# Railroads Support the War Effort!



## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Classic World War II video here...






Sorry it gets choppy so often. At least the line "Look at this old slobber bucket!" survived intact. It almost looks like one of TJ's restoration projects!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

eljefe said:


> It almost looks like one of TJ's restoration projects!


Thank you! That's gives me great inspiration!!!

TJ


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

I'm not quite sure I understand your question. Yes, railroads were a contributor in transporting military supplies during World War II.

We also had another thread about military vehicles on flat cars:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=14456


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## wsorfan4003 (Jan 14, 2013)

TheTrainMan said:


> Is this true what the thread title said. But ive seen tanks on trains before


It was WWII, yes railroads served a major part in war, transporting troops and gear. Railroads had to use different materials when building locos during war time for different reasons such as a material was needed in making bombs or tanks, etc. Everyone provided help to help the boys kick old Adolf's rear (and Benito, and Hirohito) Kids gathered scrap metal, families used different ingredients to cook with and (one of my personal favorites, even though I don't like bacon...) collected bacon grease because it was used in bombs... :laugh: I think I got off the original topic 

Hey TM? Did you know America didn't declare war on Germany? Germany declared war on the US after we declared war on Japan 12/09/41


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

I can tell you a little more about the start of that film. When they were talking about Camp Hood, now Ft Hood, the railhead/loading ramps they used are still there and still being used to this day. They have loaded vehicles and equipment going to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. In one part of the film if you look close in the background you can see some 2 story wooden white buildings/barracks, well they just tore those down in the past year. North Ft Hood is still being used to train up reserve and national guard units before being deployed. I was stationed here '74 to '82 and have been a firefighter here since I transferred back in '90.


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## wsorfan4003 (Jan 14, 2013)

Davidfd85 said:


> I can tell you a little more about the start of that film. When they were talking about Camp Hood, now Ft Hood, the railhead/loading ramps they used are still there and still being used to this day. They have loaded vehicles and equipment going to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. In one part of the film if you look close in the background you can see some 2 story wooden white buildings/barracks, well they just tore those down in the past year. North Ft Hood is still being used to train up reserve and national guard units before being deployed. I was stationed here '74 to '82 and have been a firefighter here since I transferred back in '90.


That's nice knowledge David, pretty cool that it is still used today...


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

I found a quote in a book I just finished this weekend that made me think of this thread.

Referring to the overwhelming demand for trains in 1942, General Eisenhower stated: "Guns were loaded on flatcars, if flatcars were available; on gondolas if they could be had; and freight cars if nothing else was at hand. The men traveled in deluxe Pullmans, in troop sleepers, in modern coaches, and in day cars that had been obsolete and sidetracked in the yards for a generation and were now drafted for emergency troop movements. The trains were inundated."


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

Here are a few pictures of the railhead area at Camp Hood/Ft Hood today. They still use this area but also have a newer railhead west of here. If you look up Killeen, TX on Google maps use the satellite view and follow the tracks west you can see it really good. It is funny because when you get to the first/old railhead when you zoom in you can see the frames were taken at different times. The large construction site to the north is a new hospital being built but if you zoom in close enough it goes back to the very beginning of construction.




























It would have to be raining the only day I remember to bring my camera to work.


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