USA Tank 30076 - Britain's Newest Standard Gauge Steam Locomotive

1990 was a time when the then fledgling Swanage Railway was experiencing all the problems that a growing but underfunded business can go through. One of these was a lack of operational steam locomotives combined with lack of money to buy, overhaul and maintain them. A group of permanent way volunteers came up with a solution which would result in the purchase of 62-669 from the Store Steelworks in Slovenia and its rebuilding into USA Tank 30075, specifically to offer as a low cost solution to provide steam traction to the Swanage Railway.

Since then everyone has come a long way. The Swanage Railway has worked through those times and has climbed into the "top five" heritage lines in Britain. Doubling in length with the UK's first steam operated "park and ride" scheduled passenger services, tight timetables requiring minimum stops for coaling and water between services has increased reliance on the larger capacity locomotives which arrived on the line in the later 1990's. When 30075 came out of service in 1998 she therefore went to the bottom of the priority list for overhaul.

A small team continued to work on the locomotive despite this and by 2001 had dismantled 30075 in preparation for overhaul. Around this time, Project 62 was approached by the East Somerset Railway who were looking for an economic source of steam traction (the story sounds familiar?) and offered to add their volunteer labour to Project 62's funding to conduct the overhaul. 30075 was launched back into service at Cranmore on 7th July 2004 and continues to provide reliable service there.

Throughout the period since 30075 was acquired, there has always been discussion around the subject "what if we could get another?". Talk over cups of tea, and it has to be said occasionally something stronger, often lead to plans to convert to oil firing or full back conversion to original USA Transport Corps specification, turning out in alternative livery or even naming the two locomotives "Stroudley" and "Urie" to complement USA Tanks "Wainright" and "Maunsell" on the Kent and East Sussex. One thing always formed a common thread and that was the concept of "30076".

Shortly after Project 62 acquired 30075 from the country then known as Yugoslavia, a dreadful civil war broke out in the Balkans. This lead to inevitable breakdowns of communication and trust both within and between the new countries which emerged from the war and also with relationships with countries outside those new Balkan states. The talk of "30076" looked to have been consigned to a dream.

By the time 30075 was launched into service on the ESR mid 2004 however, matters looked to have settled in the Balkans to the degree that much inward investment was occurring resulting in "modernisation" plans for industry throughout the area. Often fuelled by EU money, the view was that this might result in the aging, though servicable, industrial steam fleet becoming redundant and therefore possibly available to purchase. By late 2004 much midnight oil was being burnt researching the Internet reports of enthusiast groups visiting the Balkans specifically looking for European industrial steam action. Within weeks it was possible to track down almost all the remaining USA Class and Class 62 locomotives not just in the Balkans but worldwide. Remarkably there were found to be more than 100 engines, some preserved, many laid aside for spares or future use and a considerable number still operational, mostly within Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Over 2005 and early 2006 a large number of letters and emails were sent to establish if any complete or near so locomotives could be released for sale by facilities using them. Two common threads were soon established - first was that almost all the Class 62's were operational in coal/lignite mines or steelworks where coal was plentifully available. The second was that having such fuel readily to hand meant that the locomotives could be run so cheaply that they were key to the continued existance of those facilities operating them. In other words, the operational fleets were not for the moment to provide Project 62 with 30076!

Attention turned to facilities where derelict engines were identified to see if these could be acquired. Even if not realistic as operational locomotives, such would as a minimum provide a source af spare parts for 30075. Again no joy with this approach, where an engine was stored it had usually been stripped for parts to keep the remaining locomotives operational. Possibly by "Barry" standards such could be restored to working order, however Project 62 simply doesn't have the expertise nor finance do undertake such. This situation, combined with a general lack of response to most approaches made, meant it looked like the dream was again to remain exactly just that.

However, in March 2006, news broke that international company "Mittal Steel" had acquired a 90% stake in Bosnia and Herzegovina Steel at Zenica in early 2006 and the company had been renamed Mittal Steel Zenica. The Mittal Steel holding company also announced an ambitious expansion plan to regenerate the steel works and to invest heavily in the internal manufacturing and transport infrastructure. It looked like time for another approach, on this occasion co-ordinating letters additionally to the British Embassy in Sarajevo and the Bosnian Embassy in London. By this time a new project objective had also been added - should 30076 be obtainable, a measure of access to the locomotive cab to comply with the spirit of the Disability Discrimination Act of 2004 would also be included.

Almost immediately the British Embassy responded to offer assistance. Contacts between the Embassy Commercial Department and Mittal Steel Zenica were of long and good standing. Mittal Steel were indeed considering the future of the locomotive fleet at Zenica and with two operational locomotives with four awaiting overhaul, they decided that 62-521, fourth in the overhaul queue and therefore complete, could be released for sale. By the end of April 2006 terms, subject to survey, were agreed and discussion within the Project 62 based group purchasing the locomotive changed from "if" to "when".

Surveying locomotive 62-521 was almost a carbon copy of the process when Bill Trite, Glyn Thomas and George Shields went to Store, 16 years earlier, to assess 62-669. Project 62 Chairman, Richard White and Committee Member Dave Brown flew to Sarajevo in June 2006 to inspect 62-521 in the locoshed and workshops at Mittal Steel Zenica. In the gloomy light was revealed a complete locomotive which looked to be undergoing the first stages of overhaul to be put back into service at the works. Many small parts had been detached from the engine and these were to be found on the workshop benches being refurbished. A new firebox fitted in 1989 looked in good order. Built in 1954, 62-521 has been based at the steel works in Zenica since new and also comes with a full service record and log book. Overall, the locomotive was found to be in probably better shape than 62-669 had been 16 years earlier. A full inspection will be required to confirm the overall state of the locomotive on arrival at the Mid Hants Railway (the "Watercress Line") in Britain which is hoped to occur around middle/end October 2006.

62-521 is in original "Industrial" configuration as built by Djuro Djakovic to the USATC S100 pattern design originally by Colonel Howard G Hill in 1941. Other than standard refurbishment of the motion bushes and bearings along with boiler work necessary to obtain a ten year insurance certificate, the locomotive requires the fitting of additional vacuum braking and also requires new tyres. Fortunately these are of a size identical to those fitted to 08 type shunters so are effectively available "off shelf". The smoke box will also need attention as it is corroded through in small localised areas. Whether this is repairable, or requires replacement, will be determined after the locomotive arrives in the UK.

Richard and Dave's visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina was for both a first trip to an East European, former Communist country. The help of the British Embassy in Sarajevo in providing links to Mittal Steel Zenica has been invaluable, as has the warm reception and assistance of all at Mittal Steel Zenica. For photos of 62-521 and other Class 62 engines click on this link - Surveying 62-521

To join Project 62 and help us to ensure that 30076 is built from 62-521 please email us at project62@supanet.com for further information about 62-521 and 30076, making a donation or buying a share.