and he notes -
Santa Fe's 1942 documentary "Loaded For War" (Emporium Pictures
"Santa Fe Railroad Film Collection Vol. I" DVD No. VC124) shows flat
cars being loaded from concrete ramps located at the end of a series
of yard tracks. Tanks, jeeps, half-tracks etc. are driven the length
of the cut then lashed in place by Army personnel. It is obvious that
the loading facility was located on an Army base as most railroad
yards would have a tie and gravel or team track ramp for loading farm
equipment or early trailer service. The PRR did have concrete ramps
before the War as they started trailers on flats in the 30s.
The film shows a battalion movement with gear being loaded in box
cars and several Pullman's for the troops. They took everything with
them including field kitchens, ammunition and whatever else they
needed to be self sufficient.
Early in the War, It was common practice for soldiers to man the
tanks and half-tracks to protect the movement from potential
saboteurs but as the War deepened and beach heads were established
overseas, long lines of military equipment were shipped to
debarkation ports covered in tarpaulin with crews riding in coaches
at the end of the train (though not always).
I remember seeing long trains of tarp covered equipment moving north
though my home town of Nashua, New Hampshire during the War and the
only precautions taken were Police guarding crossings. Except for a
few minor incidents at the War's beginning, no sabotage occurred on
U. S. railroads during the War. There were track-walkers covering
every inch of the mainline, Railroad Dicks around terminals and
bridges and trestles guarded by FBI personnel (or contractors hired by them).
The grade school I attended during the War was only a few blocks from
the B&M's mainline (NH Division) to White River Jct. and Wells River,
VT. for connections with CN (via Cent. Vt.) & CP lines to Canada. I
remember one time we all piled into the school basement when an
ammunition train came through. It was supposed to be a precaution in
case of a derailment or sabotage. Looking back today I can't help
thinking of the futility of the act - if the dam thing blew up the
school would have been flattened and I'd be playing a harp!
As I mentioned security was pretty tight and more than once I was
escorted home by a local gendarme for hanging around the railroad
station. I guess they thought I was a midget "fifth columnist"...
Raleigh in balmy Maine
www.emporiumpictures.com
At 12:55 AM 10/22/2007, ed_loizeaux wrote:
>Dr. Don and others....
>
>I have a book with two photos showing the loading of tanks onto
>flatcars. etc.
>
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