Does anyone know how much military equipment is moved by rail today? I recall seeing lots of old rails in some of the Army bases I’ve been to in the past. Most of it appears no longer in use. Must have been left over from WWII.
I was wondering, is a lot of stuff still moved by rail today? Does the military own any RR equipment or is it all contracted out?
I saw film of a rail move just before we went into Iraq. The train was flats with Abrahms tanks on them.
Sooblue[8D]
Just pulled from the public docks, a 45 car army train. Lots of self propelled guns, a bunch of humvees, tanks, and the replacement for the duce and a half, cant remember its name, but its made here in Texas, down in Sealy, looks like a mercedes truck, kinda. About the third one in as many weeks. and for you caboose fans, it did have one, plus a converted boxcar, looked like a escort/guard car, had windows and a A/C unit on top, with a regular door in the side.
Took it from the docks to UPs Englewood yard with UPs power.
Stay Frosty
Ed
[:D]
I would imagine there must be some kind of escort for military trains.
For a couple of years I was stationed in California and had made a couple of trips to the Marine Corp Logistics Base in Barstow, CA. Used to see rail cars loaded with equipment, but never much activity. Unfortunately the times I visited I was on a schedule so there wasn’t anytime to drive around and get a closer look.
Thinking back to some of the bases I’ve been to that would have been around in WWII, I wonder how different those bases would have looked. Some of the bases there were a lot of old railroad tracks everywhere. Must have been something else to see all that activity.
Just before war had movement of tanks from Cincinnati south on NS line. Every now and then they will have them go through. Mainly in the morning when I see them.
Brian (KY)
I have moved several military trains tanks humvees the last 2 have been in desert colors and still get a few in the green never a escort . it is a good train as you dont get delayed .
Moves of military equipment to/from Ft. Lewis Washington (near Tacoma) via BNSF are not unheard of.
The most prominent rail-related change on base (well, as viewed from Interstate 5 which runs through the base) over the last couple of decades has been demolition of platforms and tracks for boarding troops on passenger trains. Troop trains, at least in the Northwest, are a thing of the past.
VERY common to see 2 and 3 section rail moves of tanks and support vehicles in Colorado out of Ft. Carson(Colorado Springs), Pinon Canyon Manuever Site (Built 1985, Between Trinidad & La Junta), Ft. Hood, TX…Military escorts ride in cabeese and on a trailing unit in the engine consists. Lots of DODX 6-Axle flatcars and commercial 100T flatcars… Ft. Carson has been so busy that they leased additional engines to run on their freshly rebuilt railroad.
Does Ft. Carson have it’s own railroad equipment? Who maintains and operates it? Military personnel or civilians?
i used to see trains of approx. 50 to 60 86ft all-purpose flats go thru roseville with 2 20ft containers full of ordinance each.
(1) Military has its own equipment (including reddish brown GP-9R switch engines), maintains it & operates it. UPRR & BNSF interchange with them at Kelker, CO. (there periodically are civilian contractors around for various reasons, but the base can handle all facets if need be - so I’ve been told.) A civilian contractor recently came in and did a major bridge and track upgrade.
(2) Pinon Canon Maneuver Site (at Simpson, CO on BNSF’s Raton Sub.) is switched by BNSF, mechanical inspections are BNSF and the base maintains the lead track and yard.
The CPR recently moved the British armoured unit from Montreal to Alberta, does it I think every year.
I’ve saw a military transport train in June of 2001 so obviously they move equipment in peace time. I was at Kansas City Union Station to see the UP Challenger when I saw the military train. It was headed east. Probably going somewhere for summer training exercises. Probably more efficient and quicker than sending equipment by plane, I suppose. Does anyone know if that’s true and from where to where do they come from and go to?
Hello all
A lot of the 101st Airborne equipment moved by rail to the port in Jacksonville from here in the Nashville area. In one of the first moves, I think somebody broke into one of the cars & stole equipment from the train. I saw a lot of movement of new UP pulled trains operating on the CSX connection to Memphis. Lots of tanks & trucks & humvees & other stuff. We don’t have any Amtrak service so there can’t be any troop trains, but not all the heavy equipment flies. I think a lot of the equipment moved on I-24 to be placed on the flacars. I could simply park in my bank’s parking lot and wait for the 6:30 to roll by.
Does anyone know how much military equipment is moved by rail today? I recall seeing lots of old rails in some of the Army bases I’ve been to in the past. Most of it appears no longer in use. Must have been left over from WWII.
I was wondering, is a lot of stuff still moved by rail today? Does the military own any RR equipment or is it all contracted out?
I saw film of a rail move just before we went into Iraq. The train was flats with Abrahms tanks on them.
Sooblue[8D]
Just pulled from the public docks, a 45 car army train. Lots of self propelled guns, a bunch of humvees, tanks, and the replacement for the duce and a half, cant remember its name, but its made here in Texas, down in Sealy, looks like a mercedes truck, kinda. About the third one in as many weeks. and for you caboose fans, it did have one, plus a converted boxcar, looked like a escort/guard car, had windows and a A/C unit on top, with a regular door in the side.
Took it from the docks to UPs Englewood yard with UPs power.
Stay Frosty
Ed
[:D]
I would imagine there must be some kind of escort for military trains.
For a couple of years I was stationed in California and had made a couple of trips to the Marine Corp Logistics Base in Barstow, CA. Used to see rail cars loaded with equipment, but never much activity. Unfortunately the times I visited I was on a schedule so there wasn’t anytime to drive around and get a closer look.
Thinking back to some of the bases I’ve been to that would have been around in WWII, I wonder how different those bases would have looked. Some of the bases there were a lot of old railroad tracks everywhere. Must have been something else to see all that activity.
Just before war had movement of tanks from Cincinnati south on NS line. Every now and then they will have them go through. Mainly in the morning when I see them.
Brian (KY)
I have moved several military trains tanks humvees the last 2 have been in desert colors and still get a few in the green never a escort . it is a good train as you dont get delayed .