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The Army's Summer School for trains is for soldiers who are training to be railroaders for the military. There is only 1Railway Operating Battalion in the US Army and it is in the Reserve. It is located in CT. I tried to get into this unit but couldn't at the time. The unit is quite popular with railfans as they do a lot of good will work at museums. During Wartime this Unit [the 1205th TROB (transportation rwy operating battalion)] has been activated to run the railroad at the large ammo docks in Sunny Point, SC (the MOTSU) (Military Ocean Terminal SUnny Point). Presently the unit has 2 locomotives of there own, EMD GP-9's/10. they are painted red and yellow (Regimental Colors of the US Army's Transportation Corps). Right now the US Army seems to have chosen the versatile GP-9 and it's various rebuilds(GP-10, GP-16 , GP-11, etc.) as it's standard locomotive. THe Army has recieved them from a number of sources, CSX, VMV (Illinois Central's former Paducah Shop) Conrails Juniata Shop (before the CR breakup). The army also has a few GP-38's and 40's too. They also have a few switchers hanging around, General Electric 80 ton Center Cabs mostly, with some other models about. Up until a say maybe the 90's some real gems were out there at Military bases. SOme bases used Baldwins (Air Force and Navy Mostely) Davenports, plymouths, Alcos, GE, EMD and even some Fairbanks Morse!!! Many modesl too. Most of these locomotives were in regular use.Many were in great shape due to low use and TLC. As of right now most of the Army's locomotives are painted up in the red and yellow paint, although there still are some black and yellow locomotives out there. The Army also has a fleet of Yellow boxcars with red doors for ammo (I've never actually seen these used). For flats the military uses a mixture of civillian flatcars (mostely Trailer Train/TTX) and some recently aquired TTX flats and some more substantial olive drab DODX (Dept. of Defence) flatcars with 6 wheel trucks. For the loading and unloading of these flats it isn't anything fancy. It is done the old fashioned way with ramps "Circus Style". Up into the 50's one base (the Aberdeen (MD) Proving Grounds) used a Doodlebug (Gas-Electric Self-propelled Passenger Car) for what I'm assuming was some sort of connecting passenger service. Well Kim and all others reading I hope I've provided some interesting Food for thought. -Willie the Army Train Guy
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