JOURNAL OF THE CSXT® HISTORICAL SOCIETY ______Volume 5 Number 4______
FORT EUSTIS MILITARY RAILROAD A CSXT CONNECTING RAIL LINE
CSXTHS is not affiliated with CSX Transportation® and is a nonprofit corporation chartered under the laws of Kentucky.
CSX Transportation ® and its logos are used here within with the written permission of CSX Transportation. ®
1 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
PRESIDENT MESSAGE In CSXT Journal, volume 5 #2 on page 25 we ran a photo of a lady wearing a Chessie scarf and asked, “WHO IS THIS LADY?” Below is the answer to this question. The lady is Mrs. Mary Kimpton, longtime director of Chessie. Her husband, Dr. Lawrence Kimpton, was a director of C&O from the late 1960s until his death in the mid-1970s. Dr. Kimpton was a noted educator, serving as President of the University of Chicago in the 1940s when the atomic bomb was developed under the code name "Manhattan Project". He joined the board at the invitation of Cyrus S. Eaton, long time Chairman of the Board of C&O. When I was elected President of C&O in April 1971, it was my privilege to serve under Dr. Kimpton for several years. He had untold stories about development of the atomic bomb, and personally knew most of those responsible for its successful tests. He was at Alamagordo when the first successful test was made in July 1945. After his death, the Board asked his widow to join the Chessie Board. Mrs. Kimpton was a well-known consultant and educator at the time, and was an outstanding member of the Board until her death about 1979. Both Dr. Kimptons were valuable members of the Board of Directors.
Hays Watkins Chairman Emeritus CSX SEE PAGE 25 FOR INFORMATION ON 2017 CSXTHS CONVENTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – page 2 THE FORT EUSTIS RAILROAD, A CSXT CONNECTING RAILROAD - page 3 CSXT LOCOMOTIVE STATUS 1 JANUARY 2017 – page 20 CSXT LOCOMOTIVES IN STORAGE, RUSSELL, KENTUCKY 1 JUNE 2017 – page 21 STILL IN SERVICE – page 24 2017 CONVENTION INFORMATION – page 25
COVER PHOTO CSXT 766, a GE ES44H, leads an empty coal drag west past U. S. Army 1880 at Lee Hall Junction.
2 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
FORT EUSTIS RAILROAD A CSXT CONNECTING ROAD
The Fort Eustis Military Railroad is situated totally within the boundaries of Fort Eustis, Virginia. The railroad’s purpose is to provide railroad operation and maintenance training to members of the U.S. Army’s Transportation Corps and to move railcars to and from an interexchange with CSXT at Lee Hall Junction, Virginia. The Fort Eustis Military Railroad presently consists of 21.6 miles, but there was once 31 miles of track. The Fort Eustis mainline connection at Lee Hall is one mile outside the gate. The US Army owns the track right up to the CSX connection on the east end of the Lee Hall 3rd Rail. Technically speaking, the Fort Eustis boundary (although outside the cantonment area) reaches this far. Fort Eustis then operates over the mile-long CSX siding at Lee Hall. CSX comes over US Army tracks to reach the Oakland Industrial Park, an agreement established 10 August 1983. The Fort Eustis Railroad was built in 1918 to support Camp Abraham Eustis, a sub-station of the Coast Artillery School then located at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1923, Camp Abraham Eustis became Fort Eustis and was used to train Coast Artillery officers and men assigned to man railroad cars mounting 8-inch guns and 12-inch mortars. Annual firing of these rail guns was conducted at Fort Story, Virginia, located at Cape Henry. The guns and their supporting rail cars
3 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017 were moved from Lee Hall Junction to Norfolk, Virginia, by Chesapeake & Ohio Railway via rail and barge. At Norfolk, the railcars were picked up by Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad and delivered to Norfolk Southern Railroad who inter-exchanged them with the Fort Story Military Railroad at Virginia Beach, Virginia. During World War II, 1941-1945, the rail guns and mortars were dispersed to various harbor and coast defense positions in the United States and overseas. During World War II, Fort Eustis was used for anti-aircraft training, General Hospital, and POW Camp. In 1946, Fort Eustis became the home of the Transportation Corps School. Part of the school’s curriculum was the operating of trains powered by both steam and diesel locomotives and the loading and unloading of ships. Circa 1972, the U.S. Army deemphasized the military operation of railroads as a wartime mission and, in 2003, turned operation of Fort Eustis Railroad to a civilian contractor. Members of the Transportation Corps, however, continued to be instructed in loading and unloading of trains, but the maintenance and operations of a railroad and its equipment was no longer part of the Transportation Corps mission. Currently the Fort Eustis Railroad training mission is the responsibility of the US Army Transportation School, Maritime Intermodal Training Department (MITD). Since 2012, the 733rd Logistics