# Return Of Troop Trains?



## WhoozOn1st (Jun 22, 2010)

Virginia Railway Express may transport soldiers from Fort Lee to Fort A.P. Hill

"Amtrak would operate the Fort Lee-Fort A.P. Hill shuttle for the Army... If the plan comes to fruition, it would mark the first time in more than 40 years that passenger trains were used for U.S. troop movements..."

"Use of the train would remove up to 4,000 buses and 320 tractor-trailers from Interstate 95 annually, the Army said."

Training training, too: "The Army-branded train could also be used as a recruiting tool, the Army said, and provide training opportunities for Army Reserve rail units."


----------



## MrEd (Jun 22, 2010)

and this will be operated by amtrak, but a hard ticket to get


----------



## Ozark Southern (Jun 22, 2010)

MrEd said:


> and this will be operated by amtrak, but a hard ticket to get


And not worth the price of admission.


----------



## fredevad (Jun 22, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> "Use of the train would remove up to 4,000 buses and 320 tractor-trailers from Interstate 95 annually, the Army said."


Wow - that's almost 11 buses and a semi truck per day (on average).

Makes me laugh, though - what it would be like trying to get that many soldiers with rifles through _airport_ security.


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Jun 22, 2010)

Ozark Southern said:


> MrEd said:
> 
> 
> > and this will be operated by amtrak, but a hard ticket to get
> ...


Touche.



fredevad said:


> Makes me laugh, though - what it would be like trying to get that many soldiers with rifles through _airport_ security.


I see soldiers passing through airports all the time, never saw them carrying guns though. Well, except when they were stationed in the airport immediately after 9-11. That was a weird era when the US looked like it was turning into East Germany. Ugh. At least now they only wiretap our calls and don't bring machine guns into our airports anymore.


----------



## AlanB (Jun 22, 2010)

daxomni said:


> fredevad said:
> 
> 
> > Makes me laugh, though - what it would be like trying to get that many soldiers with rifles through _airport_ security.
> ...


I don't know about airports since I haven't flown in a while, but a walk around Penn Station NY can often find National Guardsmen carrying machine guns.


----------



## leemell (Jun 22, 2010)

daxomni said:


> Ozark Southern said:
> 
> 
> > MrEd said:
> ...


You won't see them much anymore, but, the submachine guns and a lot more are still there. Just out of sight.


----------



## stntylr (Jun 22, 2010)

fredevad said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > "Use of the train would remove up to 4,000 buses and 320 tractor-trailers from Interstate 95 annually, the Army said."
> ...


I once carried a M-16 on a passenger plane but that was in Kuwait.


----------



## rrdude (Jun 22, 2010)

MrEd said:


> and this will be operated by amtrak, but a hard ticket to get


They better be givin' our soldiers in uniform Quadroople points!


----------



## Ozark Southern (Jun 23, 2010)

leemell said:


> daxomni said:
> 
> 
> > Ozark Southern said:
> ...


I've been to the White House twice, once when Clinton was there and a second time under Bush. I never actually saw any Secret Service agents with guns, but I had that I'm-being-watched feeling the whole time. I understand there are literally dozens of rifles out of sight on the White House grounds. Personally, I prefer the soldiers/Guardsmen/Secret Service/etc. to be out of sight. While most people appreciate the work our armed forces do on foreign soil (regardless of whether they agree with the politicians' decisions to send them there), most are uncomfortable with the armed forces' presence in public places in the States proper. So it's best that they do their work unseen, lest the armed forces lose the goodwill they have enjoyed recently.


----------



## PerRock (Jun 23, 2010)

fredevad said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > "Use of the train would remove up to 4,000 buses and 320 tractor-trailers from Interstate 95 annually, the Army said."
> ...



I have a friend in the army and when he was flying back home for the holidays he 'forgot' he had his Leatherman on him. He was able to just show his Army ID and TSA waved him thru; so I don't think it would be to hard for one with a larger gun to get thru.

peter


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Jun 23, 2010)

PerRock said:


> I have a friend in the army and when he was flying back home for the holidays he 'forgot' he had his Leatherman on him. He was able to just show his Army ID and TSA waved him thru; so I don't think it would be to hard for one with a larger gun to get thru.peter


Any fence is only as strong as its weakest link. If there is another attack on a US flight I think we can see how the story will read already.


----------



## WhoozOn1st (Aug 25, 2010)

The troop train plan has taken a step forward, with Virginia Railway Express receiving permission to sell 10 railcars and 3 locomotives to the Army:

VRE can sell rail cars to army

The story first appeared in the Washington Post, but you have to register (free) to get to it online - which I did, but figured not everybody wants to - so this link is to the Petersburg, VA, Progress-Index.

Some excerpts from the Post story...

"'We wanted to find a way to say yes [to the Army's request], and we did,' VRE Board Chairman Paul Milde said. 'Taking these soldiers off the crowded highways makes sense, and we want to help the Army with its mission.'

"Army officials approached VRE this year, looking for equipment to move soldiers about 37 weeks a year. If the Army makes the purchase, it would limit VRE from expanding service until 2015 but wouldn't affect service now, VRE spokesman Mark Roeber said."

And...

"The selling price VRE has proposed is on the low side, Roeber said, because of the age of the equipment and the fact that VRE bought the railcars for $1 each from Chicago's commuter-rail system. The rail cars were 40-plus years old when bought, and it would cost VRE several hundred thousand to dispose of the cars."


----------



## Joe (Sep 8, 2010)

daxomni said:


> Ozark Southern said:
> 
> 
> > MrEd said:
> ...


You obviously haven't been to western Europe with a silly statement like that.

I've seen paramilitary with machine guns on Rome streets, soldiers with the same in French train stations and at airports in many countries - all when there was nothing special going on.


----------



## leemell (Sep 8, 2010)

Joe said:


> daxomni said:
> 
> 
> > Ozark Southern said:
> ...


AND, obviously do not know what is behind closed doors here (it's more that pepper spray).


----------

