712th Peters by cunningb

712th 2 Engineers by cunningb

Thanks to Dennis for seeing this and sending us scans of the REAL photos used in the article!

Define ROB (Railway Operating Battalion)

(Source: Military Railway Service, The General Board Study No. 123)
The basic operating unit in the ETO was the Railway Operating Battalion consisting of four companies:
HHC in charge of administration, train dispatching, supply, communications, and signals;
Co A responsible for maintenance of way and strcutures;
Co B operated the engine house and made running repairs of motive power and rolling stock;
Co C was the actual operating unit, with 50 train and engine crews.
This basic operating unit was capable of operating 90 to 150 miles of track with not more than one terminal with classification yard facilities. The Bn consisted of 29 officers and 790 EMs.
The Railway Shop Battalion was responsible for maintaining and repairing rolling stock, and was equipped to serve from three to four ROBs.

MRS rail units sponsored by BNSF (Burlignton Northern Santa Fe)
Here are the MRS rail units sponsored by BNSF processor companies as listed in MG Gray's RAILROADING IN EIGHTEEN COUNTRIES:


Unit Sponsor Activation Date

704th RGD GN 30 NOV 42

710th RGD ATSF 14 DEC 43

713th ROB ATSF 15 APR 42

732nd ROB GN 12 JAN 44

745th ROB CB&Q 19 MAY 43

747th ROB ATSF Not Activated

750th ROB SL-SF 21 MAR 44

758th RSB ATSF 6 APR 43

759th ROB Bill Bording    

744th Joe Kizzia Obit   

721st Rob John T by Nancy

727th Kenneth Sanford Diary Sloderdyk All (703rd) by Nancy

713th Victor F. Schaefer -obit by Nancy

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

733rd ROB Albert Harry Bartles -Obit by Nancy

740th Charles Onderisin obit by Nancy

752nd Donald Wayne Barclay Obit

Thanks to Dave Williams

1. Dad & Robert Barnes, my dad, Thomas Ervin Williams on left
2. My dad, Thomas E. Williams, Holland, 1945
3. My dad, Thomas E. Williams, Camp Gray, 1944, 752nd ROB, 2cd row third from left
4. Dad and members of his unit, 752nd ROB, France, 2nd row third from right.