Fort Leonard Wood Branch - Ft. Wood - U.S. Army Railroad - Fort Leonard Wood, MO - 19.5 Miles Total

Discussion in 'Rolla-Lebanon Subdivision' started by Rick Morgan, Dec 23, 2007.

  1. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks Brad!

    Do you have any pics of the DOD power based at Ft Wood?

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  2. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    Here is a few shots of the Fort's motive power.

    Brad
     

    Attached Files:

    • 4606.JPG
      4606.JPG
      File size:
      714.6 KB
      Views:
      102
    • 4607b.JPG
      4607b.JPG
      File size:
      1,006.4 KB
      Views:
      101
    • 4654.JPG
      4654.JPG
      File size:
      1,017.2 KB
      Views:
      103
  3. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks Brad!

    Good looking stuff for the Army.

    Somehow I figured their locomotives would be either black or olive drab colored.

    Does the Army take their loads clear into Newburg, or do they drop them off somewhere still on the Fort Wood Branch like at Bundy Jct. for the BNSF to pick up?

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  4. WindsorSpring

    WindsorSpring Member

    Brad Slone wrote Monday, 4/25/2011: "There has been very little traffic over the last year..."

    Well, you are likely to see some traffic Tuesday 4/26/2011. Some TOFC, TANKS on Flat Cars, went by westbound on the Rolla Subdivision (Cuba Subdivision) around 08:30 at the head end of the merchandiser. I was unable to count and even less able to photograph.

    Given the state of the laws, those are good circumstances.

    George Nelson

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    mountaincreekar likes this.
  5. Peddling Joe

    Peddling Joe Frisco Employee

    Further research suggests, to me, the original South Pacific Railroad survey may have intended the line to run through Waynesville, county seat of Pulaski County.

    Due to the Civil War, Army Control and tunnel cave-in, the second survey took the alignment from Arlington Northwards.

    The "20 miles of grading, two partially cut tunnels west of Rolla" sort of coincides with the present day I-44 mile markers, Rolla, Exit 182 and Ft. Leonard Wood, Exit 163.

    The "two partially cut tunnels" may have been in the general area of TWP 36N, 11W, Sections 3,4,5, and continue westward into 12 W? These tunnels would get the railroad to Roubidous Creek, into Waynesville and on to Springfield.

    Any comments and/or additional information will be sincerely appreciated.

    Should this be posted in the "Map" section, please do so.

    Joe Felin
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  6. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    Sorry I missed answering your question way back, guess I just missed it.

    The Army takes cars back to Bundy Jct. and leaves them on a run around siding south of the Little Piney Creek bridge. The siding has a name although I can't recall it at the moment. The BNSF then backs in on the branch and heads out on either leg of the wye depending were their destination is.

    We should be finished replacing the small trestles on the west leg by the end of the year, the east leg is complete.

    The First Iowa Division was down last weekend with their motor cars riding the branch, they have some nice photos of the run on their website.

    Brad
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  7. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

    renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013) Passed away March 8, 2013

    Brad,

    Please write an article on the Ft. Leonard Wood Line for The Meteor.

    Thank you.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  8. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Guys,

    Information for those who look for interesting prototype car loads to model.

    This weekend I was talking to a fellow that worked on Fort Leonard Wood back in the 1950s and 1960s. He told me they had a ramp that could handle three dump trucks at a time, bear in mind these were old single axle trucks with probably 4 - 5 yard beds.

    These trucks would go out to the ranges and return loaded full of spent brass casings. They would back up the ramp and dump them loose into an awaiting gondola. He said they would send at least a car a week out loaded, probably heading to a contracted recycler somewhere.

    Just thought it was kind of an interesting story that I thought some of you would enjoy.

    Brad
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    gjslsffan and Ozarktraveler like this.
  9. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Great story Brad.

    What a neat gondola load this would make!

    What could we use to model spent cartridge casings?

    Mostly 30-caliber?

    Any big stuff?

    I had my USO shift this morning at Lambert St. Louis Airport. We had a bunch of Fort Leonard Wood Marines coming from Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) going to Okinawa, and then a few Army Engineer troops going back down to FLW. Next time I'm going to ask what all they fire off down there these days.

