OSE1 (USATC2) 2-8-0 No. 701 (3278) 'Franklin D Roosevelt'
Cheddleton, Staffordshire, UK 		Location: Churnet Valley Railway
Status: Operational
Abbreviation Expansion English
1 OSE Organismós Sidirodrómon Elládos Hellenic Railways Organization
2 USATC United States Army Transportation Command United States Army Transportation Command
Posted: Mar 12, 2025 @ 15:03:16 by Russell Newman
The ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 3278 ‘Franklin D Roosevelt’, is currently being painted into Longmoor Military Railway Blue livery in the sheds at Cheddleton, and the locomotive is expected to enter service at the Churnet Valley Railway during the late spring and early summer.
Posted: Jun 16, 2024 @ 14:06:44 by Russell Newman
The ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 3278 ‘Franklin D Roosevelt’, is now operational again as it was steamed and moved for the first time since 1999, marking the end of its overhaul. With a number of jobs still to done such as fitting the boiler cladding and final paint job, No. 3278 will soon start test runs and running trials before entering service at the Churnet Valley Railway soon.
Posted: Jan 20, 2024 @ 10:01:40 by Russell Newman
With the overhaul of ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 3278 ‘Franklin D Roosevelt’, is its last stages at Cheddleton shed on the Churnet Valley Railway, it has undergone quite a rebuild as the locomotive has been converted from right to left hand drive, and has had a brand new regulator handler and ratchet assembly made and fitted along with a new reverser. A brand new tender tank has been made and the boiler has recently passed a successful hydraulic test. Its expected that No. 3278 will be painted in Longmoor Military Railway Blue livery with the number 701 on the cabsides when completed in the spring of 2024.
Posted: Dec 30, 2023 @ 14:12:44 by Russell Newman
The ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 3278 ‘Franklin D Roosevelt’ is in the final stages of its overhaul at Cheddleton sheds and is pencilled in to return to traffic at the Churnet Valley Railway for the first time since 1999 during the spring of 2024.
Posted: Sep 4, 2022 @ 08:09:37 by Russell Newman
The overhaul on ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 2-8-0 No. 3278 ‘Franklin D Roosevelt’ is also progressing at Cheddleton sheds on the Churnet Valley Railway since it arrived there in early 2021. Having not operated since 1999 the current work being carried out on No. 3278 is the installation of the screw reverse and the construction of the smokebox front. As unlike British locomotives the S160s don’t have a traditional smokebox door as the plate that covers the front of the smokebox with a smaller door that enables access as required. This door is off centre in order to provide room for the air pump mounted on the front of the locomotive.
Posted: Jan 6, 2021 @ 06:01:51 by Russell Newman
Former United States Army Transportation Corps S160 2-8-0 No. 3278 has now left Tyseley Locomotive Works and has moved to its new home at the Churnet Valley Railway at Cheddleton in Staffordshire. As it arrived there in early December 2020 where its overhaul will now continue and when completed No. 3278 will be part of the Churnet Valley’s running fleet under the care of Batt Holden Ltd.
Posted: Apr 19, 2020 @ 05:04:04 by Russell Newman
The ex United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class 2-8-0 No. 3278 which was built by Alco (American Locomotive Company) in 1944 was of the 800 S160 locomotives that were shipped and worked in the UK during the Second World War but only for a short while. No. 3278 worked on both the LNER and the Great Western Railway before being shipped out to France during the D Day landings. When the war ended in 1945 the locomotive was part of a batch of 248 S160’s that were given to the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Italian State Railways). In Italy the S160’s were known as the 736 Class and No. 3278 carried the number 736.073. when working in Italy. In 1959 the locomotive along with 25 locomotives went to Greece as they were sold to the Hellenic State Railways Where No. 3278 worked till the early 1980’s. No. 3278 was bought for preservation in the UK in 1984 and was repatriated along with two WD 2-10-0’s No. 3652 now 90775 and running at the North Norfolk Railway and No. 3672 "Dame Vera Lynn" now at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. No. 3278 went to the Mid-Hants Railway where it was given the name "Franklin D Roosevelt" and ran there during the 1990’s and during the time it had visited several preserved railways including the East Lancashire Railway and the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway. No. 3278 was last steamed in 1999 and has been in storage ever since. There where plans to overhaul it for use at a planned Military Railway project at the former Mod site at the Long Maston in Warwickshire but this sadly fell though. The locomotive is to be moved to the Churnet Valley Railway where it is to be fully overhauled back into steam again and to be placed on long term lone to them.
Posted: Apr 2, 2020 @ 12:04:49 by Jack Spencer
S160 3278 is now moving to the Churnet Valley Railway as part of a new 10 year loan agreement with her owner. Which means that a future pairing of three S160s is now possible on a more frequent basis.
Posted: Feb 15, 2015 @ 17:02:35 by Russell Newman
The S160 3278 is at Tyseley locomotive works being overhauled back to working order. It might make a comeback this year?
Posted: Dec 19, 2005 @ 17:12:12 by George S.
The "Alco-Schenectady Construction Number List" indicates that Construction Numbers 71455 through 71634, Road Numbers 3200 through 3379 were shipped to the "U.S. War Department" during January of 1944. All of these units were 2-8-0's and had a "Specified" total weight of 160,000 pounds. (This is not necessarily the "Actual" total weight)