"Make way for the Red Ball Express!"

[Anonymous]

...one of the famous lines uttered by Bob Denver aka Gilligan of "Gilligan's Island". A treasured childhood icon. May he rest in peace.

BTW, was there ever a real "Red Ball Express"?

[Murphy Siding]

I *think* The Red Ball Express was a nickname for the truck convoys in France after D-Day. They hauled supplies and gasoline from the Normandy landing beaches to the front lines. *IF* I'm correct, this is the point where I exclaim: "What in tarnation does this have to do with trains?????'' Skipperrrrrrrrr!!!!![;)]

[Anonymous]

Correct!. Red Ball Express was logistic tool used by General Patton during world war II. Kind of like a early application on "JIT" Just In Time Inventory, only it was military materials.
There were Green Ball Express, Orange Ball Express, Blue Ball Express and etc depending upon the mission . Red Ball had pripority over all other expresses because it was taking military material directly to the front lines.
If you saw a Red Ball Express truck, as General Patton like to say, "You got the hell out the way!" It worked. It was rumored that the express system was even applied to some captured or liberated European railroads to move Allied War Materials and Perssonnel.
The Red Ball Express utilized a great number of Black American drivers. Drivers that faithfully completed their duties under the most adverse conditions (General Patton was a ver mobile general) and do not receive the recognition that they deserve.
The closest U.S. Railroad application was the former Cotton Belt - Southern Pacific "Blue Straek" Freight Car from Memphis to California.

[Anonymous]

One of my Uncles drove in the red ball. He gained recognition among commanding officers of general rank by being able to fit 300 Jerry cans of gas on a truck made for 150 cans.

Besides the strafings, explosions, arty etc.. he survived the war.

[greyhounds]

Yep.

The US Army Transportation Corps (in which I proudly served) was formed in 1942. Before that the Corps of Engineers had the railway units and the Quartermasters (they feed the troops, provide "quarters" (housing), etc.) had the truck units.

In the 40's the Army was segregated by race and black soldiers were only allowed in prestige units, such as infantry, on a limited basis. The 9th and 10th calvary, along with the 24th infantry, regiments were famous black units on the American frontier. They were some of the best soldiers in the Army.

By the 40's a black soldier was generally religated to driving a truck or working in a steevedore unit. They had won some (17 IIRC) of those "Congressional Medals of Honor" on the frontier and some bigots just couldn't stand that honor going to a black soldier. Only one soldier has recieved a CMH in both Iraq wars, and he was killed in the process.

So anyway, the "Red Ball Express" was a truck convoy system set up to supply Patton. Black drivers pulled flatbed trailers loaded with gas cans, and ammunition, and food, and everything else, behind their "duece and a halfs". A "duece and a half" was a six wheel drive Army truck that was designed to handle 2 1/2 tons of cargo off road. Load up the truck, hook a trailer behind it, and head for the front lines in a convoy.

I'm suprised by you FM, you know everything else. Why don't you know this?

BTW, my service came long after WWI1

[jeffhergert]

The Rock Island in old employee time tables (ones I have from the 1930s) have some trains named Red Ball.
Train 905 westward was the East Iowa Red Ball. Train 91 on the Iowa-Minnesota Division (Chicago-Denver main) was the Chicago-Colorado-California Red Ball.
On the Rock Island Division which covered part of the Golden State Route in SE Iowa, their Train 91 was the Chicago-California Gold Ball.
Jeff

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

I *think* The Red Ball Express was a nickname for the truck convoys in France after D-Day. They hauled supplies and gasoline from the Normandy landing beaches to the front lines. *IF* I'm correct, this is the point where I exclaim: "What in tarnation does this have to do with trains?????'' Skipperrrrrrrrr!!!!![;)]

Nah, I distinctly remember dubbed "train" sounds from that episode. Maybe Sherman Schwartz got the reference wrong.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by greyhounds

I'm suprised by you FM, you know everything else. Why don't you know this?

Sheesh! Sounds like you're suffering from the Blue Ball Express. You need to take your own advice and go out and get oinked.

[Murphy Siding]

Jockularities!! Jockularities!! Come on guys! Two knowledeable,enthusiastic posters just put on a clinic on how to kill a thread![V] Shame on both of you.