Military Locomotives

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

On 8/18/2005, you wrote:

>

>  ...   So far as I know, the USA locomotives were used only at Army 

> bases and in military service overseas during WWI and WWII (for 

> which most of them had been built in the first place). Yes, each 

> road did use its own motive power for military movements...


At the time of my retirement in 2000, Fort Lewis had a pair of 
Paducah rebuilt non-dynamic brake GP-10s.  One was stored on main 
post in a tall quonset hut near the interchange yard on the northwest 
side of post, and the other was stored on the logistics base.  I used 
to see them taken into Tacoma for any service that was beyond what 
the civilians who operated them could perform.

When I was assigned to my first duty station, we had several guard 
cars spotted a couple of building over from our battalion 
headquarters.  Years later, when I returned, not only were the guard 
cars gone, but so was the rest of the trackage on that 
installation.  As I recall, the Army had an Alco switcher in the 
small interchange yard back in the early 70's.  That installation was 
Edgewood Arsenal.

I don't recall any locomotives at any of the other installations that 
I was stationed at, even though most of them had some trackage and 
received cars.  I suspect the switching was handled under contract 
with whomever the local railroad was.  That was one reason why I was 
surprised to see the pair of locomotives at Fort Lewis when I got there.

I realize that this has nothing to do with the N&W, but it seems that 
the discussion has moved on to military locomotives in general. Hope 
this is of some interest to someone on the list...

Cheers,
Kert Peterson
Fircrest, WA

Modeling the Norfolk and Western Ry in 1951, when Precision 
Transportation was still steam powered!  
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