Military Locomotives WWII to present

[maddawg308]

Was hoping Ferro or someone else here who works on the HEAVY iron, the diesel-electric locomotives, might know about the history and types of diesel electrics that have been used by the military on the rails since WWII. Info and pictures for all to see, please. Lots of neat rail-riders they have run, I'm not sure if they still do....

 

[wehring]

Soni

Talk about a topic custom fitted for M920 (soni)! I am sure he will answer up.

Justin Wehring

 

[rideni]

Ge center cabs tonage from 25 to 80 ton, alco road switchers, baldwin locomotives
Thats what I have seen the most in the armed forces inventory also seeing more and more rail car movers

 

[southdave]

I remember seeing an old photo of plymounth engine on anarrow gauge in the south pac.
kind wierd I thought that was WW1 thing??

 

[AceHigh]

I was at the Bridge over the River Kwai site many years ago and they had a truck outfitted for rail work. Kind of like these vehicles:

Axis History Forum • View topic - Vehicles on rails

 

[Gottlos]

This is a USN locomotive that features adjustable trucks for different rail gauges. It is presently on display at a rail museum in Northern California.

 

[motomacguyver]

This is a USN locomotive that features adjustable trucks for different rail gauges. It is presently on display at a rail museum in Northern California.

NICE, Now thats thinking ahead!

 

[Jones]

That Alco's one of two at jamestown (Railtown 1897 S.H.P.). We've got one in our shop ready to be cut up. These are miserable to work on since they were designed as a throw-away. Other than minor maintenance and servicing, all the major components are inside a welded-together car body. EMDs and GEs at least have roof and side panels that can be removed to get at major components like the generator and prime mover.

We've got several GE 80 tonners and some EMD switch engines including a couple of SW-1s for shop and excursion railroad service.

Here's an interesting video for you, maddawg. www.realmilitaryvideos.com/wwii-allies/oss-training-film-derailment/

 

[Gottlos]

Yep here's the other one.

Hey Maddawg take a look at www.RRpicturearchives.net there is bound to be a bunch of pictures on that website. Go to the search area, sound familiar? I typed in Army and got a bunch of hits. Good luck.

 

[Coal Cracker]

MMMMM ALCOOOOO AHHHHHH

 

[Capt.Marion]

Many of the center-cab GE 44-tonners were made in narrow gauge (metre gauge I believe) with low clearance setups exclusively for switching operations in Europe... see wikipedia under "GE 44-tonner"

 

[Flyingvan911]

ALCO-Always Leaks Coolant and Oil. Just like a deuce.

 

[maddawg308]

Did the military ever use the round-nosed GE E- and F- units that were very popular in the commercial sector? I have seen pictures of locomotives in military service that were GP units, square and flat nosed, and also switchers of different types, but no E and F units..

 

[Lex_Ordo]

Here are a few Models, made by Atlas Model Railroad Co.
HO Trainman Plus NRE Genset Locomotive

Atlas HO S-2, S-4 & S-1 Locomotives

It is hard to find pics of military locos.
Atlas reproduces their models from real drawings and road names. They're fairly prototypical, and are excellent representations of their real life counterpart.

 

[Jones]

Maddawg,
The locomotives you're talking about aren't very good for reverse operation.
True, diesel-electrics will go every bit as fast in reverse as they will forward but with the cab on one end and a long hood in the way, they're hard to see around when backing up unless you have a crew member riding "the point".
Some of the locomotives in use may have a long hood end but there are also steps and a platform instead of only having side ladders (miserable to hang onto if you're making any kind of an extended move in reverse).
Most of the stuff the military uses are RS (road switcher) models. As such, they're intended to spend no small amount of their service life in reverse operation. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to go to work on a locomotive that just happens to be pointed in the "wrong" direction and to spend most of the shift in reverse with brief excursions in forward.
Two locomotives MUed together long hood end to long hood end would have their short hood ends pointed outward for maximum visability.

The only exceptions might be in the Transportation School to train engine crews to run captured motive power.

 

[m35a2kevin]

hello all,
these pics are of an ex army whitcomb diesel, used on the washington old dominion railroad
in northern va, 1945

 

[Ferroequinologist]

During the early part of the 1900s, the military/government used just about one of everytype built.

Many locomotives were built for variable gauge operation- the 3 Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton RS4TC locomoives we have at the South Carolina Railroad museum, are able to go narrow (not meter narrow though) out to broad gauge, near 6ft if I remember correctly. Most military locomotives are of the small, industrial size, 600hp or smaller. The Army is currently using 1940-1950 rebuilt GP style locomotives at many instillations. We are using two 1950's 80ton center cabs here at Shaw AFB- they were rebuilt in 1992.

Mike, even though there are models, I don't think the military actually ever had carbody locomotives (E and F units, FA and PA units) The missle trains in the 1960-1970s had SD (6 axle) locomotives

The SCRM fleet of locomotives is almost all ex-military. I'm currently working on getting a 1940s Navy locomotive fully operational.

Does this count as a current listed MV for sale link?
Steam Locomotive #612

 

[cundupa]

Jones, if I remember correctly, aren't there some railroads that run long hood forward for crew safety? or used to?

 

[Flyingvan911]

Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway ran long hood forward. Norfolk Southern still runs some locomotives that way. The "F" for "front" is on the long hood end by the step well. Mostly 4 axle locos used for yard and branch line switching. Not much is going to move that 60,000 pound prime mover off the frame. You're pretty safe behind it.

I heard NS wanted their C44's set up with controls facing backward. GE said no. I got that second hand so it may or may not be accurate. I got to ride in the second locomotive from Roanoke, VA to Birmingham, AL as part of my job. Lots of fun.

 

[hippiedude]

This is a awsome thread ............. I love trains !!!!!!!!!! ....... Tim .....