Railroading durring WWII

[Anonymous]

Since I am a modle railroader and have been trying to gather information on how the Railroad's wer used to help the USA move equipment from the factory's and baces to the ports for shipment overseas, and the transporting of troops to ports, and the pictures of how they were used, and how the hospital cars wer built and look like, all this info is so hard to get it is like it is classified information still after more than50 year's, I would think that the Railroad's would be glad to have this information readley available, From what I read ( no pictures) they did a first class job, why is these subject's such a secret???? Why cant we get picture's on the way that it was done????[?]

[Anonymous]

Since I am a modle railroader and have been trying to gather information on how the Railroad's wer used to help the USA move equipment from the factory's and baces to the ports for shipment overseas, and the transporting of troops to ports, and the pictures of how they were used, and how the hospital cars wer built and look like, all this info is so hard to get it is like it is classified information still after more than50 year's, I would think that the Railroad's would be glad to have this information readley available, From what I read ( no pictures) they did a first class job, why is these subject's such a secret???? Why cant we get picture's on the way that it was done????[?]

[AltonFan]

I know of at least two books, with pictures, about railroad operations in World War II. (I'll have to look up the titles when I get home.) I believe there is another book, originally published just after the war, on this very subject. Yet another book worth looking at is Decade of the Trains: the 1940s, by the late Don Ball, Jr. I don't remember too many pctures of troop trains or such in this book, but the text described issues relating to wartime operations. There might be allusions to wartime operations, and perhaps some pictures, in one or another of Lucius Beebe's books.

A few months ago, there were a couple of pages in Model Railroader about railroading in 1942, which consisted of a few pictures of wartime operations. There were some articles over the last two years about the Pullman troop sleepers in several publications, including Model Railroader, and I believe Classic Trains or Trains as well.

I suspect one of the reasons for the scarcity of railfan pictures from World War II stems from the fact that a lot of railfans who would have been trackside were either in military service or putting in extra hours working in defense industries. Another reason was that wartime security concerns made guys with cameras standing by railroad facilities (i.e., strategic assets) objects of suspicion. (A group of German saboteurs were captured with a list of targets including the PRR Horseshoe Curve.) A third possible reason might have been the scarcity of photographic equipment and supplies for civilian uses during the war. (Were cameras and other photographic supplies rationed?)

[Anonymous]

I know that their i a couple of books about the military railroad and WWII but if you look at them they are nothing about what was going on in the USA but just about how they were used in europe and so forth, I know that in the Pullman book # 16 their is a set of pictures of a proposed hospital car but the military did'nt use it they went to a St. Louis Co. and they did not have any diagrams that a person could get a hold of to model there are a couple of troop and kitchen cars that finiley came out but most RR's used their standard equipment and Pullman fleet cars for the troop movment's. But I guess that when they moved freight into or out of the factory's they didnt have a standard or it is still classified.

Thank you for the book titles I'll look them up

[Anonymous]

I know that their i a couple of books about the military railroad and WWII but if you look at them they are nothing about what was going on in the USA but just about how they were used in europe and so forth, I know that in the Pullman book # 16 their is a set of pictures of a proposed hospital car but the military did'nt use it they went to a St. Louis Co. and they did not have any diagrams that a person could get a hold of to model there are a couple of troop and kitchen cars that finiley came out but most RR's used their standard equipment and Pullman fleet cars for the troop movment's. But I guess that when they moved freight into or out of the factory's they didnt have a standard or it is still classified.

Thank you for the book titles I'll look them up

[AltonFan]

The only title I was able to track down was America's Fighting Railroads: A World War II Pictorial History by Don DeNevi, published by Pictorial History Publishing Company, Inc.

If you're looking for modeling information, you might try to track down volumes of the "Train Shed Cyclopedia" series for the war years, or copies of the Car Builder's Cyclopedia published by Simmons-Boardman during the war. (These latter are very rare, and expensive when found, but you might be able to borrow copies from universities through interlibrary loan.)

