Steam & Excursion > US Army Steam

I went to Ft. Eustis sometime back in the early '80's for a meeting and snapped these images of steamers on display.  Pete

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Great displays - First-rate photos.
Bob

I always liked the looks of those Army 2-8-0s, Chunky and purposeful!
Gonut

I'm glad to see some of these engines got saved.  I was drafted into the Army in 1968 and just my luck I had the aptitude to work on Huey helicopters.   Well in my off duty hours I was exploring the base at Ft. Eustis., Va.  I was crawling through the woods, and popped out where all these steam engines were parked.  I didn't have a clue they were there so I was pretty surprised to say the least.  So much for that.  I passed my helicopter classes and spent the next year and 24 days dodging rockets, mortars and bullets in Vietnam.  I wonder if people will ever quit fighting with each other ? 

Anyhow,  Thanks for the photos,  Wow,  58 years ago ?
Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho  

Thanks for your service Craig. My dad served two tours in Vietnam in Special Forces. At one point in his career he was offered training to fly "choppers" but passed on that. I thought I heard that flying those in Vietnam was very dangerous.Needless to say, as you know, that was the way to get around in Vietnam, He would also refuel them at his A camp with many landing there at the same time for refueling.

Dad was a bit of an inventor and once designed and tested a multi-rocket pod to use on a helicopter. When the brass found out about it, he was told that it was not authorized. Then, later, a lieutenant took credit for the design!

It must have been a sight to behold to see and hear a group of them fly over. If any sights and sounds were indigenous to Vietnam it had to be the sound of helicopters. As an Army brat, I got see them in action, including SF parachuting or repelling from them, but I never got a ride.

Victor Baird

hawkinsun Wrote:
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> I'm glad to see some of these engines got saved. 
> I was drafted into the Army in 1968 and just my
> luck I had the aptitude to work on Huey
> helicopters.   Well in my off duty hours I was
> exploring the base at Ft. Eustis., Va.  I was
> crawling through the woods, and popped out where
> all these steam engines were parked.  I didn't
> have a clue they were there so I was pretty
> surprised to say the least.  So much for that. 
> I passed my helicopter classes and spent the next
> year and 24 days dodging rockets, mortars and
> bullets in Vietnam.  I wonder if people will ever
> quit fighting with each other ? 
>
> Anyhow,  Thanks for the photos,  Wow,  58 years
> ago ?
> Craig Hanson
> Vay, Idaho  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/26 18:44 by wabash2800.

One might notice that V-1923 a narrow gauge unit and is still in its original shipping cradle. It was used for a while as a stationary boiler at 3rd port.

Michael

Craig, WELCOME HOME!!!!!


sam

emd_mrs1 Wrote:
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> One might notice that V-1923 a narrow gauge unit
> and is still in its original shipping cradle. It
> was used for a while as a stationary boiler at 3rd
> port.
>
> Michael

When was that?  I was at Eustis in May '65 for the basic course and while the whole railway was being actively used (at least four 2-8-0's were in regular service) I never saw V-1923 at the port or anyplace else.  Also when I came back from Vietnam in May '67 I was again around the port a few times (I was stationed at Ft. Story) and again never saw it.  I wonder what eventually happened to it.
Gordon

gbmott Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> emd_mrs1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > One might notice that V-1923 a narrow gauge
> unit
> > and is still in its original shipping cradle.
> It
> > was used for a while as a stationary boiler at
> 3rd
> > port.
> >
> > Michael
>
> When was that?  I was at Eustis in May '65 for
> the basic course and while the whole railway was
> being actively used (at least four 2-8-0's were in
> regular service) I never saw V-1923 at the port or
> anyplace else.  Also when I came back from
> Vietnam in May '67 I was again around the port a
> few times (I was stationed at Ft. Story) and again
> never saw it.  I wonder what eventually happened
> to it.
> Gordon

There is a photo on the internet of it in a cradle on a concrete platform. It may take a bit of work to find it again. It may be somewhere here: https://donsdepot.irm.org/dr109.htm

Michael

In 1967-69 the railroad was still running steam and there ALCO and EMD MRS1.
I have a few pictures taken back then. They like to change the stripping on the there black engines back then. One time yellow then silver and white.
I was in the air force at Langley AFB and went to war flying C130.
Dennis

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