The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has completed the conversion of USATC S160 locomotive No. 2253 ‘Omaha’ from coal firing to oil, marking what is believed to be the first full-size steam locomotive oil conversion undertaken in the UK since the end of main line steam operations.

Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in the United States, No. 2253 arrived in Britain in May 1943 for service on the LNER, based at Neville Hill depot in Leeds.

The locomotive was one of 800 S160s produced in North America for the United States Army Transportation Corps and shipped overseas during the Second World War.

Following the conflict, it entered service with the Polish State Railway as TR203-288 before returning to Britain in 1992. Ownership passed to Peter Best in 2013.

The conversion project was carried out by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Engineering Department, with support from Tennessee-based FMW Solutions, a specialist in alternative fuel technologies and railway engineering. Components were manufactured both in the United States and at the railway’s workshops in Grosmont.

As part of commissioning trials, the railway plans to use cold-pressed rapeseed oil supplied through Phoenix Group. The locomotive can operate on a range of liquid fuels without modification. ‘Omaha’ is scheduled to re-enter traffic this summer, while longer-term plans include converting Austerity locomotive No. 3672 ‘Dame Vera Lynn’.

“Completing the oil conversion of No. 2253 is a huge achievement for the railway. This project not only advances our sustainability strategy by reducing particulate emissions but also ensures operational resilience during hot weather periods. With the cost and availability of high-quality steam coal becoming increasingly challenging, converting Omaha to oil secures the future of steam operations for our visitors and volunteers alike.”

Paul Middleton, Director of Mechanical Engineering at the NYMR.