Readiness Squadron has assumed operating responsibility of the Utility Rail and the logistical functions of the railroad. The general layout of the Fort Eustis Military Railroad was that of a loop within a loop, with a long track leading to the junction with the CSXT at Lee Hall, Virginia. The inner loop is the Mulberry Island Subdivision; the larger, outer loop is the James River Subdivision; and the track to the Lee Hall Junction and a connection with CSX is the Industrial Subdivision. There are several spurs and one large branch, the Port Branch that leaves the Industrial Subdivision to terminate at the James River Port where the Army operates amphibious ships, landing craft, and lighters. There are two wyes for turning equipment or whole trains: one at King Junction between the Mulberry Island and James River Subdivisions, and the other at the junction of the Industrial Subdivision with the Mulberry Island Subdivision. Track speed for both passenger and freight trains on the mainline of the Mulberry Island and James River Subdivisions is 25 mph while track speed on the Industrial Subdivision is 15 mph. Though the railroad is generally oriented roughly northeast-southwest, it is run as an east-west railroad, with westbound trains superior to eastbound trains of the same class. On the Industrial Subdivision, “west” is toward the wye and “east” is toward the Lee Hall Junction. On the Mulberry Island and James River Subdivisions, which are loops, “west” is counterclockwise and “east” is clockwise. On the Port Branch, “west” is toward the James River and “east” is toward the junction with the Industrial Subdivision. Since 1998, the James River loop is gone. Hanks Yard to Wagner is still there but now known as the James River Branch. The Mulberry Island Subdivision, Industrial Sub Division, and Port Branches are still used. The Mulberry Island Subdivision is Track Warrant Controlled with a maximum speed of 35 MPH; the remainder of the railroad is considered Yard Limits and trains are not to exceed 10 MPH.
4 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
The circular nature of the Mulberry Island and James River Subdivisions means that omni directional running of trains would concentrate flange wear on the outer wheels of cars and locomotives. To minimize excessive and uneven flange wear, all of Fort Eustis’ rolling stock is turned through a wye each quarter. Every piece of the Fort Eustis Railroad rolling stock has a red disc painted on one side, 18-inches from the right end of the equipment. During the first two weeks of each calendar quarter, all rolling stock is moved through a wye to reverse the orientation of the equipment. During the first and third quarters of each calendar year, equipment is wyed so that the red disc faces away from the Hanks Yard office, and during the second and fourth quarters, equipment is wyed so the red disc faces the Yard office. This practice of turning cars is still done today, however, red discs are no longer used. All the rolling stock face the same direction; brake wheels are all facing the Hanks Yard office during the first and third quarter of the year, and then the cars are turned so the brake wheels face away from the office the second and fourth quarter of the year. From 1953 until June 1965, the Fort Eustis Railroad was operated by the 774th Transportation Group (Railway), which was composed of the 714th Transportation Battalion (Railway Operating) (Steam & Diesel Electric), which operated the line and maintained the track, and the 763rd Transportation Battalion (Railway Shop), which maintained the locomotives, rolling stock and shop facilities. Both battalions trained Regular, Reserve, and National Guard units on various aspects of railway operations and maintenance. On June 3, 1965, the 774th Transportation Group and the 763rd Transportation Battalion were deactivated, leaving the 714th Transportation Battalion as the only active duty railway unit in the U.S. Army. During this period, the Fort Eustis Railroad operated eight steam locomotives, nine diesel locomotives, and 162 coaches and freight cars. In 2017, the Fort Eustis Railroad only has three diesel locomotives on its roster, #1880 and 4624 are GP10’s (rebuilds of the EMD GP9); # 4635, a GP16; and #1663, a GE 80- ton diesel. It still has a fleet of 25 boxcars and 3 flatcars, which are used for intra-plant service. Fort Eustis also stores DODX and TTX railcars on an as-needed basis, usually in-between loadouts. In 2017, the Fort Eustis Railroad has on its equipment roll 26 boxcars, 3 flatcars, and one caboose. In 1967, the 714th Transportation Battalion had assigned to it the 663rd Transportation Company (Railway Car Repair) to operate the Fort Eustis Railroad Car Repair Shop and the 157th Transportation Company (Diesel-Electric Locomotive Repair) to run the locomotive repair shop. These units were all stood down in 1972 and, from 1972 to 1978, the 1st Railway Detachment operated the Fort Eustis Railroad. Since 1978, day-to-day operation of the Fort Eustis Railroad has been the responsibility of Army Directorate of Logistics, with Army railroad operation training being provided by the US Army Transportation School. The Army Directorate of Logistics (DOL) used civil servants, then later contracted Northrop Grumman, who only ran the railroad from 2003-2012. When Joint Basing occurred in October 2010, the Air Force took over administrative duties for the logistical departments and by 2012 DOL became phased into the USAF 733rd Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS). Today LRS runs the Utility Rail and uses defense contractors to operate and maintain the railroad. For a short time in the late 1990’s to 2003, the Army DOL used the rail crew from Yorktown Naval
