United States Army No. 2253 Omaha

No. 2253 is an S-160 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvanian of the United States in December 1943, originally for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps (USATC). It is one of several S-160 class 2-8-0 type locomotives built by Baldwin, ALCO, and Lima for the U.S. Army between 1942 and 1945 for use in Europe and Africa during World War II. 
No. 2253 was shipped to Britain in May 1943 to work on the LNER from its base at Neville Hill depot at Leeds. Following the invasion of Europe by Allied troops, it was shipped to France in September 1944, working throughout Europe. At the end of hostilities, it was sold to the Polish State Railway seeing many more years of service as TR203-288.
It was brought back to Britain from Poland in 1992 and was purchased for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). After an overhaul the locomotive entered service and performed for a full 10 years until it was withdrawn in 2002 for a boiler overhaul. The locomotive was reportedly unpopular with crews and was sold to Peter Best in 2013 who cosmetically restored it for a World War 2 display at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon.
After the end of this display, No. 2253 was moved to Northern Steam Engineering where Peter Best's team began restoring the locomotive to operating condition. Completed in early 2019 No. 2253 was moved to NYMR to undergo trial runs before moving to the Dartmouth Steam Railway in May 2019. The locomotive was given a plum colored livery and was given the name "Omaha" in memory of D-Day veterans who landed on Omaha Beach – including Peter Best's father.
In November 2019 the Churnet Valley Railway announced that agreement had been reached with the Dartmouth steam Railway to retain the locomotive on the Churnet Valley Railway until early in 2020.
No. 2253 was on a ten-year lease to the Dartmouth Steam Railway but will be returning to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in September 2024 for their steam gala, of which it was confirmed as a guest locomotive alongside 4079 Pendennis Castle. After the steam gala, 2253 will be staying on the railway as a resident loco and will be converted to get an oil fired locomotive during winter 2024/2025 winter period.
Its current boiler certificate is set to expire in 2028.
== Gallery ==
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Category:Locomotives featured in media
Category:USATC
Category:United States Transportation Corps
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
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Category:United Kingdom
Category:Locomotives
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:2-8-0 locomotives
Category:2-8-0 steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1943
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:Wartime locomotives
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Category:North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Category:Locomotives that ran on Foreign Rails
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:USATC S160 Class