During World War II, the U.S. government relied on America’s extensive railway system to move the millions of enlisted personnel (close to 44 million armed services personnel traveled via U.S. railroads from December 1942 to June 1945) across the country to and from various bases and assignments. This form of transportation was the most practical given the gasoline rationing, the lack of an interstate highway system and only a few readily available passenger air crafts. Read more in our blog. http://www.trovestar.com/generic/blog.php?Article=42
Five bucks says the corporal loses the lower bunk to the Staff Sargent (assuming the 1st Sargent has separate quarters). The guy in the middle bunk, is that a Lt. bar on his collar or just a shadow from his collar. If a Lt. then he would not be in with the enlisted men.
The rails contributed a damned sight more than troop movements--in both wars. And of course gas rationing didn't affect the military--any more than rubber rationing kept the military from getting tires--but those things were still in short supply, and better used on the battle fronts. The railroads had a massive traffic increase during the war years. Many had to put off maintenance because they simply couldn't shut things down for trackwork and move the traffic that had to be moved. And the land grant roads did it for a huge discount, too. Just in case people know little enough about history to think that the land grants were corporate welfare. My dad rode a troop train with those triple-deck bunk beds. His engineer was apprently not experienced with passenger trains, because he kept putting slack in the couplers like a freight hogger and jerking the train into motion one car at a time. He said as they got underway after each water stop, he woke up--in mid-air, halfway between that upper bunk and the floor.
Here is my collection of MAIN train consists. One thing to note is that the 50' troop cars were short in number while Pullman sleepers (tourist sleepers as well as Air Conditioned named cars were a part of what was used to move troops). Also note that some roads provided baggage cars for use as stowage of equipment and as make shift kitchen cars in place of the 50' kitchen cars. Some movements involved military assigned cars to regular passenger trains (assigned cars denoted by BOLD lettering). MP #4 (2nd Section), 1/13/42, Little Rock, AR MP 1406 2-8-2 Mikado PULL 1313 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1619 12 Sect 1 DR CB&Q 47 Baggage PULL 1627 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1626 12 Sect 1 DR L&N 1437 Baggage MP #3 (2nd Section), 1/29/42, Little Rock, AR MP 1409 2-8-2 Mikado PULL 1192 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1820 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1997 12 Sect 1 DR NYC 8483 Baggage PULL 1223 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1318 12 Sect 1 DR Rochambeau Stand (???) (name hard to read) 12 Sect 1 DR MP 3336 Reefer SOU MAIN 68638, 12/24/43, Danville VA SOU 4813 2-8-2 Mikado B&O 1591 Baggage Car PULL 6001 TC 16 Sect PULL PARK WOOD 14 Sect PULL 1054 TC 14 Sect ACL 535 Baggage Car equipped as Troop Kitchen PULL POINT DUME 10 Sect 2 DR PULL 4265 TC 16 Sect PULL 7113 Troop Sleeper PULL 7021 Troop Sleeper PULL 7257 Troop Sleeper SAL 458 Baggage Car equipped as Troop Kitchen PULL 7280 Troop Sleeper x PULL GLENARTNEY 7 Comp 2 DR PULL PALO 12 Sect 1 DR PULL SAN MARCIAL 10 Sect lounge observation NYC (Canada Southern) MAIN 8829, 3/1/44 NYC 5367 Hudson LV 1229 baggage - express PRR 9588 box express PULL 7088 Troop Sleeper PULL 7495 Troop Sleeper PULL 7029 Troop Sleeper PULL 7467 Troop Sleeper PULL 7493 Troop Sleeper PULL 7381 Troop Sleeper PULL 7155 Troop Sleeper PULL 7489 Troop Sleeper PULL 2461 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL BEXAR 3410A 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 2002 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 2580 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1669 2410F 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 2123 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 1302 2410 12 Sect 1 DR NYC (Canada Southern) MAIN 9721, 3/11/44 NYC 5366 Hudson B&A 850 HW baggage