5 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
Weapons Station in an effort to save money. Unfortunately, the Navy crews were not dependable at providing Eustis rail service when it was needed since crews were based out of Yorktown. After multiple derailments, one of which was on the CSX interchange at Lee Hall and damaged a locomotive beyond use, the DOL terminated the use of Navy crews and started to use Defense Contractors. The US Army Transportation School, Rail Training Center, established the Rail Certification Program at Fort Eustis in 1994. All DOD employees that work on the 40+ various military railways in the continental US must attend training at Fort Eustis to receive certification. When the Transportation School relocated to Fort Lee in 2011, the Rail Training Center remained at Fort Eustis under the control of the Maritime Intermodal Training Department (MITD). Fort Eustis Railroad outlet to the world is CSXT. It interchanges cars with CSXT at the Lee Hall Junction where interchange tracks are located. Fort Eustis Railroad engines and cars are not allowed on CSXT track, nor CSXT locomotives on Fort Eustis Railroad track. Cars outbound from Fort Eustis are tied down on a designated interchange track, other than passing track #493 which is a dedicated runaround track, and deemed delivered to CSXT when the bills of lading and switch lists are signed for by CSXT. Inbound cars are spotted on the interchange track by CSXT and deemed delivered to Fort Eustis when uncoupled from the CSXT locomotive that brought them there. In 2017, the interexchange yard at Lee Hall Junction is but a shadow of what it once was. With permission, CSXT can come over Ft Eustis track to service Oakland Industrial Park, but they are not permitted to pass Washington Boulevard (Route 105) without permission from the Utility Rail Crew. Utility Rail is allowed to occupy the CSX owned sidings and the interchange after communicating with the CSX Dispatcher via locomotive radio. In the recent past, Utility Rail crews have even been known to call the CSX Dispatcher and get permission for a signal at Lee Hall just to run around cars.
ALL PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY FT EUSTIS TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
U S Army 4635, a EMD GP 16, sits in front of the Fort Eustis locomotive shop.
6 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
Fort Eustis Railroad in 1980
7 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
8 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
9 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
10 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
CSXT 866, a GE ES44AH, and U S Army 4636 are seen at Lee Hall Junction Yard. The Lee
Hall Depot has just been moved from the south side of the track to the northside x
Lee Hall Junction Depot seen at its new location on the northside of the CSXT mainline track
LE E
11 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
CSXT 904, a GE ES44AH with an empty unit coal train, is seen westbound at Lee Hall Junction
Yard. In the foreground are the remains of the Lee Hall Junction Yard.kkkkkk
CSXT 139, a GE CW44AC/H, is seen eastbound with a unit coal train. Sitting in the Lee Hall Junction Yard is Army 1663, a a GE 80-tonner, waiting to pick up some DODX flatcars from the CSXT local switcher.
12 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
USAX 6516, a NRE3GS2IB with a caboose in tow, is heading for Grove Yard to perform some
train make-up training.
U S Army 1880 and 4624, both GP10s, move a string of TTX container flats from O’BrienYard to Lee Hall Junction Yard for return to CSXT.
13 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
A study in contrast: In the background, a Norfolk Southern Safety Train is making a visit to Fort Eustis to promote safety around the railroads. In the foreground, Army Rangers practice how to derail a train using an explosive device.
U S Army 4624 is seen on the west leg of the Mulberry Island Subdivision wye. Sitting in the east lag of the wye are four DODX flacars, two of which hold Army vehicles.
14 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
U S Army 4624 is seen here working Hanks Yard. She has in tow nine boxcars and a caboose.
U S Army 4624 and U S Army 1880 are seen in a night pose outside of the Fort Eustis Locomotive Shop.
