Nostalgia & History > Navy MRS1 in Port Chicago

On an unrecorded day in the mid 1970s, likely 1974, US Navy 65-00547, an ALCo built MRS1 is flying over Port Chicago Highway and SP's Mococo line, just west of Port Chicago, CA.

Navy 65-00547 is an ALCo MRS1. Reportedly: Navy 65-00547 was built in 1953, by ALCo as United States Army Transportation Corps (USATC) 2096, builder's number 80329. At the time of this photograph it was working at the Concord Naval Weapons Station located in Concord, CA. Disposition unknown.

I hope you enjoy this post:

Steve Sloan
San José, CA
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About my sources and the information presented here:

http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sources

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Neat shot.  At a time when you could still get in to Port Chicago.

Now days the closest you can get is drive by on highway 4.

A rare photo made even better by this scene.
Bob

The box car is interesting too--silver?

Victor



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/21 10:28 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> The box car is interesting too--silver?
>
> Victor

Yes, the Navy painted their captive boxcars they used at their weapons stations silver.
The Orange Empire Railway Museum got a bunch of silver boxcars from the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station when they salvaged much of their track materials.

As an 8th grader in Concord, my friend Mike and I would ride our bikes out to Port Chicago and watch trains.  Sometimes the Navy would come into the yard to drop off or pick up boxcars.  One time, we were invited up in the cab of a Navy MRS-1.  I still have a recording of it.  Port Chicago has always been a special place for me.  (too bad it's now inaccessible). - Eric Blasko