NYC 737 HW coach B&A 456 HW coach NYC 1900 HW coach NYC 8243 HW baggage NYC 1845 HW coach NYC 1378 HW coach NYC 1481 HW coach P&LE 402 HW coach NYC 8336 HW baggage NYC 1838 HW coach NYC 1853 HW coach B&A 517 HW coach NYC (Canada Southern) EXTRA 5374, CANADIAN TROOP TRAIN (?), 4/14/44 NYC 5474 Hudson REX 1316 EXPRESS REEFER NYC 2233 HW coach NYC 1615 HW coach NYC 8268 HW baggage NYC 1460 HW coach PULL MANIVET 2410A 12 Sect 1 DR PULL LAON 2410F 12 Sect 1 DR NYC 1712 HW coach NYC 8003 HW baggage NYC 1265 HW coach PULL WALTON 3410A 12 Sect 1 DR L&N derailment, High Cliff, Tn., 7/6/44 L&N 418 Mountain Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car Pullman troop kitchen Pullman troop sleeper Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car HW baggage Pullman troop sleeper Pullman troop sleeper Pullman troop sleeper Pullman troop kitchen Pullman troop sleeper Pullman troop sleeper HW baggage NYC (Canada Southern) MAIN 30842, Prisoner Transfer train, 7/18/44 NYC 5246 Hudson NYC 5104 HEAVYWEIGHT RPO PULL 1441 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR NYC 1795 HW coach NYC 1350 HW coach NYC 1721 HW coach NYC 1453 HW coach NYC 1652 HW coach PULL 2526 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL K393 Troop Kitchen PULL K396 Troop Kitchen NYC 1908 HW coach NYC 1838 HW coach NYC 1876 HW coach NYC 1664 HW coach NYC 1674 HW coach PULL 2561 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR NYC (Canada Southern) MAIN 30842R, Prisoner Transfer train, 7/18/44 While this train has no info on it it may have been cars from a prisoner tranfer train returning to its origination. This might explain not only its length but the cars themselves. Coaches would likely be returned on whatever passenger train that could be found, with the coaches not being able to immediately being turned back due to the necessary processing of prisoners who likely were held on the cars, awaiting off-loading and confinement. NYC 5246 Hudson NYC 5104 HEAVYWEIGHT RPO PULL 2561 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 2526 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL K396 Troop Kitchen PULL 1441 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL EAST BARRE HW Plan 3410 12 Sect 1 DR NYC (Canada Southern) MAIN 31680, 7/26/44 While this train has no info on it it may have been cars from a prisoner transfer train returning to its origination. This might explain not only its length but the cars themselves. Coaches would likely be returned on whatever passenger train that could be found, with the coaches not being able to immediately being turned back due to the necessary processing of prisoners who likely were held on the cars, awaiting off-loading and confinement. NYC 5219 Hudson NYC 7738 HW baggage B&A 821 HW baggage NYC 8658 HW baggage PULL 2487 HW TC 2410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL 6074 HW TC 2412 16 Sect PULL MENDON 2521E 10 Sect lounge observation CRIP collison, Norton, Ks., 9/3/44 CRIP 5061 Northern express boxcar wood baggage Pullman troop sleeper Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car wood troop kitchen Pullman tourist car Pullman sleeper Pullman tourist car Pullman tourist car caboose GN 12/11/44, #2 Empire Builder (2nd section), Seattle, Wa. Military assigned cars in BOLD. Engine 2500 From Seattle to Skykomish Engine 5014 & 5015 From Skykomish to Wenatchee (electrics) Engine 2509 From Wenatchee to Spokane Heater Car GN 6, Skykomish to Wenatchee " "rm GN 659, Seattle to Spokane Coach CB&Q 4811, " " Coach GN 904, " " Coach GN 962, " " Diner GN 1031, " " Coach GN 954, " " Coach GN 944, " " Coach GN 941, " " Coach GN 955, " " Tourist Sleeper Pullman 1268 Plan 2410, Seattle to Spokane Troop Sleeper Pullman 8070, " " Troop Sleeper Pullman 7866, " " Tourist Sleeper Pullman 3074 Plan 2410 " " Minot Plan 2410F 12-1 " " GN Train 2 Empire Builder 12/21/44. Military assigned cars in BOLD. Engine 2520 From Spokane to Wenatchee Engine 5015 and 5014 From Wenatchee to Skykomish (electric) Engine (not noted) From Skykomish to Seattle Heater Car GN 7, Wenatchee to Skykomish Mail-Baggage GN 59, Spokane to Seattle Baggage CB&Q 1598, " " " "rm GN 666, " " Coach CB&Q 4800, " " Coach GN 950, " " Coach GN 