• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

Railroad Forum

Should we have a Railroad Forum?

  • Sure, I don't see why not, we have tanks and few own them.

    Votes: 52 83.9%
  • Nope, trains is dumb!

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • Ferro is nuts

    Votes: 9 14.5%

  • Total voters
    62

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,469
5,476
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
San Angelo, Texas, USA

The Historic San Angelo Railroad Museum has a 44 Ton GE Switcher on it's siding by the old Depot.

She's painted in ATSF Colors, I believe to represent the local history, but her DATA PLATES tell the real story.
 

Attachments

WILDBOY6X6

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
608
38
28
Location
Newark ca
yes they do

HI I am a rail guy here in ca,and we have 2 army loco's and 1 navy one.
I would love to have a rail thing here too, and some cars too.
 

juanprado

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,480
2,649
113
Location
Metairie/La (N'awlins)
Coldwarrior,

Not sure if it is the same design as the one in NC but I have more interior pics of the one in San Antonio at the Medical Museum.
 

Attachments

Motorcar

Member
271
3
18
Location
San Antonio, TX
That little GE is neat, I ran a 44 ton center cab years ago. I was the only one that knew how to operate the #6 brake stand on the thing, fun little loco...made me want one for my own.. :shock:
 

Pagan

New member
45
0
0
Location
Blackfoot Idaho
The military logistics center in Ogden, Utah had a Strategic Air Command coach sitting next to the main line. Must of been a car for security personnel on rocket transport trains or some other funtion like that. Silver with the SAC fist and lightning bolt. Sure make a nice workshop. Some of the RR equipment and locomotives that Hill AFB had were interesting, but a lot of that stuff must have been retired within the last decade or so. Hill AFB has a splendid aircraft museum now, right by I-15.
The RR museum at Portola, Ca. (50 miles northwest of Reno) somehow got a couple of M-60 tanks in the 90's when I worked there. BTW, if anyone is interested, that museum has a loop track, and they RENT various locomotives and let people operate them. Expensive-185 bucks an hour back then, but talk about an awe-inspiring once in a lifetime opportunity for a child! Select anything from a Fairbanks-Morse switch engine to a beautiful Western Pacific EMD passenger locomotive. No, they don't operate the U.P. 6900 (DD-40X) on the loop track. The rail would roll over and die from fright if it saw that thing coming, due to the weight and four axle trucks. Those folks do a good job maintaining that museum. The same kind of dedication and sacrifice the people at our military equipment museums provide. I hope the Portola museum was able to get the M-60s running. Anyone been there recently that knows? Pagan
 

Pagan

New member
45
0
0
Location
Blackfoot Idaho
Upgrades

Ain't that the truth. We still had a few old switch engines at Hinkle (Hermiston, Oregon) that had the old 6-type air equipment, but when the U.P. started rebuilding the switch engines, newer automatic brake valves replaced them. I would have to give it some serious thought just to remember how to perform a proper air test on those or the 24RL. Cut out the pressure maintaining feature, and then do the air test if I remember correctly. I handled the UP 954-B unit-960 passenger train from Elko, Nevada to Portola, Ca. in 1999, and the air equipment as well as the control stand had been updated to modern equipment, with 26C automatic brake valves. The RR had pulled the two diesel engines out, and replaced them with a single 2000 hp engine like the ones in the GP-38s. I liked them better when they were in their origional configuration.
The RRs were so short of men in this area during WW2 the U.P. sent my grandfather out ALONE on steam helper locomotives several times. I am not quite sure how that is done on a steam locomotive, but he pulled it off. I was also told of a man from this area that quit the RR when the war started, and enlisted. After basic training he was deployeed overseas. Somehow, it leaked out that he was a railroader. His service immediately grabbed him and sent him home to his job. I would imagine there were a number of such cases.
The Railroad Operating Battalions have an interesting history, and I would bet you are knowledgeable in that subject. Imagine having to repair a railyard that had been hit by a bombing raid! I would bet the German engineers had no problems respecting "Restricted Speed!" French Maquis messing with the tracks, bridges, and everything else. Pagan
 

michigandon

Well-known member
1,442
82
63
Location
Wake Forest, NC
The RRs were so short of men in this area during WW2 the U.P. sent my grandfather out ALONE on steam helper locomotives several times. I am not quite sure how that is done on a steam locomotive, but he pulled it off. I was also told of a man from this area that quit the RR when the war started, and enlisted. After basic training he was deployeed overseas. Somehow, it leaked out that he was a railroader. His service immediately grabbed him and sent him home to his job.
Supposedly, railroad workers were exempt from the draft, but many of them enlisted anyway.

*Disclaimer: This is another one of those "I read somewhere" kinda things, so feel free to take it for what its worth.
 

Ferroequinologist

Resident railroad expert
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,806
723
113
Location
Liberty Hill, SC
I knew a fella that started with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1943. They were so desperate for hostlers in the yards, they were taking almost anyone. He was 14!!! He showed me pictures of all the grand old PRR engines he got to shuttle around the yard, by himself!
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,469
5,476
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
Some music to accompany this thread.....

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lDlfDtJYF8[/media]​


This is more the scale that MIGHT fit my Railroading Budget.....

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAuPPufNro[/media]​


If I ever score one of those Machine Shop Trucks or Trailers, I believe I just might build me a LOCOmotive .


:shock:
 
Last edited:
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks