Railway Unit Histories Held at MHI



765th Railroad Magazine 'Letter from Korea' 1952

765thrailroadmag All

713th Victor F. Schaefer -obit

713th Victor F. Schaefer -obit by Nancy

715th Railway Operating Battalion


There is a post about this 715th bell on the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum-blog and thank goodness for it, you can read it here 

I'm pretty sure the L.B. Griffin is my Uncle Larry Griffin, if anyone else is related to anyone from the 715th or knows anymore about the unit or this bell let me know -Thanks,  Nancy cunningb2@gmail.com

The above "17" brass bell 1943 Illinois Central railroad 715th RROB" is described as follows:

"Brass railroad bell mounted on wooden plate. I believe this bell was
 "owned" by the 715th Railroad Operating Battalion. The 715th served in Italy from 1943-1945 and operated the lines between Pisa and the northern Italian coast, supplying the effort to drive the Nazis from the Apennines and out of the Po Valley of Northern Italy.
They were sponsored by the Illinois Central Railroad.

One side is engraved:

Company B
715th Operating battalion
Feb 5th 1943

The other side is engraved with the names of members of the unit:

Capt W. T. Kelly
Lt. R.J. Chinn
Lt. L.B. Griffin
Lt. E.V. Heisler
Lt. J. B. Mattingly

Boiler base 8", base to top of yoke-17", width of yoke-10', bell diameter 8" weighs approx 40 lbs."

Over the years these names have been mentioned as being in the 715th

Raymond D. Simpson, served in Company A Oct 1942 to Oct 1945
Arnold Wolters Apennines and po valley campaigns. his name was arnold wolters.
Herbert L. Williams trainmaster of that unit

Military Railway Plans 1941 NYT

Military Railway Plans 1941 nyt by Nancy

Erie Railroad tells America why railroad units are so important

733rd ROB Bartles, Albert Harry Obit

733rd ROB Albert Harry Bartles -Obit by Nancy

740th Onderisin,Charles obit

740th Charles Onderisin obit by Nancy