Ammo dumps

[MountainMan]

I've been doing some research lately and have found that several of the old ammunition dumps built for WWII have new roles. The depot at Susanville, CA for example handles depleted uranium as well as a number of other logistics activities.

The depot at Pueblo, CO has long been working on the disposal of mustard gas and other agents.

These are large installations which were extensively rail-served in their heydey, and would make outstanding projects for those so inclined.

[Brakie]

These are large installations which were extensively rail-served in their heydey, and would make outstanding projects for those so inclined.
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Indeed..Mid Ohio Industrial Park in Shelby(Oh) and Marion industrial Center in Marion(Oh) are former WWII supply depots.These could easily be modeled by modeling several industries( need signs only) using the former Government warehouses..

Both are still rail served.

[MountainMan]

These are large installations which were extensively rail-served in their heydey, and would make outstanding projects for those so inclined.
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Indeed..Mid Ohio Industrial Park in Shelby(Oh) and Marion industrial Center in Marion(Oh) are former WWII supply depots.These could easily be modeled by modeling several industries( need signs only) using the former Government warehouses..

Both are still rail served.

Several of them on the West Coast and in the West are as well. Sierra Depot, Navaho Depot, Pueblo Depot and Susanville Depot come most quickly to mind. Susanville handles depleted uranium, among other things., while Pueblo, of course, incinerates poison gases, and right next door to Pueblo Depot is the National Transportation Railroad Test Center! There are also two ammo dumps and a lot of interesting traffic into the National Training Center at Fort Irwin - beans, bullets a fuel of all types. A Division needs up to two hundred tons of supplies per day to stay in the field. Not all of the extensive rail network is still in place in many cases, but plenty is let, and environmental concerns could justify replacing some of the rail to reduce the number of gas-guzzling trucks.

[teejay]

I agree , that would be a unique and most interesting theme ....hope someone grabs that idea .

T

[Green_Elite_Cab]

A perfect opportunity for an entire model railroad might be Earle Naval Weapons Station, here in New Jersey. Its a pretty extensive facility on the northern end of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This is a major stockpile of naval shells, bombs, missiles, etc. for the Atlantic Fleet. There are a couple interesting things about this operation-

1.) it has its own private government owned branch from the interior of New Jersey all the way to the shore.

2.) At the shore is a MASSIVE pier, that separates at the ends almost like a trident. Its big enough that you can almost see it from space (you should have no problem finding it with google earth, just look south of Staten Island"). MANY resupply ships should be able to dock there.

3.) At least into the LATE 1990s, the Navy used Baldwin switchers (VO1000s) painted in yellow to do this work. To put this in perspective, Almost all Baldwin switchers were gone from the area before Penn Central was formed in 1968, and the remainder were immeadiately retired by Conrail in 1976.

4.) The navy apparently also used to run a yearly passenger train for handicapped children from a nearby school, using borrowed coaches from the CNJ. Apparently, the base acquired an ex-PRR P70 coach from NJ transit sometimes in the early 80s. Apparently there was much red tape that wasn't present from either CNJ or Conrail in regards to loaning coaches. The author of the previously mentioned book, Robert Yanosey, was the director of rail transportation at NJ transit at the time. He had them pull the best P70 they could find out of the scrap line. The trip apparently was a success, but the bureaucratic paperwork at NJ transit was so much, that it was easier to just give the coach to the navy, rather than try and get it back (it was to be scrapped anyway).

This coach apparently was repainted by the navy for this trip, though I haven't found any photos of it.


I have no idea what sort of power currently runs in the base, or if they still run that excursion train (the book made it sound like this event still occurred up until fairly recently). Still, that is plenty of opportunity for some interesting stuff.


I could easily see a point-to-point layout, with the bunkers and yard at one end, a short "branch" through the pine barrens, and the other end being the LONG pier. The tracks would have to cross the PRR/CNJ owned NY&LB, and maybe even do some interchange.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Here is an article about Earle's efforts at restoring and maintaining railcars for use in transporting weapons. there are some excellent pictures and basic information included- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/Documents/SuccessStories/SuccessStories2/107_Asbst_RR_Restor.pdf">http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/D ... Restor.pdf</a><!-- m -->

also useful, a roster of military locomotives at specific bases, grouped by branch of service-

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://military.railfan.net/roster/">http://military.railfan.net/roster/</a><!-- m -->

Looks like Earle was still running the occaision excursion train even into the year 2000. There appears to be quite a string of URHS owned passenger cars behind those switchers! These URHS cars are former Jersey Builder, ex Empire Builder cars, for the curious.

[MountainMan]

This is worth a look. These are the coordinates for NWSErle. o40°15'55.43" N 74°09'25.02" W

Google Earth won't let me copy the image.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

This is worth a look. These are the coordinates for NWSErle. o40°15'55.43" N 74°09'25.02" W

Google Earth won't let me copy the image.

Here are some links to a bing maps birds eye view- The pier- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://binged.it/1bPFftK">http://binged.it/1bPFftK</a><!-- m -->

Here is the base itself. Normandy Road follows the branch all the way to the pier. It is heavily guarded, and though normany road has no gates, only Earle personnel and emergency vehicles can use it. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://binged.it/1biwCwR">http://binged.it/1biwCwR</a><!-- m -->

[MountainMan]

Susanville Depot:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://intellihub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/herlong-ca-military-base.jpg">http://intellihub.com/wp-content/upload ... y-base.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Sierra Army Depot: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Sierra+Army+Depot&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=sierra+army+depot&sc=0-0&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&id=C8C67D0E5150C4DCB9B5D79130BC100638E06165&selectedIndex=24">http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Sie ... edIndex=24</a><!-- m -->

Navaho Army Depot: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Navaho+Army+Depot&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=navaho+army+depot&sc=0-2&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&id=D88F8E12A9899276FB49BBD7F174885928D5A148&selectedIndex=2">http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Nav ... tedIndex=2</a><!-- m -->

Toele Army Depot: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.aliendave.com/files/Photos/Dugway/Terraserver_TooeleArmyDepot.jpg">http://www.aliendave.com/files/Photos/D ... yDepot.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Umatilla Army Depot: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/foothill/images/usn6500545csrm.jpg">http://www.trainweb.org/foothill/images ... 45csrm.jpg</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Umatilla+Army+Depot&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=umatilla+army+depot&sc=0-0&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&id=46FA1B8420AEC74C9CE64B84960962DFF5D1AD27&selectedIndex=162">http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Uma ... dIndex=162</a><!-- m -->

[nkp_174]

NAD - Nanakuli Ammunition Depot. On the west coast of Oahu. Served by the Oahu Railway until they abandoned their mainline and then the portion from NAD to the West Lock of Pearl Harbor was taken over by the US Navy which operated it into the 70's when Hawaiian Railway Society took it over and uses a portion of it to this day.

Into the 1970s, you could see D&RGW 3000 series and C&S boxcars sitting at NAD and loaded with 8" shells for USN cruisers.

NAD will be, in some form (probably a siding with hidden track), on my model railroad. The new Bachmann On30 diesels, regauged to On3, would be appropriate power for it as there where a number of them used all over Oahu and I need a couple of them.

During WW2, ammo was stored in a number of places...including in the fields of sugar plantations. The Oahu Railway was the artery for moving the ammo, troops, and supplies (and railway guns). The Hawaiian WWII Photo Album has photos of bomb trains passing through Waipahu and up to Schofield Barracks.