Join the discussion on the following article:
Historic battleship guns moving by rail
Join the discussion on the following article:
Historic battleship guns moving by rail
I recall visiting Dahlgren back in 1994 or so. It sits at the end of an old RF&P branch which was in such dilapitated condition that I’m not surprised they hauled the guns out to a transfer point by truck. Should make a nice memorial and more fitting than melting them down.
I can’t believe how unique and historically significant items like this are ever conceived to be scrapped! Insulting! Great to see they are getting the attention they deserve!
Nice to see that history is being preserved, albeit in pieces.
Any info of routes and scheduling will be appreciated. I know lots of people would like to pay their respects.
The USS Arizona was sunk by a bomb penetrating it’s armor and exploding a magazine, not torpedoed.
The PRR had special flat cars for just such moves. It would be interesting to know the whole rail movement story.
Atre the barrels from the USS Missouri spares? The Missouri itself is moored adjacent to the Arizona at Pearl Harbor, or was when I was last there…
Cool story, one minor correction to the article. The Arizona was not sunk by torpedoes, 1 direct hit into the ship’s forward magazines from an armor piercing aerial bomb destroyed the ship. The ship never received any torpedo hits.
I photographed the Arizona gun as it passed through Washington,D.C. I just happened to be there and I had no notice. As someone who grew up in Arizona and a veteran I was very surprised I never heard about it beforehand. I would like to know which railroad will take it to Phoenix.
The train that had this piece passed us while we were at work at the new FS center interlocking east of Ravenna, OH. I did manage to get a video clip of it going by because I was away from my digital SLR camera at the time, Grrrrrrrrrr! I actually though it was piece of scrap metal until someone told me what it actually was! Glad I got the video clip and it came out clear.
Actually the rail line from Fredricksburg to Dahlgren was not an RF&P branch but a U.S. Navy owned line. Dahlgren was a U.S. Navel Proving Ground base where all of the heavy 14 and 16 inch gun barrels were calibrated by test firing them down the Potomac River. These barrels were manufactured at the Navel Gun Factory in S.E. Washington, D.C. and barged down the Potomac to Dahlgren. As a child I vacationed in the summer of 1941 down river from Dahlgren at Colonial Beach, Va. and was fascinated during the week days watching these guns being tested by firing solid shells 25 miles or so down the river. The only activity I ever saw on the above mentioned branch was a grey gas electric motor car lettered for U.S. Navy ownership.
What a fantastic story! Great to read about things from the countries history.
THe USS Missouri is on display in Pearl Harbor right now.It is also where the final documents ending World War 2 were signed on September 3,1945 where Douglas MacArthur and Chester Nimitz was on board.This battlship,the Iowa,New Jersey and Wisconsin all make up the Iowa class battleships.THe signing took place in Toyko Bay
The Iowa class battleships had 16 inch main guns.
The Japanese battleships Yamato and Mushashi had guns of approximately 18 inches.
Hopefully, “Trains” will give this the coverage it deserves. I’s love to see these guns in transit, but I don’t think that will happen.
I believe the guns on ther USS Missouri were 18 inch , not 16 inch.
I believe the only 18" guns were on Japanese battleships. I think all the Iowa class ships had 16" guns.
All the Iowa class had 16 inch guns, as well as other classes of battleships( Washington had 16 too) Only the Japs had 18s, on 2 of thier BBs, which I think the Iowa class were built to go after.
If I recall my history acurately, the Iowa class battleships all had 16 inch guns. I believe the only ships in WWII that had 18 inch guns were the Japanese Yamato class battleships battleship Yamato and Musashi. In incidentally, USS Missouri was my cousins flagship when the Japanese surrender was signed.