NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 18, Issue 17

nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Aug 17 08:24:41 EDT 2005


Subj: Military locomotives

While "never" may be too strong a term, it is generally unlikely that any of
the various military services' locomotives were ever used on mainline service
-- especially for any considerable distances.

Almost all of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy locomotives I ever saw were being
used within various bases and/or depots as switch engines. I have seen such
locomotives at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Earle NJ Ammunition Depot and the
Yorktown, VA ammunition depot. In the Norfolk, VA area, it is certainly likely
that from time to time a military locomotive moved cars from one base to
another because there are many facilities there. I recall a cousin telling me that
the Marine Corps used to have fuel delivered to the Cherry Point Air Station
by tank car using a Navy loco.

For MANY years, the U.S. Army had a Railway Training Center at Fort Eustis,
VA. That base was home for the Army's rather extensive railroad equipment, much
of which was actually used in Europe. Fort Eustis also had a pretty
extensive "training railroad" with about three miles of track, sidings, bridges, etc.
where they could simulate operation of a real railroad. Today, the Army
Transportation Museum is at Fort Eustis and exhibits a number of Army locomotives
and cars. (I was there in July of this year)

The Air Force had at least one locomotive (a small switcher, but I forget
what type) at Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth. It was used to move
passenger car "classrooms" around the sprawling base.

Decades ago - probably before or during World War II -- the U.S. Coast Guard
had a steam loco (either an 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 - tank engine) at either the CG
Yard in Baltimore or at the CG Base in Boston (I've heard both "stories" and
could never confirm which) I had only seen one partial photo of it.

Hope this helps.

Herb Kern
Mobile, AL


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