USRA locomotives were born under unique circumstances. A confluence of circumstances led to the nationalization of many of America’s railroads under President Woodrow Wilson in 1917. The outbreak of World War I, which necessitated a ramp-up of American industrial production capacity, and the financial circumstances of the early 1910s led to a liquidity crisis for many of America’s most prominent railroads. The insolvency of railroads was not an option for a relatively young, rapidly developing and industrializing America, and so the United States Railroad Administration was born.
Click on the links to download the prototype locomotive allocations and the listing of United States Railway Administration (USRA) locomotive models that have been produced. – Ed.
