What Railroad Equipment did the US supply to France in WWII?

[Anonymous]

This has turned out to be surprisingly hard to research. I've often read that the US shipped about 1,000 locos and 10,000 freight cars in the weeks and months following D-day to operate French railroads. I've found what locos were sent, but nothing breaking down how many of each. Also, what type of freight cars did we send over? Standard USRA design with 2-axle trucks, or freight cars more typical of European/British designs? And, is there any website with fairly decent images to reference. Any help is appreciated.

[eastside]

The big three plus Canadian Loco built 1340 type Liberation class Mikes for S.N.C.F. immediately after WWII. They looked like modern US 2-8-2s with a typical French front end, but without US appliances. Quite good looking.

[DSchmitt]

One photo in Steel Rails to Victory by Ron Ziel shows gondolas being unloaded from a LST They are 4-wheel cars and look to be about 30' long.

Another very poor photo shows what look like 40' fishbelly flatcars.

A third photo is of a very European looking 40'? box car on arch bar trucks It is identified as a US boxcar but may be a French car used by US forces.

Military Railway Service by Don DeNivi and Bob Hall has a photo of 2-dome, 2-truck tankcars in England. They are frameless, the tank is structural.

4-wheel flatcars loaded with Univerical Carriers (a small British tracked vehicle) are shunted by a loco lettered US Army in Cherbourg

4-wheel box cars lettered USA are having their bearings packed in another photo.

Sherman tanks are pictured on fishbelly flatcars in Marseilles. It might be the type from the LST in Ziel's although it does not appear to have US markings.


This link has a couple pictures of LST unloading 4-wheel gondolas at Normandy
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/160021.htm

[Anonymous]

Great research and very interesting photos. Thanks.

[M636C]

There were three distinct classes of US built steam War Locomotives used in Europe, a group of 200 2-8-2s built for use by British forces in Egypt and Palestine, and 31 of these were used by the British Army in Italy. These were built by Alco, Baldwin and Lima. There were 382 0-6-0 Tanks built by Davenport, Porter and Vulcan. Most of these went to Europe and remained in post war service in England, France, Austria, Greece and Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia 23 new units were built to that design. Some found their way to China. The biggest group were 2120 2-8-0s built by Alco, Baldwin and Lima. These were used almost everywhere in Europe, in India, Russia, China North Africa Alaska and even Jamaica. Some broad gauge (5') locomotives from Russia were converted to 3'6" for use on the former Japanese Island of Sakhalin!

These details are from an excellent book "Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War" by R Tourrett, published by the author.

Peter

[Anonymous]

Great! These are a big help. Thank everyone for all the great information.

[M636C]

There were also a number of diesel locomotives used in Europe, and these would be easier to modify from existing units for a model. There were ten 75 ton GE units and a much larger number, around 100, of 45 ton units. These looked like standard GE 44 ton units but with lower cabs to meet European clearances. A similar unit is illustrated on page 158 of "The First Fifty Years". Around 230 Whitcomb 65 ton units were built for use in Europe and North Africa. A few of these, used in Africa, were built with normal cabs, many of which were cut down so the units could be used later in Italy. Most were built with low cabs suitable for European clearances. Both types were illustrated on page 427 of "The First Fifty Years". Those in Italy and Holland had long lives and were re-engined with locally built diesel engines, the original Buda diesels becoming unreliable. There were also some small 25 ton for wheel GE units used in Europe.

Peter

[JimValle]

Actually the provision of locomotives to France didn't end with WWII. During the immediate postwar period the U.S. supplied hundreds of very basic Mikes to France.
They were designated Class 141R. The French thought them to be quite crude compared to their fancy De Glehn compounds but they had plenty of power and could go just about anywhere. Because they were simple they were always available with little down time for repairs and maintenance. They were some of the last steam to run on the French railways. Incidentally, I personally saw a WWI Pershing class 2-8-0 in
service near Verdun as late as 1965. Now that's longevity!

[Anonymous]

Oakwood Press did a nice little booklet on the 756th RSB in Wales on the run up to DDay

[Anonymous]

Try posting this question in the forum at WorldRailFans. This is an English langauge site that gives me the information that I need about European railways. There are many posters whose English is a third or fourth language, but they know their trains....

Cheers

Allan Lees