Received this today (12/22):
"Shaw AFB to shut down rail operations.
The DLA, which supplies fuel to the base and provides funding for the railroad, announced yesterday (12/21) that they would stop all rail shipments effective January 2017. The Shaw AFB and likely Beale AFB railroads are about to become redundant. USAF at Shaw is trying to fight this; they wish to keep the railroad and had already ordered 16 railcar loads per week for next year, more fuel than ever ordered by Shaw Rail before. With such an increase in traffic I am shocked and appalled that the DLA could make such a decision. No further details available at this time."
I suspect Beale's base railway will continue with its low volume of special fuel shipments for U-2 aircraft but eventually the aircraft and those shipments will go away as well.
"Shaw AFB to shut down rail operations.
The DLA, which supplies fuel to the base and provides funding for the railroad, announced yesterday (12/21) that they would stop all rail shipments effective January 2017. The Shaw AFB and likely Beale AFB railroads are about to become redundant. USAF at Shaw is trying to fight this; they wish to keep the railroad and had already ordered 16 railcar loads per week for next year, more fuel than ever ordered by Shaw Rail before. With such an increase in traffic I am shocked and appalled that the DLA could make such a decision. No further details available at this time."
I suspect Beale's base railway will continue with its low volume of special fuel shipments for U-2 aircraft but eventually the aircraft and those shipments will go away as well.
