Thanks to a donation from the Smithsonian Institution, the US Army Transportation Museum has recently added ALCO # 8011 to its collection at Ft. Eustis. Following is Friday's (2/4/11) Ft. Eustis newspaper, the PENINSULA WARRIOR, public consumption account of the addition of the 8011. The second entry was worked up several weeks ago while the unit was still at Strasburg, PA. Later in the year the museum will be holding a dedication ceremony that will be open to the public. We will keep you advised as a specific date is confirmed.


Photo by Kel MacKavanagh at Strasburg, PA

Mark Metz,Rail Committee
US Army Transportation Museum Foundation

WWII locomotive makes its final stop at U.S. Army Transportation Museum By Lyna Tucker, Assistant Editor Peninsula Warrior -After a long life of service spanning duty in World War II, on the Alaskan Railway and testing at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Army RSD-1 locomotive #8011 pulled into its final station Jan. 21 at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum, Fort Eustis.

Built in March 1941, the locomotive was a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company for the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway, #902. After the outbreak of war in 1942, #902 was requisitioned by the Army for service overseas. Originally designated a model RS-1, the engine was remanufactured into a C-C design six-axle locomotive (three powered axles per truck, or wheel assembly), re-designated Army RSD-1 #8011, and shipped to the Persian Gulf for use on the Trans Iranian Railroad. During the war years, #8011 was used to increase the flow of supplies to the Soviet Union as part of the Allied war effort. At war’s end, the locomotive entered into service with the Alaskan Railroad as #1034. In 1975, #1034 transferred to the U.S. Department of Transportation Test Track in Pueblo, Colo., and re-numbered DOT/FRA # 013. The locomotive served at the test track for eight years and was then donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The engine eventually moved to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, Pa., where it has been on display since the early 1980s. Because of space issues, the museum returned the locomotive to the Army and in January #8011 began a long trek to its final home at the Army Transportation Museum to be part of the museum’s exhibits.

“It took about 12 days to get here, but we’re glad it’s finally here,” said David Hanselman, Transportation Museum director. The locomotive was loaded on two flatbed cars: the engine on one and the trucks on another. The trucks were removed and the components shipped on separate cars because the engine would have been too tall for transport. The engine began its journey from Pennsylvania, moving from station to station by CSX and Norfolk Southern railroad companies. Although the two are competitors in rail transportation, this was not the first time they have come together for a common interest.What’s interesting about having the two companies move the engine is that they actually have a direct lineage with Army rail transportation,” Mr. Hanselman said. “In World War II, we (the Army) needed better rail transportation so we turned to CSX and Norfolk Southern and they helped with training Soldiers for rail transportation and raising Army rail companies,” he said.

Once the locomotive arrived, the engine and trucks were lifted from the cars by two cranes supplied by Lockwood Bros., Inc. of Hampton. The cranes – a 365-ton rated capacity and a 110-ton rated capacity – were outfitted with 1 ½-inch diameter polyester slings with a lift capacity of up to 80,000 pounds each. After ensuring the slings were safely and securely in place the cranes removed the trucks from the flatbed. Once the trucks were in place, the nearly 75-ton engine was then prepared for removal from its flatbed and placement onto its trucks. Unlike the trucks, lifting of the engine was much more of a challenge because the two cranes had to lift in sync, preventing uneven lift on either end of the locomotive. The lift and descent went according to plan.
With the hard part over, the museum staff can now turn to the rest of the work toward restoring the engine and preparing it for display. This spring, Mr. Hanselman is hoping for a visit from the Army Reserve’s 757th Railway Operating Battalion from Fort McCoy, Wisc. “The plan is that they will hopefully be able to come down here this spring and split up into two groups. One will work on hooking all the connectors back and possibly repainting the train, while the other – the track people, will build a fourth rail spur,” Mr. Hanselman said. The mission of the 757th Railway Operating Battalion is charged with the operation and maintenance of locomotives and building and repair of railroad tracks.The engine, although not restored, is visible in the railway display yard at the museum along with other locomotives and cars that honorably served throughout Army rail transportation history.


