Hello all, I am a newbie to this site. I am not a 'train guy' but I am doing research for the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant(JAAP),built in 1941 and since decommissioned, that was located near Wilmington, Il. It was actually 2 separate facilities that were merged into one: Kankakee Ordnance Works(KOW) and Elwood Ordnance Plant (EOP).

I found a listing of some or all(I'm not sure if there were more)of the locomotives( I apologize if I am using the wrong terminology)from the DieselShop website. Is there any way of obtaining more information as far as the builder, photos, disposition, etc? I see there is a book (2 volumes?) titled: "United States Army Transportation Corps Locomotives" that seems like it would provide the info I'm looking for. Unfortunately, I cannot find a copy anywhere close to me (Chicago). Can anyone help?
This is for a research project on the heritage of the former arsenal, as well as pre-war residents. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.
Thomas

Thomas,

Since you didn't give the builder of the locomotive this took a little while.

General Electric
12978 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 12/24/1940 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Stone & Webster Engineer Corp –contractor for- Center cab
US Army #7794, Kankakee Ordnance Works #1, Elwood, Ill
US Navy, Naval Ordnance Plant, Louisville, Ky
USN number series initiated 1949-1950-Numbered to #65-00497
Kentucky Ry Museum, Louisville, Ky 5/1972

12979 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 12/26/1940 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Stone & Webster Engineering Corp –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7795, Kankakee Ordnance Works #2, Elwood, Ill
US Army #7795, Hill AFB, Ogden, Utah
Oregon Steel Mills #Y116, Portland, Ore
Gilmore Steel #126-700, N Portland, Ore

12980 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 1/4/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Sanderson & Porter –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7320, Elwood Ordnance Plant #1, Wilmington, Ill
US Navy #7320 Bremerton, WA 1956
Washington State Parks Dept. 1976
Puget Sound Railway Historical Assn. (leased) Snoqualmie, WA 1976
Northwest Ry Museum (leased) Snoqualamie, Wash 1999

12981 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 1/4/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Sanderson Porter –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7321, Elwood Ordnance Plant #2, Wilmington, Ill
US Army #7321, Ft Holabird Depot, Baltimore, Md 9/1949
Babcock & Wilcox, Tubular Products Div., Milwaukee, Wisc
Jeffersonville Boat Co (Jeffboat), Louisville, Ky

12982 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 1/10/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Stone & Webster Engineering Corp –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7796, Kankakee Ordnance Works #3, Elwood, Ill
US Army #7796, Watertown Arsenal, Watertown, Mass
American Commercial Barge #2416, Memphis, Tenn

12983 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 1/10/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Stone & Webster Engineering Corp –operators for- Center cab
US Army #7797, Kankakee Ordnance Works #4, Elwood, Ill
US Army #7797, Madison Proving Ground, Madison, Ind 8/1970
Marquette Cement Manufacturing Co #4, W.Des Moines, Iowa

13005 45T DE B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 4/15/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Sanderson & Porter –operator of- Center cab
US Army #7322, Elwood Ordnance Depot, Wilmington, Ill
USAF #7322, Loring AFB, Limestone, Maine
USAF #7322, Carswell AFB, Ft Worth, Tex
US Navy, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Tex
US Navy, Cecil Field Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla
USN number series initiated 1949-1950-Numbered to #65-00505
Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission #1, St Louis, Miss
[Port Bienville RR]
Southern Mississippi Electric Power Assoc, R D Morrow Plant, Purvis, Miss

13006 45T DE B-B Std 33” 300hp Cum HBI-600 (2) 4/26/1941 B-B-90/90-2GE733
Sanderson & Porter –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7323, Elwood Ordnance Depot, Wilmington, Ill
Topeka Ry Equipment Co., Topeka, Kan

13114 80T D/E B-B Std 38” 500hp Cum LI-600 (2) 7/25/1941 B-B-160/160-4GE833
Sanderson & Porter – operator for- Center cab
US Army #7273, Elwood Ordnance Plant #80, Wilmington, Ill
US Army #7273, Aberdeen Proving Grounds #80, Aberdeen, Md
Becker Sand & Gravel #7, Senter, N C

13116 80T D/E B-B Std 38” 500hp Cum LI-600 (2) 8/16/1941 B-B-160/160-4GE833
Sanderson & Porter –operator for- Center cab
US Army #7287, Elwood Ordnance Depot #81, Wilmington, Ill
Birmingham Rail & Loco (D), Birmingham, Ala
Steiner-Liff Co #64, Nashville, Tenn
Port of Lake Charles #3, Lake Charles, La

