 1 railroads will haul the train to the next location.

I am well aware of that fact. I happened to be assigned to the last fully operational railroad battalion that the Department of Defense had. That unit was the 757th Transportation Battalion (railway) which was part of the 425th Transportation Brigade, 4th US Army. I was assigned to the 226 Transportation Company (railway) and our company's sole job was Maintenance of Way. Before we got around to replacing old light weight track, most based were limited to 90 ton switchers or smaller due to weight concerns.

Yes from my research, the 4-6-2 Pacific were not used by the Army much, if at all. And as far as being realistic or not, I'll keep pulling my 50" troop sleeper cars with the USATC 4-6-2 Pacific since it is already in USATC livery.

From what I can come up with, the majority of locos from WWI until the end of steam that were ran by USATC were 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 locomotives. Though the majority seems to have been the 2-8-0 locos. A lot stayed in Europe along with quite a few getting shipped to Korea in the 50's. The Korean National Railroad inherited a lot of the steam locos we left there after the cease fire.

Thank you to everyone that has contributed. This info will help others that might be interested in modeling USATC trains. Please keep posting good info if you can.

[Scotian_Huntress]

Google search "Army Steam Locomotives" brings up the following links:
2-8-2 for foreign service
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...rps_class_S118
0-6-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S100_Class
2-8-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S160_Class
2-8-2 in Europe and Middle East
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S200_Class
2-8-0 from WWI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_101
Inter-war 2-8-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Railways_JF1
The other links are desesals or surviving examples.


The Denver and Rio Grande Western K-28 2-8-2 in narrow gauge seven purchased by the Army for use in the White Pass and Yukon Route but did not survive long
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_class_K-28

Steam database for 2-8-0 in Army use
https://www.steamlocomotive.com/loco...lroad=uatc#431

US Army loco pictures
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=USAX

Amazon has an expensive $158 book entitled "United States Army Transportation Corps Locomotives"
https://www.amazon.com/United-States.../dp/0905878019

80 page paperback for $83 entitled "Over here: The story of the United States Army Transportation Corps class S160 locomotives"
https://www.amazon.com/Over-Here-Uni.../dp/0907224008

Hope this helps.

[Intermodalman]

If you decide to give in and go diesel I can be of some help with proto info. I've got ready access to USAX 1822 and 1835. Two GP7L's used at Sunny Point.

[Army-Gandydancer]

If you decide to give in and go diesel I can be of some help with proto info. I've got ready access to USAX 1822 and 1835. Two GP7L's used at Sunny Point.

I might do a combo of steam and diesel. I can always get some GP9's. The Atlas GP9 locos should be coming out soon (I hope) I wonder how hard it would be to change them into a GP10. USATC do use both.

From what I can tell, the FM H24-66 looks close enough to the USATC MRS-1 that I could probably get away with using the H24-66 in place of MRS-1 locos.

[badlandnp]

There is a group up in Anchorage working on restoring a US Army steamer, a 2-8-0. Here's a video link,



There could be a good looking Japanese prototype that looks more like this type?

[OTFan]

I can find N Scale US Army Transportation Corps decals easy enough but can't find any for steam locomotive.

You might look at decals intended for a boxcar and see if those will work... assuming you can find any of those either.

[Army-Gandydancer]

You might look at decals intended for a boxcar and see if those will work... assuming you can find any of those either.

I was thinking that or try some HO diesel decals.

I just measured the Transportation Corps logo on my N scale Model power 4-6-2 tender, the Micro Scales N scale diesel decal set and my O scale GP7.

Here are the measurements I got.
N scale deisel sheet - 3/16"
4-6-2 tender - 5/16"
O scale GP7 - 9/16"

[ChicagoNW]

Slightly off topic. Wouldn’t they used pneumatic locos in a munitions plant, rather than a spark and fire belching teakettle?

[Moose2013]

spark and fire belching teakettle

Whaaa? How dare'ya, good sir, call another man's magnificent steam locomotive such a thing? Tsk tsk ... What is this world coming to...

[WP&P]

Wouldn’t they used pneumatic locos in a munitions plant, rather than a spark and fire belching teakettle?

Maybe as a way to test whether God is on their side in the then-current global conflict? I mean if the divine being were opposed, then said divine being would have a way to express such displeasure...

[Army-Gandydancer]

Slightly off topic. Wouldn’t they used pneumatic locos in a munitions plant, rather than a spark and fire belching teakettle?

While I was on TDY (temporary duty) at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, we used 45 and 80 ton switchers to move everything around on base. Once all of the ordnance was assembled, there was not much of a chance of fires/explosions due to static electricity. We were not allowed inside any of the ordnance production buildings unless we had spark resistant safety shoes and removed all metal watches, jewelry, etc.

We mostly used the 45 ton switchers to move cars to and from the production buildings and the 80 ton would then gather everything up and move cars to the yard at the edge of base for the civilian railroads to hook up to.

When I first got to McAlester, the track was in such ill repair that even the 45 ton's could not use some sections of track or certain bridges. We did replace the main lines on base so that it was up to modern standards for weights but all the branch lines were still lighter gauge rail. We replaced a lot of ties and we did it the old fashion way too - by hand.

We had a scary derailment one time with some box cars loaded with bombs and fuses that happened on a bridge. The guys loading the trains were supposed to keep an empty box car between box cars loaded with 500 pound bombs and cars loaded with the fuses. Well them knuckleheads didn't leave an empty car in between when we had three cars derail on the bridge. It was two cars of 500 pound bombs with a car load of fuses between them. Yes that was a high pucker factor getting everything back on the track.

We couldn't use heavy equipment to lift the cars since they were on the bridge so we used a retailer plate stacked on top of a bunch of spike plates. That was always a hairy and scary proposition since the spike plates could and would come shooting out at warp speed once we started putting things back on the track.

[badlandnp]

That 'pucker factor ' moment would be mighty frightful!! Oh boy howdy!! Rerailing a car or loco with a plate and wedges is a little bit nerve wracking, but on a bride? With explosive stuff? PUCKER UP ME HEARTIES!!!

[Army-Gandydancer]

That 'pucker factor ' moment would be mighty frightful!! Oh boy howdy!! Rerailing a car or loco with a plate and wedges is a little bit nerve wracking, but on a bride? With explosive stuff? PUCKER UP ME HEARTIES!!!

No one ever liked having to use a re-railer plate and stacks of spike plates. It was too easy for the spike plates to get shot out from all the weight. It is a dangerous way to re-rail stuff. But one does what they have to in order to get things done. I have a friend that worked for Burlington Northern on derailment crews and track gangs. He always shudders when I talk about using stacks of plates.

We were taught how to do things the old fashion way by hand when I was assigned to that Army MoW company. It wasn't very feasible to have fancy equipment in combat zones.

I was a combat engineer and also airborne and air assault qualified so I did a lot of stuff that had a high pucker factor when I was a young man. I was one of the few combat engineers in that unit in case we had to destroy any track to keep the enemy from using it. The rest of the guys in my platoon were all construction engineers. Our platoon was responsible for all crossings, bridges and associated buildings. We still spent most of our time pounding spikes though.