Our steam locomotive for the 2025 season is announced as being the USA Class S160, numbered 6046. It is the most powerful steam locomotive to have ever worked on the Chinnor branch. Although of American build, the locos have a fascinating British history, including on the GWR.
Shipped in the early to mid 1940's to South Wales and dispatched from the Great Western Railway locomotive depot at Ebbw Junction, Newport, the first 43 locomotives were transferred to the London & North Eastern Railway's Doncaster Works for completion, and later running in over the East Coast Main Line.
Each of the four British railway companies eventually deployed a total of 400 S160's under the guise of "running in," but in fact replacing damaged stock and increasing the capacity of the British railway system to allow for shipping of military pre-invasion equipment and troops. The deployment of S160's to the Great Western Railway alone was 174 locomotives, followed closely by the London & North Eastern Railway with 168. So the S160 class is no stranger to British shores!
[with credit to Wikipedia]
- Builder
- Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, USA
- Class/type
- S160
- Built year
- 1945
- Engine output
- Boiler pressure 225 lbf/sq in
- Max speed
- 25mph on our heritage railway
- Status
- Awaiting delivery
- Tractive effort
- 31,490lb
- Weight
- 73t 0cwt Tender 52t 2cwt
- Wheel arrangement
- 2-8-0
- Wheel diameter
- 3'2" / 4'9"