HISTORIC ARMY LOCOMOTIVE TO CALL FT EUSTIS TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM HOME

Army RSD-1 locomotive number 8011 has been donated by the Smithsonian Institution to the U. S. Army Transportation Corps Museum at Fort Eustis, VA. The locomotive was originally built in March 1941 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) as a standard RS-1 for the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway where it wore number 902. Early in World War II (WW II) it was requisitioned by the U. S. War Department and returned to ALCO in Schenectady, NY, where it was modified for overseas service and equipped with three-axle trucks. After rebuilding in December 1942, it was one of 57 similar diesel locomotives shipped to the Persian Gulf to be operated by Military Railway Service (MRS) units on the Iranian State Railway transporting wartime Lend Lease supplies to the Russians. MRS units serving in Iran included the 702nd (UP) Railway Grand Division, the 711th, 730th (PRR), and 791st Railway Operating Battalions, and the 754th (SP) and 762nd (ALCO) Railway Shop Battalions.

At the end of WW II the locomotive saw service on the Alaska Railroad and later at Pueblo, CO, on the U. S. Department of Transportation's Test Track. From Pueblo the locomotive was donated to the Smithsonian and moved to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, PA, where it has been on display since the early 1980s. The locomotive moved on two flatcars to Fort Eustis where it will join other military rail equipment as part of the museum's exhibits and displays paying tribute to the service and accomplishments of MRS Veterans. Included among MRS Veterans serving in Iran were Major W. Thomas Rice who became Chairman of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and a Major General in the U. S. Army Reserve, Colonel Arthur E. Stoddard who served as President of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1949 to 1965, and Colonel Frank S. Besson, Jr. who became the Transportation Corps' first four star general. The transportation museum at Fort Eustis is named in honor of General Besson.

711th Claiborne Polk Military Railway by Nancy

764th- Silva

729th Engineer Railway Operating Battalion William Kolberg

727th Finding Aid by cunningb

712th Seil by cunningb

3rd TMRS Christmas Greetings by cunningb

724th Railway Operating Battalion Peace for the Little Ones by cunningb

Email I recieved :

I am in the possession of a number of films taken by Charles Louis Bandy, probably of the 764th R. S. Battalion.
He made many films in France and Germany of railways and trams.He landed in Marseille in August 1944, and stayed in Europe until approx. 1950.Mr. Bandy died in 1975.I produced a DVD that shows some of his films. Have a look at my film 'Wartime Rails" on this site
Greetings from Holland, Ton Pruissen

Railroaders Always

We're railroaders always
We've got a job to do and do it quick
We tote your food and feed your guns but buddy don't forget




Music dedicated to the Military Railway Service

Published: November 12, 2001

Here's a variation on a familiar World War II theme, the diverse geographical backgrounds of men serving together in the armed forces. It comes to us in the form of some faded sheet music dedicated to the Military Railway Service. The rousing anthem "Railroaders Always" is of interest in its own right, but the cover of this particular copy is something special.

It belonged to John R. Crosby, a fireman on PRR's Fort Wayne Division before (and after) he was a member of the 717th Railway Operating Battalion, stationed in Ashchurch, England. Crosby had some two dozen of his fellow soldier-railroaders sign his copy; in doing so, the men also put down their hometowns, plus the railroads they had worked for. READ ON

 

Troop Train was a 1943 short propaganda film produced by the Office of War Information. While the film's assumed purpose would be to educate the American public about the role of railroad transportation of military divisions, Troop Train takes a more stylistic approach, with absolutely no narration and little dialogue. The director uses images to tell the story. Footage of rows of war material, troops marching and locomotives are cleverly edited to create a montage propaganda film, something of a rarity in the United States. The film is also notable for its depiction of service men's life on the long trips across the country to unknown ports, and to unknown fronts in the war.

712th TROB

We celebrate Veteran's Day on November 11 each year – in commemoration of all veteran service, but especially for the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the armistice or peace was declared at the end of World War I.

All interviews are conducted by volunteers, such as ourselves. And once submitted they are archived by LOC.
To view the catalog of completed projects, follow the “SEARCH THE VETERANS COLLECTIONS” link. Many have been digitized and added to the website. Enter any number of criteria, from the veteran's name to the conflict or era.