    I was an Army Engineer Corps ROTC type down at Missouri School of Mines (MSM), Rolla in 1960-1962. The only thing they let us shoot was 22-Long Rifle at Rolla, not at FLW. It would take a long time on the range to fill up a gondola with those little brass tidbits!

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    Ozarktraveler likes this.
  10. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Stumbled across a few interesting photographs taken along the Ft. Branch the other day.

    I thought I'd share a little, so this is one taken looking south on warehouse row. I have seen this photograph before but until now have never been able to secure a digital copy of it. There are some very interesting details to be gleamed from it upon closer examination, one of which is the car in the lower right corner.

    Until I was able to look at it closer, I thought it was one of the high center sill stockcars, but it is not. It's a 13000 series boxcar the likes of which I had never seen before. Upon looking it up in my Original Railway Equipment Register (ORER) I noticed it is listed as a 36' car, which I didn't know the Frisco even had.

    I thought is was some pretty interesting stuff.

    Brad Ft Wood Yard Small.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  11. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Never being one who could keep from messing with stuff, I offer this.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    That is a real gem, Brad.

    There it is in the 1943 ORER. I haven't looked yet in the more recent editions that were in the old FMIG newsletters. If I had to guess, it seems like a relic that would have been kept around for the wartime traffic spike, but probably would not have lasted long afterward.

    Wonder if anyone has drawings, better pictures, etc. for this one?

    I don't know my military equipment, but the photo looks like the 1940-1945 range?

    Sure would be a fun scene to model. Maybe Steve Hurt needs another Railroad Prototype Modelers (RPM) project for Collinsville next year.

    Best Regards,
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  13. HAHA thanks Chris,

    I was just thinking "what could I do in my spare time?"

    I do agree though, that would be a great scene.

    A bunch of my relatives were involved with that place too.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  14. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I think there are Jeeps, Dodge weapons carriers, and M3 gun motor carriages in the photo.

    The General Motors Corporation (GMC) M3 was in use 1942-1943, so I'd guess it's from then.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    Joe Lovett and Ozarktraveler like this.
  15. Did the government/military finance the building of the branch and then contract the Frisco to operate it for them?

    If not, and the Frisco constructed the branch, then did the US Army purchase it from Frisco in 1973 or was just turned over to Army to get rid of the branch?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    mountaincreekar likes this.
  16. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Karl,

    The first is correct, the military paid to have the branch constructed and contracted the Frisco to operate it until traffic levels dropped to the point were it was no longer made sense.

    Brad Slone
     
    modeltruckshop likes this.
  17. A couple pictures I copied out of my dad's stash.

    The 0-4-0 was as the Ft. Wood branch was being built. His uncle is the engineer.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  18. Brad K

    Brad K Member

    According to the Doolittle Rural Fire Protection's Facebook page

    "It has been brought to our attention that the railroad traffic in our district is expected to increase from Fort Leonard Wood to the Newburg area. Please make sure you take the time to read this whole post.

    This is a post that a citizen made regarding the railroad traffic:

    The railroad tracks in the Mill Creek watershed are hardly noticed since they carry only occasional train loads between Fort Leonard Wood and the main line at Bundy Junction near Arlington. There are road crossings at State Highways J and P. The crossing at P is quiet and nearly a blind intersection with lights that rarely activate, so we sometimes forget it's there and speed on through.

    If traveling in this area, please watch out as according to this note from FLW today (13Aug20), there will be increased train traffic. "There will be an increased amount of railway traffic starting on Fort Leonard Wood and extending to on or around the Jerome Exit north of Fort Leonard Wood just off of I-44.

    Railway work will continue for the next three to six weeks ending approximately 30 September 2020. Vehicle traffic should obey all signals unless directed by railway crew or law enforcement personnel to proceed. For those crossings without audible or visual red flashing lights, extreme caution should be taken by both military and civilian personnel, both on and off the installation, in carefully checking the track in both directions prior to proceeding across it."

    Both of these crossing have visual warnings but no barriers. Make sure you come to a complete stop before crossing."

    I wonder what they're doing?

    Just replacing rails and ties?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
  19. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    It may have something to do with the fact the Marines are divesting themselves of virtually all tracked vehicles, mostly tanks.

    They are being divided up in the Army after getting repainted and re-marked.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2024
    modeltruckshop likes this.
  20. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    They have been re ballasting the line.

    Brad
     
    modeltruckshop likes this.

Share This Page