Published: May 14, 2008 01:48 am         

Armament train arriving at TSRR Friday

PALESTINE — Rail fans looking for an unusual sight might want to head to the Texas State Railroad Friday morning to see the first armament train to come down the line in years.

The train will be carrying military equipment to be put on display during the 11th annual Armed Forces Weekend at the Palestine Depot.

Robert Gore, who serves as liaison between the railroad and military personnel, said that the equipment has not been moved by rail to the event before.

“The train will have an armed military escort, which will be re-enactors wearing period uniforms, and the train crew,” said Gore, who works at the railroad shop in Rusk. “The train is kind of the grand opening of the event.”

Although trains transporting modern military equipment come through the Palestine Union Pacific yard occasionally, trains ferrying vintage equipment from wars past are much rarer, he said.

The equipment will be loaded onto three flatbed cars and pulled by a Korean vintage military locomotive, an ALCO MS2 diesel-electric built in 1952, Gore said.

The pieces to be brought on the train include an artillery tractor, two World War II jeeps and a 2 1/2 ton Army World War II transport truck, along with a Katy caboose, he said.

Plans call for the train to depart the Rusk yard at 8 a.m. and arrive at the Palestine Depot at 10 a.m., where the equipment will be off-loaded and set up for the weekend’s displays.

While the equipment figures to be a heavier payload than the normal passenger cars pulled for tourist runs, it still won’t be the biggest, Gore said.

“The heaviest we’ve moved is the ballast cars bringing in rocks for the tracks,” he said. “This is not our biggest challenge, but it is one of our most unusual.”

The Armed Forces Weekend is set for 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Sunday at the Texas State Railroad in Palestine. The event is free to the public.

Events scheduled include mock World War II battles choreographed by the Texas Military Historical Society; small arms demonstrations of various types of weapons used throughout the years; and living history exhibits from 1850s Texas forts, the Civil War, Buffalo soldiers, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and present day.

Also on display will be civilian helicopters and a UH-1E Huey helicopter flown in combat during Vietnam by Marine Medal of Honor winner Capt. Stephen Pless. Rides will be offered by the Collings Foundation for $150 for the co-pilot seat and $100 for the six rear seats.

The Armed Forces Weekend is held annually to honor the men and women who serve and have served in defense of the United States.

     

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