The “HOW TO PARTICIPATE” section defines five easy steps:
1. Register online
2. Print the Project Field Kit
3. Prepare for the interview
4. Conduct the interview
5. Send the collection to the Library of Congress, keeping a copy for yourself

The Field Kit contains required forms and a printable brochure.
• Biographical Data Form
• Veterans Release Form
• Interviewer's Release Form
• Media and Formats Standards
• Audio and Video Recording Log
• Photograph Log
• Manuscript Data Sheet
The Frequently Asked Questions contain tips applicable to any oral history project. (Keep these tips in mind as you prepare to see family over the next coming months.) Some excerpts include:
• It is important to prepare for an interview.
• Prepare written questions ahead of time, and conduct a pre-interview, if possible.
• Use the highest-quality video or audio recorder available. Digital and Hi-8 video recordings are preferred. (Extended time speeds and microcassettes are not accepted).
• Be familiar with and test recording equipment before beginning.
• Mount cameras on tripods and position a few feet from the interviewee. Focus on the face, upper body and hands, and avoid the zoom feature.
• For audio interviews, use an external microphone positioned 9-inches from the interviewee.
• Use a microphone stand, and be sure the tape has started recording before you start speaking.
• Interview in a quiet, well-lit room and avoid fluorescent lights and extraneous noises, such as clocks, heating / cooling systems, phones, televisions and conversations.
• Be sure all questions and answers are recorded.
• At the beginning, state the date and place of the interview.
• State the name of the person being interviewed, his/her birth date and names of persons assisting.
• Identify the war, branch of service, rank and where the veteran served. For civilians, record what type of work was performed.
For example: Today is Friday, June 7, 2003 and we are interviewing John Smith at his home. Mr. Smith is 78 years old, having been born on November 23, 1923. My name is Jane Doe and I'll be the interviewer. John Smith is my uncle. He is my mother's brother. Uncle John, could you state for the recording what war and branch of service you served in? [pause for answer] What was your rank? [pause for answer] Where did you serve? [pause for answer]
• Keep questions short, and avoid complicated, multipart questions.
• Ask “how, when and why” questions, rather than ones answered by a simple “yes or no”.
• Don't begin with questions about painful or controversial topics.
• Be patient and give the veteran time to reflect before going to a new question.
• Consider asking to see photographs, commendations and personal letters as a way to enhance the interview. Such documents encourage memories and provoke interesting stories.
• Use follow-up questions to elicit more details. Examples include: When did that happen? Did that happen to you? What did you think about that? What are the steps in doing that?
• Keep the tape recorder or video camera running throughout the interview, unless you are asked to turn it off. And never record secretly.
Finally, remember this is the veteran's story, and not your own. Make it all about him or her, and avoid interjecting your own experiences.
For more information on Veteran's Day located at RootsWeb, please see Julie's Genealogy – Veteran's Day.

From Using RootsWeb By Mary Harrell-Sesniak

“Genealogy is not just a pastime; it's a passion.”
Genealogy Tip byBy Joan Young
Military Databases on RootsWeb and Beyond
For family history researchers, November 11th, whether it’s titled Veteran's Day, Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day, offers an incentive to learn and to share information about family members with military service.
MILITARY DATA ON THE INTERNET:
Worldwide: http://www.cyndislist.com/milres.htm
USA: http://www.cyndislist.com/military.htm

MILITARY DATABASES ON ROOTSWEB
Did you know that volunteers have submitted military data to RootsWeb's User-Contributed Databases? You can find a list of the military databases and the submitters here.
The military databases found in RootsWeb's User-Contributed Databases include complete or partial listings of battalion units, bombardiers, ship crews, Army nurses, draft and enlistment records, radar training groups, radio operators and much more. The list of records submitted by volunteers is extensive.
Often the databases are the result of personal research. Once the information is gathered, generous volunteers have decided to share what they have found. Many genealogists send away for records in the course of their research and create a database from the information they have received. Researchers may have undertaken a project to gather information about the crew who served on a specific ship in wartime, or the members of a battalion. Either way, the end result can provide a goldmine of information when submitted for free access and searching at RootsWeb.
You can search all of the military databases in RootsWeb's User-Contributed Databases here.
Or perhaps you have collected military information you would like to share. If you have more than a single document or record listing either partial or complete military data, consider submitting it to the RootsWeb User-Contributed Databases here.
As an alternative, if you have a single document for a family member, you may wish to post it on an appropriate RootsWeb message board selecting the Military classification when posting.
You may consider posting military data on a surname board, or use an appropriate board found among the Military Topic boards.
Sharing military data is a fitting tribute and remembrance for those who have so selflessly served their country.