Troops and Trains rolls into Strasburg;

Railroad Museum of
0 Comments | Intelligencer Journal Lancaster New Era;
Combined Saturday edition, Nov 6, 2004 | by Larry
Alexander
From the Battle of Gettysburg to the attacks on Baghdad, railroads have played a crucial role in
getting U.S. troops to battle fronts at home and overseas.

This weekend, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will recognize the tie that connects the railroad
to the military during its fifth annual Troops and Trains event.

"(Troops and Trains) is the Railroad Museum's tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces, American
railroads and all those who served, and are serving, overseas and on the home front in defense of
our nation," museum director David W. Dunn said.

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Authentic weaponry and equipment, including period jeeps, trucks and tents, along with maps,
books and photographs, will be on display with military experts standing by to explain and
educate. Museum staff and volunteers also will be on hand to point out the historical importance
of the railroads.

Visitors will encounter military and civilian living-history re- enactors from various eras in our
nation's history, from the Civil War forward. An overnight encampment of assorted military
units will take place on the museum's front lawn.

Other weekend activities include Brian and Linda Woodcock, who will give a presentation on "If
General MacArthur Were Here Today" and "Women In the Military" at 10 a.m. today in the
museum's auditorium. Brian Woodcock also will give a first-person representation of
MacArthur.

Col. Thomas Sweeney will give an illustrated presentation on "The History of the Military
Railway Service: It Started With Whistler's Father" today at 2 p.m., also in the auditorium.
Sweeney is a professor of strategic logistics at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, and
formerly taught at West Point and Fort Leavenworth.

Tonight, a 1940s-style dance, "Taking the Swing Train," will take place featuring the 18-piece
Sound of Roses band. The dance will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person for
the general public and $15 per person for Friends of the Railroad Museum members and can be
purchased at the museum gift shop or at the door.

A savings combination ticket of $30 per person offers individual admission to the dance and to
both days of Troops and Trains. Proceeds help the museum restore and preserve America's
railroading past.

The military's ties to the railroad go back 140 years.

"The American Civil War marked the first major military application of railroads, which were
principally used as supply lines for troops, munitions, rations and communications," Dunn said.

The Military Railway Service was created in 1916, and by the end of World War I it included
more than 32,000 railroaders and 897 officers.

"In World War II, U.S. freight and passenger railroad service, both military and civilian, was
phenomenal," Dunn said. "As many as 160 freight trains traveled daily between Pittsburgh and
Harrisburg, and numerous passenger trains were converted into troop carriers and hospital cars.

According to Dunn, following World War II, the use of railroads in conflict declined, but it did
not disappear. Today's military rail movements are centered more on large heavy equipment
which simply cannot move over highways, he said. A renewed focus on the railroads for both
military and civilian importance as an integral part of a balanced transportation network is
necessary for our nation's well-being, he said.
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will be open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from
noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults 18 to 59, $6 for seniors 60 and over and $5 for youths
ages 6 to 17. Children under 6 are free.

Across the street, the Strasburg Rail Road will run special troop trains. Guests may ride the rails
with the soldiers heading off for battle.

Tickets for troop trains may be purchased at the Strasburg Rail Road's ticket office, by phone at
687-7522 or on line at www.strasburgrailroad.com. Cost is $11.50 per person for ages 12 and
over and $6.75 per person for ages 3 to 11.

Larry Alexander's e-mail address is lalexander@lnpnews.com.

Copyright 2004 Lancaster Newspapers