It's certainly not obvious at first sight but China's KD6 class locos are USATC 2-8-0s, sometimes referred to as class S160. Over 2100 locos were produced by ALCo, Lima and Baldwin for the US Army Transportation Corps during WWII. They were used in the UK initially and then moved to mainland Europe after D-Day in support of the advancing allied forces. Some returned to the USA after the war while many remained in Europe, working for up to 30 years on the railways of several countries. A number were supplied to China by UNRRA shortly after the war.

The KD6s were modified after arrival in China, gaining larger cabs and new chimneys more suited to the generous Chinese loading gauge. Some locos were more extensively modified, such as KD6 487, pictured above, with JS style chimney cowling ing and smoke deflectors.

It's unclear how the locos were used during their first 40 years in China but, by the time western visitors started reporting sightings in the 1980s, most seemed to be employed in the coal industry in Manchuria. They were then old engines by Chinese standards and virtually all were retired by the early 1990s. Their replacements were often newly built SY class 2-8-2s. One loco, KD6 487 remained in service at Pingzhuang until the late 1990s.

Only two KD6 are known to survive although one is no longer a KD6. KD6 463 was shipped to the UK and restored to it's original state as USATC No 5197. The story of the other loco is a remarkable one. KD6 487 remained at Pingzhuang until late 2004, out of use and slowly deteriorating at the back of the electric depot. Then news began to emerge of a most unlikely plan. The loco was to go to Tiefa where it would be returned to working order and used on special trains. Nothing like this had been done in China before and many observers were sceptical. But it happened. In early 2005, KD6 487 returned to service on the Tiefa system and was used on a number of occasions. It has since been taken out of traffic and is now on display at the mining company’s museum at Daqing.

Vital Statistics

Class Designation KD6
Descriptive Name  
Number Series KD6 461 - 500
Builders ALCo, Baldwin, Lima
Building Dates 1942 - 1945
Number Built 2100+ (40 to China?)
Boiler Pressure 15.5 bar / 225 psi
Grate Area 3.8 sq m
Total Heating
Surface		 164 sq m
Superheater Area 43.7 sq m
Wheel Arrangement 2-8-0
Driving Wheel
Diameter		 1450 mm
Cylinders, Number 2 (outside)
Cylinders, Diameter/Stroke 483 mm x 660 mm
Valve Gear Walschaerts
Tractive Effort 121 kN
Power Output
(Wheel Rim)		  
Maximum Speed  
Overall Weight 125 t
Overall Length 17.5 m
Coal Capacity 10 t
Water Capacity 24,500 l