Current Military Rail Operations

According to Railfan Loconotes, the long planned and long delayed move of the Utah Rail Center from Hill AFB Ogden, Utah, to Anniston Army Depot, Alabama is finally set to occur this September (2021). Units at Hill currently are US Army 1400 (ex Espee GP9e), 4605, 4607, 4618, 4626, 4627, all former IC GP10's and former VRE GP40 4670. The 4670 is still in VRE paint, according to reports, and plans for the unit are unknown. Money for this move had been redirected by the previous administration, but plans are now on track to consolidate all heavy vehicle (rail and tracked) repair at Anniston.

riffian wrote: ↑Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:46 pm Another of the rebuilt 80 tonners heard from. enroute to Newport, RI for a tourist operation.
https://www.govplanet.com/for-sale/Rail ... 1-158-2980

Do you know any way I can track the move of this engine? I live up here so I’m interested in seeing it delivered. Any idea what railroad interchanges with the base it’s at?

Sorry, no idea. In my experience, these 80 tonners are usually shipped on heavy duty flats. Newport has no connection to the outside world, does it?? If so, it will have to be transloaded to a lowboy truck for the final few miles from the P&W.

That’s alright, very few ways to track these things. I’ve got some info, it’s already been loaded onto a flatcar and will be trucked to the island from the Seaview Railroad for the last stretch to Newport

1667 went through Elkhart, IN yesterday, at 1630hrs.

1667 interchanged this morning at Gardiner, MA from PanAm to the Providence and Worcester. Incorrectly identified as a 44 tonner and as a "mystery".

Negative report on Army rail capability:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpec ... 2377378ab9

Fort Eustis to operate excursions, but only for military and contractor families. Post museum remains open, however.

https://railfan.com/u-s-army-transporta ... ay-trains/

Because of the trouble in the Ukraine there have been quite a few videos recently of Russian armor loading and unloading from flat cars. Seems to be very simple platforms or embankments slightly lower than the flats. Are these purpose built depots? Makes me wonder how loading and unloading is done in the US military. Looks like the Russian guys can get on and off in a hurry with not very much gear.

Ramps onto flatcars, that's how it's done. Depending on how good the drivers are, you can load a lot in one day.

Preferred to be a ground spotter myself, loaded a few such trains during my time in the US Army 2010-2013. Not sure how the other branches do it.

I'm seeing more videos, this time two different end loading ramps at what appear to be stations. Is this circus style? One was a improvised looking thing out of rough timbers and railroad ties. The other looked planned and was made from what looked like recently poured concrete walls.
This is surreal. What's old is new. we're right back to 20th century tactical railroading. The "firstest with the mostest" arrives by rail. Politics aside, it might be worth considering, are we ready to move a couple of armored divisions to Europe? Quick?

The Russians will be in Kiev by noon Eastern on Thursday. Sending US armor that won't get there for weeks doesn't accomplish much.

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Only if one was just worried about the Ukraine.....

I wouldn't hold your breath... the Army has already shut down a good bit of its overseas footprint in the last decade; the USAF base I stayed at in Kyrgyzstan while coming in and out of Afghanistan almost 11 years ago is no longer under our control.

We don't deploy on a whim simply because of media fear-mongering.

Let those folks handle themselves, and keep our taxes from funding another needless military conflict that doesn't involve us.