There is a Troop Train entry in Robert J. Wayner's Passenger Train Consists 1923-1973 . The train traveled as a second section of a regularly scheduled Southern Railway train, powered by a Mikado. Of its fifteen cars, only four were Pullman troop sleepers.

There might be some pictures of the hospital cars in either Some Classic Trains or More Classic Trains by Arthur D. Dubin.

I hope this helps.

[AltonFan]

The only title I was able to track down was America's Fighting Railroads: A World War II Pictorial History by Don DeNevi, published by Pictorial History Publishing Company, Inc.

If you're looking for modeling information, you might try to track down volumes of the "Train Shed Cyclopedia" series for the war years, or copies of the Car Builder's Cyclopedia published by Simmons-Boardman during the war. (These latter are very rare, and expensive when found, but you might be able to borrow copies from universities through interlibrary loan.)

There is a Troop Train entry in Robert J. Wayner's Passenger Train Consists 1923-1973 . The train traveled as a second section of a regularly scheduled Southern Railway train, powered by a Mikado. Of its fifteen cars, only four were Pullman troop sleepers.

There might be some pictures of the hospital cars in either Some Classic Trains or More Classic Trains by Arthur D. Dubin.

I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

I recall a book called "Railroads at War" by S. Kip Farrington.

[Anonymous]

I recall a book called "Railroads at War" by S. Kip Farrington.

[AltonFan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lincoln5390

I recall a book called "Railroads at War" by S. Kip Farrington.

I believe this book was published during or even just after the war. Thanks for mentioning it; I completely forgot bothe the title and author.

[AltonFan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lincoln5390

I recall a book called "Railroads at War" by S. Kip Farrington.

I believe this book was published during or even just after the war. Thanks for mentioning it; I completely forgot bothe the title and author.

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I have a couple of hobbies, one of wich is B&O, modelling and another is an online game called WWIIonline ( http:\\www.wwiionline.com ).

They have recently sent signals that they intend to implement player driven trains for their upcoming supply and logistical infrastructure (an online train simulator in a full WWII living world)

So far I have clued them in to the 2-8-0 Pershing that France had 1900 of at the outbreak of WWII
http://griffincunningham.iwarp.com/Griffin/MAIN/765thengine.jpg
This engine would (I feel) give them the most reusable loco for the western allies from the start.
Since the USA also used it and the British had a few and it was the standard loco for Belgian railways at the time (I have heard)

I have also clued them into the BR50/52, but I have been unable to produce any drawings of this engine.

Anyone feel I have left out some that should be mentioned?
We are still at the "petitioning" stage and I would really like to hit them with something solid.

So when I saw this topic I just felt it a perfect place to ask this question

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I have a couple of hobbies, one of wich is B&O, modelling and another is an online game called WWIIonline ( http:\\www.wwiionline.com ).

They have recently sent signals that they intend to implement player driven trains for their upcoming supply and logistical infrastructure (an online train simulator in a full WWII living world)

So far I have clued them in to the 2-8-0 Pershing that France had 1900 of at the outbreak of WWII
http://griffincunningham.iwarp.com/Griffin/MAIN/765thengine.jpg
This engine would (I feel) give them the most reusable loco for the western allies from the start.
Since the USA also used it and the British had a few and it was the standard loco for Belgian railways at the time (I have heard)

I have also clued them into the BR50/52, but I have been unable to produce any drawings of this engine.

Anyone feel I have left out some that should be mentioned?
We are still at the "petitioning" stage and I would really like to hit them with something solid.

So when I saw this topic I just felt it a perfect place to ask this question

[Anonymous]

I have a book called, "United States MILITARY RAILWAY SERVICE" It gives a history of the military side of railroad up to and including WW II. It may not contain everything you wanted to know but it is interesting. It is too bad they stopped at WW II and didn't include later times.

[Anonymous]

I have a book called, "United States MILITARY RAILWAY SERVICE" It gives a history of the military side of railroad up to and including WW II. It may not contain everything you wanted to know but it is interesting. It is too bad they stopped at WW II and didn't include later times.