Date
1 - 9 of 9
BEFORE DODX????
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joel norman <mec-bml@...>
Gentleman:What was the agency used before DODX{before WW-2} to
transport military equipment...USATC marked flats???or just leased cars from the local railroads??? Thanks Joel Norman |
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benjaminfrank_hom <b.hom@...>
Joel Norman asked:
"What was the agency used before DODX {before WW-2} to transport military equipment...USATC marked flats??? or just leased cars from the local railroads???" First, a clarification: pre-DoD does NOT mean pre-WWII. The Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force were concurrently established in 1947. Short answer: The Army and the Navy maintained their own fleets of equipment before consolidation. However, there is ample photographic evidence of regular revenue service equipment hauling military loads. See the University of Virginia Signal Corps archive for examples. This link will take you to the UVa search page. http://tinyurl.com/66wo28 Items for further research: We've only scratched the surface regarding this subject. No comprehensive history of railroad equipment owned by the military has appeared in the enthusiast press. This is a subject just begging for a researcher. Ben Hom |
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Gene Green <bierglaeser@...>
In searching through the ORERs for another project I came across
USQX - the Q is for the Quartermaster Corps which was the Army's supply arm in the early days. Later the Ordinance Corps was split off the Quartermaster Corps. Ordinance supplies weapons, ammunition, vehicles and POL (petroleum, oils & lubricants). Besides USQX there is USSX and GPRX on tank cars back in the 1920s, USNX (Navy) on tank cars, USOX on tank cars, there was also CWSX during WWII. USAX and DAFX (Army and Air Force respectively) did not come into use until after WWII. I have a few ORERs but certainly not a complete set so the dates below are the first instance I found in the ORERs I have. CWSX - April 1943 DAFX - July 1954 GPRX - March 1923 USAX - April 1950 USNX - January 1942 USOX - January 1942 USQX - December 1928 USSX - March 1923 Gene Green |
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benjaminfrank_hom <b.hom@...>
Two more clarifications:
Gene Green wrote: "In searching through the ORERs for another project I came across USQX - the Q is for the Quartermaster Corps which was the Army's supply arm in the early days." The Quartemaster Corps still is the supply arm for the US Army: http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/ "Later the Ordinance Corps was split off the Quartermaster Corps. Ordinance supplies weapons, ammunition, vehicles and POL (petroleum, oils & lubricants)." It's not "ordinance", it's "ORDNANCE". An "ordinance" is a law. "Ordnance" is what you can use to enforce the law. Ben Hom |
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Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
The Quartemaster Corps still is the supply arm for the US Army:Since we're checking spelling closely, it's "Quartermaster." Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
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steve thornton
I have to agree with Ben's observation about this being a subject begging for a researcher. I currently work for the Army as a civilian, have for over 23 years, with four years of active duty before that. Trying to track when markings switched to DODX, and on what equipment is for a braver soul than I.
About nine or ten years ago I had the fun task of identifying what rail equipment the Army had (freight cars and locomotives) and where it was. At that time much of the rolling stock dated back to WWI - outside braced wooden boxcars. Locomotives included a variety of EMD and Baldwin switchers, some other smaller industrial units, and a handful of GP-9 and GP-40's bought secondhand. With the exception of the GP units, everything (rolling stock) was pretty much confined to in-plant switching at the ammo production facilities, while the locomotives were scattered at installations across the U.S. Steve Thornton [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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Gene Green <bierglaeser@...>
--- In STMFC@..., "benjaminfrank_hom" <b.hom@...> wrote:
Ben, I stand corrected on both counts. Gene Green |
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On Aug 25, 2008, at 9:29 AM, joel norman wrote:
Gentleman:What was the agency used before DODX{before WW-2} toJoel, Let me add to Ben's answer. DODX reporting marks did not come into use until after the Korean war. While there were a few special purpose flat cars in the military prior to that, the construction of heavy duty flats (a la Roco) by Magor in 1953 really marks the first time that the military looked to have its own cars for transporting equipment. Up until this time, RR owned cars were used. Since the military, like any other customer, paid for the railroad to pick up cargo at one point and discharge it at another, they no more "leased" the car than any other customer. During WWII, flat cars were in extremely short supply and so many gondolas were also used. If the equipment was loaded "circus style" by driving it onto the cars, then drop end gons were required, however if it was to be moved at both ends by cranes, then fixed end gons could also be used. The "local railroad" may have brought the cars to the loading point, but even in peacetime, there were few railroads with surplus cars for this, and so cars would have been drawn from whatever sources were available, car service rules suspended or ignored, and the trains would have resembled the national pool, especially for flat cars. The machinations involved in serving large movements of equipment coincident with troop movements prior to mid 1942 are quite impressive. Regards Bruce Bruce F. Smith Auburn, AL http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2 "Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield." __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0 |
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Yes, there are some vintage freight cars out there at military
instalations: tank cars, flat cars, box cars. Many may end up as tank or demolition targets. Having been an Army dependent and worked for AAFES for a short time my eyes have seen that equipment. At least some of it cries out to be preserved and running on some tourist railroad somewhere. In some locales the climate has preserved these cars well. Many locos end up in the government surplus market but not the vintage freight cars... Victor Baird Fort Wayne, Indianaa --- In STMFC@..., steve thornton <clinch953@...> wrote: rail equipment the Army had (freight cars and locomotives) and where it was. At that time much of the rolling stock dated back to WWI - outside braced wooden boxcars. |
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