NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 18, Issue 17

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Subj:  Military locomotives

While "never" may be too strong a term, it is generally unlikely that any of 
the various military services' locomotives were ever used on mainline service 
-- especially for any considerable distances.

Almost all of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy locomotives I ever saw were being 
used within various bases and/or depots as switch engines.  I have seen such 
locomotives at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Earle NJ Ammunition Depot and the 
Yorktown, VA ammunition depot.  In the Norfolk, VA area, it is certainly likely 
that from time to time a military locomotive moved cars from one base to 
another because there are many facilities there.  I recall a cousin telling me that 
the Marine Corps used to have fuel delivered to the Cherry Point Air Station 
by tank car using a Navy loco.

For MANY years, the U.S. Army had a Railway Training Center at Fort Eustis, 
VA. That base was home for the Army's rather extensive railroad equipment, much 
of which was actually used in Europe.  Fort Eustis also had a pretty 
extensive "training railroad" with about three miles of track, sidings, bridges, etc. 
where they could simulate operation of a real railroad.  Today, the Army 
Transportation Museum is at Fort Eustis and exhibits a number of Army locomotives 
and cars. (I was there in July of this year)

The Air Force had at least one locomotive (a small switcher, but I forget 
what type) at Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth.  It was used to move 
passenger car "classrooms" around the sprawling base.

Decades ago - probably before or during World War II -- the U.S. Coast Guard 
had a steam loco (either an 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 - tank engine) at either the CG 
Yard in Baltimore or at the CG Base in Boston (I've heard both "stories" and 
could never confirm which) I had only seen one partial photo of it.

Hope this helps.

Herb Kern
Mobile, AL