951, " " Diner 1046, " " Coach GN 940, " " Coach GN 977, " " Coach GN 961, " " Pullman 1808 Plan 2410B, " " Pullman 1278 Plan 2410F, " " Pullman 2606 Plan 2410, " " Pullman 2601 Plan 2410B, " " SOU Train 27, 9/11/45, Asheville N.C. Military assigned cars in BOLD. This train had three sleepers on its rear specifically listed as being a part of a MAIN movement. Cars may have been in use by military personel on Furlough. Engs 1477 + 1493 Pacifics Sou 68 mail (RPO) Sou 312 express Sou 690 baggage-coach Sou 3748 coach Sou 3753 coach Sou 3782 coach Sou 1491 coach Sou 1583 coach Sou 3626 coach PULL McNeely 12 Sect 1DR Goldsboro-Cincinnati Sou 3165 diner PULL Fort Travis 10 Sect 1 DR 2 Comp Charleston-Chicago PULL Brockway 12 Sect 1 DR Charleston-Chicago PULL 6041 (?) Troop Sleeper Main 32400 PULL President Jefferson 7 Comp 2 DR Main 32400 PULL 2207 Plan 2410F 12 Sect 1 DR tourist sleeper Main 32400 PRR collison, Coshocton, Oh., 9/11/50 (The cars listed as "coach" below may have actually been Pullman sleeper cars. The investigator of a crash had the option on how to list such cars.) PRR 5444 + PRR 5526 ALCO RS3s HW express HW express HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach Pullman troop kitchen HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach Pullman troop kitchen HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach HW coach MP train 10 The Missourian, 6/28/58, Kansas City, Mo. Military assigned cars in BOLD. This train had four sleepers on its rear specifically listed as being a part of a MAIN movement. Cars may have been in use by military personel on Furlough. MP 8026 PA3 MP 8010 PA1 SP 6021 Express St Louis REX 7006 Express Memphis PA 2273 Storage Mail Philadelphia PA 5756 Storage Mail Pittsburgh ATSF 1712 Storage Mail St Louis ATSF 9716 Express St Louis NYC 8726 Storage Mail St Louis MP 2131 RPO St Louis MP 2580 Storage Mail St Louis MP 4206 Storage Mail St Louis MP 4231 Express St Louis MP 6181 Hvt Coach St Louis MP 6192 Hvt Coach St Louis MP Clover Spray 8 Sect 5 DBR St Louis Main 623 PULL Vicker 10 Sect 3 DBR St Louis Main 623 NP Chief Big Medicine 10 Sect 1 Comp 1 DR St Louis Main 623 NP Chief Red Wolf 10 Sect 1 Comp 1 DR St Louis Main 623 MP 1/3/63, Little Rock, Ar., "Furlough Special" MP 320 GP7 MP 326 GP7 PRR Fredericktown Plan 3410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL Glen Dale Plan 3523A 6 Comp 3 DR B&O Clover Lodge Plan 4036A 8 Sect 5 DBR SAL Pinnacle Tower Plan 4090D 8 Sect 3 DBR -1 DR PULL Poplar Lodge Plan 4060 6 DB 6 Sect MP 842 diner-coach PULL Rockport Plan 3410 12 Sect 1 DR PULL Glen Ridge Plan 3523F 6 Comp 3 DR PRR Villa Palatial Plan 3411B 10 Sect 3 DBR PULL Lake George Plan 3585 10 Sect 1 DR 2 Comp I also have two on-line articles tied to Troop Sleepers and Hospital Ward cars. Here are the links for these two articles... http://n-scalevarnish.info/index/varnish/Drafted 1.htm http://n-scalevarnish.info/index/varnish/Drafted 2.htm And if you might want to build your own bunks to finish the interior of a MT Troop Sleeper, here is a link to a drawing discussing the construction of such bunks... http://n-scalevarnish.info/index/varnish/Troop 3-tier Bunk.gif
My father rode a few troop trains. They were not quite as pictured above, the way he described them. Especially those he rode overseas.
My father was thee Chief Clerk to the Trainmaster and Road Foreman of Engines from 1936 through the seventies in Lim Ohio on th NKP. Twice he was drafted and he and my mother said their goodbyes. Both times he was taken off the bus before it left - once by the army and once by the railroad to keep the trains running. It was a 7 day a week job then and he also worked evenings at the Lima Locomotive Works. However, he said they really did not have anything for him to do. During the mid 60s I worked summers as a fireman on the NKP out of Lima and many of the crews told me about their experiences on the railroad during the war. Many said that they would be called for a train that had been sitting in a siding around Lima to relieve the crew only to never turn a wheel either on freights or troop trains as the priorities were changing so rapidly. no wonder many of those troops never wanted to ride a train again.
