United States Army 101

The history of the 101 is something of a mystery. Is known is that it was built for the US Army for use in World War I by Baldwin Locomotive Works. It was owned by the US Army until it was donated to Korea in 1947 - after the end of the Japanese occupation (1945) and prior to the start of the Korean War (1950).

In 1953, the 101 was recovered from damaged areas and reconstructed by the Army Transportation Corps, under the direction of Col. George Simpson. It seems that the 101 was still property of the Korean Republic, however. Col. George Simpson, Harold T.I. Shannon, and Harold E. Fuller started to talk with the Korean Republic about donating the engine to the National Railroad Museum.

In 1958 Korean Republic President Syngman Rhee donated the locomotive as a gift from the Korean people. Over 300 newspapers carried the story of the arrival of the engine and this is how the struggling National Railroad Museum started to gain national attention. On May 30, 1959, General Pershing was presented with a Certificate of Service from the United States Army. The certificate was presented to the Museum by the Secretary of the Army.

Any other information that is to be found on the internet or in print is suspicious at best. There are at least three different versions of the history of the 101 floating around.

• 1917 - Built
• 1919-1937 - Ft. Monroe, Norfolk Army Base
• 1925 - Modernized and new cab
• 1940 - Modernized and new cab
• 1942 - Wreck en route to Camp Blanding Florida from Ft. Benning, Georgia
• 1945 - Storage
• 1947 - Shipped to Korea
• 1959 - Shipped to National Railroad Museum

There are many stories about the 101, as the references weren't correct.

According to the National Railroad Museum Highlight and Data Catalog, the General Pershing saw action in France in 1918, Army camps in World War II, and was sent to Korea in 1951.[2]

According to David P. Morgan who wrote an article for the June 1959 issue of Trains magazine, he says "On July 18, 1917, the U. S. Government ordered 150 2-8-0's from the Baldwin Locomotive Works for service in France. The first engine was delivered just 20 days later, since the design virtually duplicated (except for its superheater) that of the Consolidations Baldwin was building for the British War Office. The 150th engine got only as far as Norfolk, Va., where it was reassigned as a switcher to Fortress Monroe. In 1925 the Army overhauled the stay-at-home, named her the General Pershing, and kept her at work on local bases. During World War II the Pershing chuffed about Army camps in the South. Finally in 1947 she and 100 World War II surplus Army engines were donated to the Republic of Korea. When the Korean War broke out the veteran 2-8-0 was switching at Pusan. She soon saw combat, won fame as "the darling of the Military Railway Service." In January 1959 she came home, a gift of Korean President Rhee to the Green Bay (Wis.) National Railroad Museum. So some old engines, like old military men, do not fade away."[3]

General Pershing carries Baldwin serial number 48714, with a built date of May 1918. However, if the General Pershing was really built in the first order of locomotives in 1917 the serial number would be lower.

Today, there are only two surviving Pershing Class locomotives. One is the US Army No. 101, and the other is Texas State Railroad No. 300.

There may be another one remaining in Europe, in Romania : CFR locomotive n°140 117, built by BALDWIN in 1918 under n°53343

The most likely numbering history of the General Pershing is as follows:

• 8341 - Utility Railroad Service
• 6779 - upon arrival in Korea
• 765 - After the 765th Transportation Shop Bn. rebuilt it.
• 소리1-101 - Korean National Railroad

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Army No. 101.

• National Railroad Museum
• William M. Griffin - One of the men who worked on the General Pershing in Korea.