15892 80T D/E B-B Std 38” 500hp LI-600 (2) 1/6/1943 B-B-160/160-4GE833
Sanderson & Porter –operator of- Center cab
US Army #7288, Elwood Ordnance Plant #83, Wilmington, Ill
US Army #7288, Ft Holabird Depot, Baltimore, Md
US Army #7288, Granite City Engineering Depot #83, Granite City, Ill

15893 80T D/E B-B Std 38” 500hp LI-600 (2) 1/30/1943 B-B-160/160-4GE833
Sanderson & Porter –operator of- Center cab
US Army #7289, Elwood Ordnance Depot #84, Wilmington, Ill
US Army #7289, Granite City Engineering Depot #84, Granite City, Ill
US Navy, Norfolk Naval Station #13, Norfolk, Va
USN number series initiated 1949-1950-Numbered to #65-00508

17836 45T D/E B-B Std 33” 300hp HBI-600 (2) 3/6/1943 B-B-90/90-2GE733
US Army #7058, Kankakee Ordnace Works, Elwood, Ill Center cab
Port Drum Co., Port Arthur, Tex

Haven't checked the other builder yet.

One more GE

31371 80T D/E B-B Std 38” 400hp Cum NHBIS (2) 10/20/1952 B-B-160/160-4GE747
US Army #1664, Ogden Transportation Corps Depot, Arsenal, Utah –for-
US Army #1664, Joliet Arsenal, Joliet, Ill
US Army #1664, Elwood Ordnance Depot, Ellwood, Ill
US Army #1664, Iowa Ammunition Plant, Middletown, Iowa
US Army #1664, McAlester Ammunition Depot, McAlester, Okla
East Camden & Highland #1664, East Camden, Ark

Plymouth Locomotive Works
4206 4/9/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #85, Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill

4207 4/9/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #86, Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill

4208 4/21/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #87, Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill

4209 4/25/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #88, Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill

4210 4/25/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #89, Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill


4211 4/25/1941 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster Engineering
– operator for –
US Army #90 , Elwood Ordnance Plant, Elwood (Joliet), Ill
For sale via War Assets Administration - 7/1947


4351 6/7/1942 Std DHD-6 Hercules DRXC 73hp B 10T D/M
Sanderson & Porter Construction
– operator for –
US Army # , Elwood Ordnance Plant, Joliet, Ill
Pan-American Engineering Co (D), Dallas, Tex. by 6/50

4361 1/5/1942 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster
– operator for –-
US Army # , Kankakee Ordnance Works, Elwood, Ill
For Sale via War Asset Administration, Joliet Arsenal, Ill - 7/1947

4362 1/5/1942 Std DLB-6 Buda FRH 51hp B 8T G/M
Stone & Webster
– operator for –
US Army # , Kankakee Ordnance Works, Elwood, Ill

Whitcomb
60086 10/1941 B-B Std 80DE 80 500hp
Kankakee Ordnance Works #81, Elwood, Ill
U.S.Army #8379
Black Hills Light & Power,Lead,SD

60087 10/1941 B-B Std 80DE 80 500hp
Kankakee Ordnance Works #82, Elwood,Ill
U.S.Army #8378

60322 9/1943 B-B Std 80DE7b 80
U.S.Army #7203, Kankakee Ordnance Depot,Elwood,Ill
Mississippi Valley Equipment (D)
Hooker Chemical #3, Tacoma,Wash
Hooker Chemical #3, North Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada

John T.

That is simply incredible! I am speechless.
I must admit that is the best response I ever got anywhere for anything and I'm
70 yrs old...uh young.
I am extremely thankful. Thank you thank you thank you

If I didn't mention it, Thank You!!

Thomas

Always glad to help out. I can't be absolutely sure those are all the locomotives used there but that is all I have record of.

*Allegedly* USATC #8537 (GE 44-tonner, built 1944) was also in use at the JAAP. This locomotive is now at IRM (and in use very frequently for switching purposes). Its acquisition by the museum predates my involvement by at least a couple decades, but I'm fairly sure it arrived in the 1980s, when activities at the JAAP were beginning to wind down.

The book you mentioned, "United States Army Transportation Corps Locomotives", is available from several booksellers on Amazon.com. Prices start at $29.31 + 3.99 shipping.

Jim Tatum

Even if I didn't personally contribute to that gentleman's inquiry, his astoundment at the speed and thoroughness of the responses he received should give all of us on here a small sense of pride and a reason to carry on with the business of documenting historic railway preservation.

Hi, all. Thanks to everybody.
I've included a link to some of the Elwood Ordnance locos in their 'working' days back in the 1940's. Hope the link works:
http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/tmmc347tmmc3/library/

Also here is a link to our(work in progress) Facebook page if anybody is interested:

https://www.facebook.com/MidewinHeritage/

Thomas

Interesting sight from a 1941 photo of the arsenal: still using a steam engine?