15 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
U.S. Army 1663 pulls a coach full of Transportin Corps students around the Fort Eustis Railroad to familiarize them with the various components of an operating railroad.
U.S. Army 1663 is seen at the Heating Plant siding on the Port Branch pulling a flat with two containers on board for delivery to the Port.
16 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
U.S. Army 1663 is seen leaving Hanks Yard for the Locomotive Shop after a day of switching.
A general view into Hanks Yard
17 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
A string of XM class boxcars tied down in Hanks Yard that were built in 11-64 and purchased by the Army in 9-94. These cars are 50-5 feet long, 10-8 feet wide, and 13-10 feet tall with 10 foot wide doors.
From left to right: USAX 29453, a XM Class boxcar built in November 1964 and purchased by the Army in September 1994. She is 50-feet 5-inches long, 10-feet 8 inches wide, and 14-feet 3- inches tall with 10-feet 3-inch wide doors. USAX 29371 is a XL Class boxcar built in February 1974 by ACF and purchased by the US Army in July 1991. She is former Delaware & Hudson 24019 and is 50-feet 7-inches long, 10-feet 7-inches wide, and 14-feet 3-inches high. She has 12 foot wide doors.
18 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
A close-up of the left side of USAX 29453
Above
A clos-up of the left side of USAX 29371
19 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
20 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
CSXT LOCOMOTIVES IN STORAGE AT RUSSELL, KENTUCKY 1 JUNE 2017 On 1 June 2017, CSXT had in storage over 120 locomotives. Seen in these photos is a nest of stored locomotives at the east end of the yard. Another nest hidden behind vegetation was located at the west end of the yard.
In this view of the east end of the east locomotive storage nest, seven rows of locomotives are visible. From right to left the the rows are headed by CSXT 4846, a EMD SD70AE; CSXT 7751, a GE CW40-8; CSXT 8741, an EMD SD60I; CSXT 2629, an EMD GP38-2; CSXT 4786, an EMD SD70AC; CSXT 4727, an EMD SD70AC; and CSXT 8503, an EMD SD50. Visible behind CSXT 4727 are CSXT 4562, an EMD SD70AC, and CSXT 8734, an EMD SD60I. Behind CSXT 8503 can be seen CSXT 8550, an EMD SD50; CSXT 7371, a GE CW40-8; CSXT 8482, an EMD SD40-2, GE CSXT 602 (Spirit of Maryland), a CW44AC/H, and CSXT 694, a GE CW46AC/H.
21 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
A view of the west end of the east nest of stored locomotives at Russell Yard. On the far track is CSXT 8509, an EMD SD50. On the middle track is CSXT 8524, an EMD SD50; CSXT 2485, an EMD SD50-2; CSXT 8602, an EMD SD50; and CSXT 8555, an EMD SD50. On the inner track is CSXT 8501, an EMD SD50; CSXT 8535, an EMD SD50; CSXT 8705, an EMD SD60; CSXT 689, a GE CW46AC/H; CSXT 4777, an EMD SD70AC; CSXT 647, a GE CW46AC/H; and CSXT 8574, an EMD SD50.
22 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
Two views of CSXT 602 “Spirit of Maryland”
23 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
STILL IN SERVICE L&N 22374 AND L&N 22329 RAVENNA, KENTUCKY JUNE 2017
L&N 22374
L&N 22329
24 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
CSXT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2017 CONFERENCE MARION OHIO 10 – 13 AUGUST THURSDAY 10 AUGUST 6 PM TO 8 PM - RAILFAN DIAMONDS AT MARION DEPOT 8 PM TO 10 PM - POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AT MARION DEPOT FRIDAY 11 AUGUST 9 AM – TOUR UTLX PLANT AT MARION 1 PM – TOUR BUCYRUS RAILCAR REPAIR PLANT AT BUCYRUS YOU NEED TO BE DRESSED IN LONG TROUSERS, SHIRT, HARDHAT, EYE & HEARING PROTECTION, STEEL TOE BOOTS THESE ARE INDUSTRIAL FACILITY TOURS SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 8 AM - RAILFAN MARION DEPOT 1 PM TO 10 PM - SUMMERRAIL AT MARION (YOU NEED TO PURCHASE TICKETS) SUNDAY 13 AUGUST 8:30 AM - RAILFAN FOLLOWING C&O TRACK FROM
MARION TO FOSTORIA 25 - CSXTHS Journal Vol 5 No 4 - 2017
