With production beginning in 1918, the USRA 0-6-0 was one of a selection of locomotives designed by the United States Railroad Administration during the brief period in World War 1 when the US rail network was nationalized under government ownership. Classified as a light switcher, the type saw widespread success in both light freight and yard duties, and many railroads went on to run these plucky workhorses for several decades, once the rail system was turned back to the original operators.
