40 & 8 box cars.

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I made a journey coming home from the ETO in the WW II version  of the 40&8. 
This was from Heidelberg Germany to Le Harve France in  March 1946. Don't 
remember for sure how many was in each car but really  crowded, if you were in the 
end of the car very tricky getting to the door  in the dark to empty bladder, 
lots of groaning and bad language from prone  bodies being steeped on. Talk 
about a ragged looking train this was in March and  still chilly each car had a 
portable stove about the size of a metal beer keg  with about four feet of 
stove pipe then an elbow and two feet out the door, They  gave us a sack of some 
king of compressed peat and coal that was short on BTU's  but big on smoke So 
picture this twenty car train rattling along at about  20 MPH with smoke 
poring out of these stove pipes. Miserable trip took four  days and nights.    But 
  We Were Headed Home!!!
R F  Smith
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