To MRS Veterans and Friends:On June 20, 2011, the Deputy Chief of Transportation and the Ft. Eustis Garrison Commander headed a delegation in breaking ground on Phase 1 of a building which will ultimately house the TC Museum's collection of military rail equipment. Phase 1 will be a pavilion which will provide the equipment a significant degree of much needed protection from the physical elements. The steel structure components are on hand, necessary permits have been secured, and contracts are in place to begin construction the second week of July. Army Reserve rail components will be providing assistance later in the summer by construction of an additional siding and repair of existing equipment. Weather permitting, completion is projected for late September.
The Museum's next scheduled event will be on July 27th when it will host the Chief of Transportation's "icebreaker" to open this year's TC Week. He expects to have the senior leaders from both Fort Eustis and Fort Lee at the Museum to showcase the work being accomplished. This project has been in the planning stages for the past twenty years. Join us on the July 27th to view the progress. Details on the "icebreaker" will be available on the Fort Eustis WEB site in the near future.Mark Metz, LTC-TC (Ret.)
Rail Committee
US Army Transportation Corps Museum Foundation
(717) 597-2636
Railroads have had a significant impact on the military history of the United States.
The Railways and telegraph act of 1862 created the US Military Railroad System (USMRR).
BG Herman Haupt, A USMA 1835 Graduate who spent 25 years with commercial railroads, was responsible for USMRR.
USMRR maintained 16 railways in the eastern theater and 19 short lines with a total of 2,100 miles of track, 419 locomotives and 6,330 rail cars.
Haupts rules of centralized control were responsible for the successful use of military railroads.
During WWI, William Wallace Atterbury, was sent to France by President Woodrow Wilson to bring order out of chaos in that part of the French Railway System which had been turned over to the American Army. His assignment was the President’s response to General Pershing’s cable for “the best railroad man in the United States”. The Commission of Brigadier General and the Distinguished Service Order where his reward. He was Vice-President for operations of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the time.
Over 43,500 soldier-railroaders served during World War II in over 50 commercial railroad sponsored Military Railway Services (MRS) units stationed in theaters around the world. MRS units served with distinction in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, India, Iran and the Philippines. The RS1 Diesel Locomotive, recently added to the collection, was used to move supplies through Iran for the support of Russia on the eastern front.
The Berlin Duty Train passenger and Guard Car, used during the Cold War, are also a part of our collection, which will be protected by this building we are ready to construct.
This Pavilion will become the home for our expanded story of the Army Transportation Corps Military Railway System Units.
