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oh yeah the Army also until the 70's loved the idea of having "exportable" locomotives. That is locomotives with lower clearance "European Profile" for the lower clearances commonly found overseas and with variable guage wheelsets . The smaller size offered by the lower profil also made the locomotives easier transported. If I can recall they could be adjusted for narrower than standard guage up wide guage (read 5 foot for Russian RR's). They also came equiped with european "hook" couplers w/buffers. A good example of thie type of locomotive is the ALCO MRS-1 and the EMD MRS-1. Some of these ended up on the Alaska RR later on. THese locomotives mostely never left the States and languished in storage for years. Many times when a base needed a locomotive one of these would be pulled from storage and put into use. From what i have heard they proved to be very unpopular with crews. Some MRS-1's also ended up being loaned to the Hew Haven Railroad (New York, New Haven and Hartford RR) when floods and a Hurricane nearly crippled the ailing RR, in 1955. The Locomotives were borrowed in August and November 1955 and were returned to the Army between Feb. and June the next year. From what I understand these units were mistreated while on the NH and were sent back to the NH by the Army for repairs! The Army also has had narrow guage diesels too. At least one was tested/used on the Denver, Rio Grande and Western(3 Ft) in the 50's. I'm not sure whether it was the railroad testing it out to see how they liked it or if it was the Army just training (no pun intended). During WWI Germany, England, France, and the US made extensive use of 1ft 11inch guage (60 cm) trains to run an extensive network of ever changing trench RR's. WW1 ended a lot quicker than the US expected and subsequently found itself with a huge stockpile of nearly new 60 cm trains. These were used to build "utiliy lines" around various bases in the United States the most notable was at Ft. Benning Georgia. One of the locomotives (a 2-6-2) was preserved and is prominately at the Forts museum. Well I suspect that you will find this interesting too. Jolly good show !!!! -Willie the Army Train Guy
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