Strategic Air Command train. Preserved?

Rob Davis · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 9:32 am

Hi,

I am working on a new Brief (ooooh, suspense) and something I was sent for it triggered me to think about the Strategic Air Command train that was decomissioned and rusting away at Earle Navy base in NJ. I last saw it in 1997 or so.

It was 4 or 5 PS or ACF passenger cars coverted for Cold War operations. It was painted blue with SAC logos.

It was being stored at Earle pending preservation, but I haven't hear about it since. I know a lot of scrapping was planned, but these cars were supposed to be saved.

Anyone have info?

Rob

rdavis@rypn.org

Greg · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 3:27 pm

I've been going back to Earle every summer the last few years to inspect their tracks, and I can't say I've ever seen a "train." There is one passenger car (I just checked with my contact on base), but I don't recall it being marked up for SAC. I'll be back there again this June, and I'll make a point to look for it.

Greg

> Hi,

> I am working on a new Brief (ooooh,
> suspense) and something I was sent for it
> triggered me to think about the Strategic
> Air Command train that was decomissioned and
> rusting away at Earle Navy base in NJ. I
> last saw it in 1997 or so.

> It was 4 or 5 PS or ACF passenger cars
> coverted for Cold War operations. It was
> painted blue with SAC logos.

> It was being stored at Earle pending
> preservation, but I haven't hear about it
> since. I know a lot of scrapping was
> planned, but these cars were supposed to be
> saved.

> Anyone have info?

> Rob

http://www.traveltown.org
greg@cscvrr.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:47 pm

Rob,

I can't seem to find where I saw it, but there was a Strategic Air Command train stored at or near the AAR's Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo CO. Is this maybe it? Was it possibly moved there for safekeeping?

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

JNL · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 5:52 pm

The SAC train is/was a mobile B52 simulator, specifically for the long departed "D" model.
Don't expect a great amount of interest in preservation becuase it doesn't have wings. If the AF were inclined it would likely go to the museum at Wright Patterson otherwise what RR museum would want it ??

Hi,

> I am working on a new Brief (ooooh,
> suspense) and something I was sent for it
> triggered me to think about the Strategic
> Air Command train that was decomissioned and
> rusting away at Earle Navy base in NJ. I
> last saw it in 1997 or so.

> It was 4 or 5 PS or ACF passenger cars
> coverted for Cold War operations. It was
> painted blue with SAC logos.

> It was being stored at Earle pending
> preservation, but I haven't hear about it
> since. I know a lot of scrapping was
> planned, but these cars were supposed to be
> saved.

> Anyone have info?

> Rob

wrmdispatcher@aol.com

Rob Davis · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 5:55 pm

Greg,

Most of the Earle passenger strock was headed to scrap last time I was there (including a 100% intact PRR P-70 complete with trust plates!).

The SAC train was 3-4 cars long and was stored away from the scrap line.

It was in the Colts Neck yard.

Rob

> I've been going back to Earle every summer
> the last few years to inspect their tracks,
> and I can't say I've ever seen a
> "train." There is one passenger
> car (I just checked with my contact on
> base), but I don't recall it being marked up
> for SAC. I'll be back there again this June,
> and I'll make a point to look for it.

> Greg

trains@robertjohndavis.com

dan · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 11:00 pm

>
Ogden may have a couple cars

bnsfbarker@aol.com

Matt Conrad · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:15 am

> Hi,

> I am working on a new Brief (ooooh,
> suspense) and something I was sent for it
> triggered me to think about the Strategic
> Air Command train that was decomissioned and
> rusting away at Earle Navy base in NJ. I
> last saw it in 1997 or so.

How many trains did SAC have?

During the Cold War, they had a radar train that was parked on the Rockton & Rion in SC for a while. SCRM has one car from this train. It's in poor shape cosmetically, but the trucks have almost no wear on them. This car is going to be my next project after I finish painting SAL business car #3. Because the SAC car is so far gone, I'm planning to turn it into an open air coach for the revenue passenger train.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

Dick · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:23 am

Rob:

Perhaps people at the Strategic Air and Space Museum south of Omaha might have some info, or know who to contact about your question. The URL below will get you to a list of the museum staff whom you can contact. (No, I've never seen anything resembling or telling about a train at the museum itself.)

Dick

http://www.strategicairandspace.com/General/staff.html

Matt Janssen · **Posted:** Fri Apr 18, 2003 9:40 pm

>There are about half a dozen SAC cars at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, UT. There appears to be some equipment left in them. They are displaying DRMO identification. They also have very little road wear. They are located next to a building East of the rail car rebuild center, and can only be seen on base.

mjanssen@sunvalley.net

Michael Seitz · **Posted:** Sat Apr 19, 2003 12:37 am

There was a SAC B-52 bomber training train (four or five cars) at Fairchild AFB outside of Spokane WA. It was part of a base museum, but the last I've heard is that the museum was closed and the equipment needed to be moved.

Anybody in Spokane with more current details?

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

mikefrommontana@juno.com

G. Jenista · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:13 am

A few months ago, one of the Hill AFB cars appeared on some RR equipment auction-site [not eBay]. URL was:

http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/v ... nId=141832

hi_plain@yahoo.com

Tim Moriarty · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:23 pm

I've been doing weekend reserve duty at NWS Earle since August 1999 and haven't seen any SAC cars. There were a couple of very old and deteriorated civilian passenger rail cars that one of the rail employees said were being stored by a local rail preservation group. I do recall seeing an ex-hospital car numbered in the 89xxx series but I don't recall it having any SAC markings. A few months after I started doing reserve duty on site, the cars were moved from the yard to another area on base because, according to one of the rail employees, the base commander didn't like having unsightly junk out in the open. I haven't seen the cars since that time. They may still be on the base, but stored in an otherwise inaccessible area.

sohee@erols.com

Keith Albrandt · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:59 pm

> I do recall seeing an
> ex-hospital car numbered in the 89xxx series...

I'd be interested to know the number of that ex-hospital car, should you ever again have the chance to investigate or query the railroad crew.

Cheers,
Keith Albrandt

Cyprus (2nd) to USA 89033
kalbrandt@rypn.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Sat Apr 26, 2003 5:28 pm

Just found some photos of the SAC equipment I was thinking of. The site doesn't mention the location of the SAC equipment specificly, but my guess is Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
Photos are at the link below:

Boyd

SAC equipment

bowens@rypn.org

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Sat Apr 26, 2003 5:40 pm

This one's at the Ogden, Utah Railroad Museum.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Strategic Air Command train. Preserved?

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