Train Travel During WWII

[Hanno]

I am in the process of putting together a history of the time my father was in the Army during WWII. In 1944 he was stationed in Barkeley, TX (near Abilene) for training and departed there for New York where he embarked for the European Theater. He was in the 12th Armored Div.

For all of you with so much knowledge and history I am hoping you could help me try to determine, if it is possible, the route he most likely would have taken and the which train lines he might have used. Or maybe you could point me in a direction where such information might reside.

I just wish I could ask him this question, and many others, personally!

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Have you tried the 12th Armored Division Assocation? There may even be members with similar experiences as your father.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Let me kind of get started.I will do more later. My source is a 1947 Official Railway Guide.

First I looked up Abilene KS. I find three railroads serving that. The Santa Fe and the Rock Island and they both just seemed to have short haul runs. But I got lucky with Union Pacific. It had several trains which

went to St. Louis. Incredibly, one of them was named the "Pony Express"--that was a new one for me.

So this would be Union Pacific as far as Kansas City and the Wabash Railroad took over and got the trains into St. Louis. There were several lines, I think, from St. Louis to New York. At least the Pennsyvlana and the New York Central went that route.

Keep in mind that many troop trains operated on their own, as "second sections" of regular trainis. So, he may not have traveled in a regular train. The troops were all over and yes, some whole trains were troop trains. In fact the civilian public was discouraged-----that is right, discouraged-----from unneeded trips.There were even ads in newspapers and timetables which captioned "Is this trip necessary?"

Furthermore, the troops were routinely served first in the dining car. I have even seen that in my day, the mid-50's on a train with a troop movement and they got dinner first.

Later on tonight I should be able to work up at least one or two possible schedules he may have made. Keep in mind during wartime no telling what line or what route he may have taken beyond the regular listed ones.

The railroads were caught short on equipment (sound familiar?) They even had to convert box cars into troop sleepers, sleeping three beds abreast.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Oooooops!! You meant Abilene TX, and I did Abilene, KS. But guess what--the answer is still the same, it was still to St.Louis. It was Texas and Pacific RR from Abilene to Texarkana, then the trains become the property of the Missouri Pacifc RR on into St. Louis.

I will still map out some possible schedules, this assuming he went on a regular train, and not a troop train, and assuming the schedules did not change too much between 1944 and 1947.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

The Offiical Railway Guide make it easy for me by listng the more logical through connections. Believe me there are more trains than listed here, but these were the main choices.

Abileen TX to St. Louis ,(via Fort Worth,Dallas,Little Rock) Texas & Pacific RR,become Missouri Pacific at Texarkana (no change of trains for passengers involved)

lv Abilene 9.45 a.m. ar St. Louis next morning at 8.30.

or lv. Abilene 1.35 a.m. arrive St. Louis 11pm.

St.Louis to New york

Pennsylvania RR (via Pittsburgh, Washington) lv St.Louis 9.30 a.m. arrive NYC next morning 7.25

or New York Central, (via Cleveland, Buffalo) lv St. Louis 9.45 am. arrive NYC next morning 8.56

And there were through sleeping cars between various Texas points and NYC by each of the above listed railroads.

 

[George Harris]

Keep in mind that many troop trains operated on their own, as "second sections" of regular trainis. So, he may not have traveled in a regular train. The troops were all over and yes, some whole trains were troop trains. In fact the civilian public was discouraged-----that is right, discouraged-----from unneeded trips.There were even ads in newspapers and timetables which captioned "Is this trip necessary?"

And there were a lot of individuals in the train that were traveling as ordered, as well. It was also policy that troops moving overnight got a sleeper space, hence the troop sleepers and significantly reduced space for civilian travel.

My father, who was a Warrant Officer transport pilot during the war, told the story of on one occasion having left a plane at Dallas Love Field with a transportation order to go back to Memphis by train. Instead, as he was fixing to head downtown, he found that there was a military plane going to Millington Naval Air Field, (just north of Memphis) in which he could get, so he took it. Something like a month late he got a letter demanding that he fill out, in triplicate, of course, a form explaining why he did not use his assigned pullman space.

There was apparently a brotherhood of the air that enabled a lot of movement of Air Corps people as unofficial passengers on planes that were in the air for other purposes. Despite, this, he did quite a few rail miles as well. One of his other comments was that the Rock Island, probably Memphis to Oaklahoma somewhere, but I don't remember the specifics, had the roughest track he ever experienced.

 

[Sam31452]

You could also consider to do a research at the National Archives (tough it's a lot of work).

http://www.archives.gov/

 

[Hanno]

Thanks for your ideas and help on my project. My dad would have appreciated it as I do!

 

[Anita]

I am in the process of putting together a history of the time my father was in the Army during WWII. In 1944 he was stationed in Barkeley, TX (near Abilene) for training and departed there for New York where he embarked for the European Theater. He was in the 12th Armored Div.

For all of you with so much knowledge and history I am hoping you could help me try to determine, if it is possible, the route he most likely would have taken and the which train lines he might have used. Or maybe you could point me in a direction where such information might reside.

I just wish I could ask him this question, and many others, personally!

Your father probably left the United States from Camp Kilmer, NJ, or Camp Shanks, NY. There are web sites for these marshalling areas.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I am in the process of putting together a history of the time my father was in the Army during WWII. In 1944 he was stationed in Barkeley, TX (near Abilene) for training and departed there for New York where he embarked for the European Theater. He was in the 12th Armored Div.

For all of you with so much knowledge and history I am hoping you could help me try to determine, if it is possible, the route he most likely would have taken and the which train lines he might have used. Or maybe you could point me in a direction where such information might reside.

I just wish I could ask him this question, and many others, personally!

I just got home and am going right out again. I might be able to help you in a few hours if nobody else has.

 

[AlanB]

Bill,

This is a 2 year old topic and one for which you've already provided considerable help.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Bill,

This is a 2 year old topic and one for which you've already provided considerable help.

I see that now. I was in a big hurry.