Railroads that went to War...

Great thread Brian!  Lots of information contained in your photos.  In what location (s) were the photos taken?

 photos show the landing of U. S. Army railway equipment directly on the          Normandy beaches sometime during the Summer of 1944.

A cool scene for a layout.

One of the first American-made locomotives to reach France is swung from the Seatrain Texas by the crane ship Lapland and lowered to the rails on the Quai de Homet in Cherbourg, France, in August 1944.

Some of those engines have seen a long service in France after the war, just some modifications were made for service here;

A world war I boxcar has been recently restored for the centenial of the war, near La Rochelle,

Daniel

briansilvermustang posted:

 photos show the landing of U. S. Army railway equipment directly on the          Normandy beaches sometime during the Summer of 1944.

Quite a bit of RR equipment along with countless thousands of tons of supplies, arms, and vehicles had to come across the beaches until the Channel ports were opened up--first captured and then cleared of obstruction and destruction.  The floating harbors--the Mulberries--were helpful but not really able to handle the necessary capacity.

Rusty

          http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/i...portation_Corps.html

Some more pictures of the restored US boxcar, 

And a restored loco in a french museum, still in working condition,

Daniel

Rusty

Santa Fe, in conjunction with the various US military divisions, put together this educational film in early 1940's to show the role the railroads were playing in the war effort. .

          https://youtu.be/o4QFQN1Pr2o

       1944 Santa Fe Railroad Film Trains Loaded For War  

        https://youtu.be/RYaErZNsd2M

   https://www.amazon.com/Railroa...ton-Jr/dp/B00005XRSH

dkdkrd posted:

This book just arrived at our store (LHS).  New from Heimberger House...

KD

Think this was published around 2011. Is it a revised edition?

These are both good books that cover that era of time.

The Iron Horse at War

Decade of the Trains: The 1940s

Rusty Traque posted:

are you sure they aren't trying to "rocket" power this one ?

Rusty

The bottom left box car at 8-9 oclock to the turntable has a window of sorts with what looks like a metal well or patch, possibly leaning outward at an angle like a window box. Do you suppose this an early boxcar/way car, armored car, a combo?  Basically when I hear about early make-shift cabooses from box cars I've envisioned something like this, but without the metal (it looks like metal to me, an even black and very smooth) I suppose it could be a drop slide too, similar to an ice door; but for what? 

It either way, it would make a neat project car if more info is out there. It has a unique look to it.

Love the headlamp on the pilots of the old breeds too. Those are something I'd like to see made.

Nice collection of Old Timers in "general" Rusty

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

Santa Fe, in conjunction with the various US military divisions, put together this educational film in early 1940's to show the role the railroads were playing in the war effort. .

          https://youtu.be/o4QFQN1Pr2o

 

True you can watch it on youtube.Its a very well done picture.