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United States Military Railway Service: America's Soldier-Railroaders in WWII
A story of true heroism. America's 44,000 soldier-railroaders kept vast numbers of troops and essential supplies moving through war-torn Europe.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 29, 2016
A very fast read. At about 160 pages, the book doesn't take particularly long to go through. The major operational areas each get a single chapter at most, only leaving room for a summary of their achievements and a few brief stories. If that was all there was to this book, my review would be much lower. However, the insight this book brings to some unsung heroes of World War II is amazing. And not just that, but the pictures. This book contains a holy grail of pictures for anyone interested in truly seeing and understanding what the MRS dealt with during the war. Half of the pages are filled with pictures, and they give a personal, helpful aid to the rest of the information. This definitely shouldn't be your only source on MRS information, but as a supplement to what went on behind the scenes (but more often than expected, on the frontlines) it is unique and irreplacable.
May 4, 2026
It's clear that this book was a labor of love for the authors, but of what I can't be sure.
It starts with a solid overview of military railroading around the world – Germany and France in the Franco-Prussian Wars, the American Civil War, the Boer Wars, and WWI. Then, the origins of the modern Military Railway Service are discussed. But even in these first few pages the shortcuts creep in.
Railfans reading this book will lament the incomplete location information (dates, exact locations), outright caption errors, and an almost complete lack of technical data on motive power, rail equipment, and even military equipment in the photos.
Even the organizational chart could use notes to help with the numerous abbreviations. I'm retired US Army and honestly have no idea what many of the abbreviations mean.
There were numerous different locomotives from multiple builders that were utilized by the Army in WWII. The manufacturers were the likes of Alco, Baldwin, Davenport, General Electric, and Whitcomb, as well as others, not to mention the builders and types of European engines used by the MRS. But, we're lucky to see any mention of the builder or type in the photos. This is also true of the armor and other vehicles used, though there are occasional mentions of GMC trucks.
These issues could have easily been alleviated and dealt with, but for some reason were not, despite all the empty white space.
Nevertheless, this isn't a terrible effort. It does highlight the amazing history of the MRS in America, North Africa, and Europe. It touches on some other areas like Iran and India, but were read little of those stories, sadly. But, if you're looking for an overview of a little known or recorded subject of military, railroad, or transportation history, this may fit your desires. If you're looking foe something with more nuts and bolts, then you may be disappointed.
It starts with a solid overview of military railroading around the world – Germany and France in the Franco-Prussian Wars, the American Civil War, the Boer Wars, and WWI. Then, the origins of the modern Military Railway Service are discussed. But even in these first few pages the shortcuts creep in.
Railfans reading this book will lament the incomplete location information (dates, exact locations), outright caption errors, and an almost complete lack of technical data on motive power, rail equipment, and even military equipment in the photos.
Even the organizational chart could use notes to help with the numerous abbreviations. I'm retired US Army and honestly have no idea what many of the abbreviations mean.
There were numerous different locomotives from multiple builders that were utilized by the Army in WWII. The manufacturers were the likes of Alco, Baldwin, Davenport, General Electric, and Whitcomb, as well as others, not to mention the builders and types of European engines used by the MRS. But, we're lucky to see any mention of the builder or type in the photos. This is also true of the armor and other vehicles used, though there are occasional mentions of GMC trucks.
These issues could have easily been alleviated and dealt with, but for some reason were not, despite all the empty white space.
Nevertheless, this isn't a terrible effort. It does highlight the amazing history of the MRS in America, North Africa, and Europe. It touches on some other areas like Iran and India, but were read little of those stories, sadly. But, if you're looking for an overview of a little known or recorded subject of military, railroad, or transportation history, this may fit your desires. If you're looking foe something with more nuts and bolts, then you may be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews