USATC 5820

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5820 was built at the Lima Locomotive Works at Ohio in the USA in 1945 for the US Army.

It was shipped directly to Poland for the US Army to aid the war effort in Europe. After the war the locomotive was taken into stock by Poland State Railways and re-numbered TR203-474. The engine remained in Poland until withdrawal for preservation by the Polish Railway Museum in Warsaw.

In 1975 was given a new boiler from an American Locomotive Company locomotive.

In 1976 the Polish Railways informed the subsequent buyers that the locomotive had just had an intermediate overhaul and was based at Katowice shed.

It arrived at Haworth on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway in November 1977 having been shipped from Szczecin in Poland to Hull.

Some work was required on 5820 as it had been in service in Poland following its overhaul. A steam test in 1978 revealed a cracked cylinder end cover which was replaced by a new one manufactured locally. Other repairs included a bogie spring and replacing a small number of firebox stays. After completing this work 5820 entered service on the Railway in Polish livery in March 1978.

In June 1978 the boiler was passed fit for mainline working with a minimal amount of work and so could travel over the mainline to Shipley where the engine turned on the triangle for the shooting of the film ‘Yanks’ for which it carried the number 2820 and had been repainted in its original livery for taking part in the film “Yanks”.

Following withdrawal at the expiration of its boiler certificate in 1992, the engine was laid aside until a lengthy restoration was undertaken. It is probably that the overhaul would not have commenced if it had not been a condition of the KWVR had not benefited from funds from the National Lottery to overhaul the 8F Austerity 90733 as a condition of the award included the requirement to overhaul 5820.

After a thorough overall the engine returned to service in February 2014 and was temporarily painted in British Railways unlined black, fictitiously numbered 95820. For the Easter holiday 5820 regained its number and authentic USATC grey livery and is regularly seen working trains along the branch.

The boiler ticket expires in 2023.

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
Keighley & Worth Valley RailwayOperationalKeighley & Worth Valley Railway
5820 in Haworth Works on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway – July 2011
5820 at Keighley on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway -October 2014-5820
5820 at Haworth on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway – March 2013
5820 at Keighley on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway -October 2014-5820
5820 & 90733 at Keighley on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway – February 2015
58926 with 5820 at Haworth on the KWVR – February 2015

5820 at Keighley on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway – February 2015
5820 at Haworth on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway – October 2016
USATC 5820 at Oxenhope on the KWVR – March 2019
USATC 5820 pilots 45596 Bahamas into Ingrow West on the KWVR

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