Hi Ed; I'd guess rolling the equipment on from end ramps or maybe a side loading dock is the way things go 99% of the time. The same book you cite has at least one photo of an M3 medium tank being loaded into a gondola using a crane (probably an expedient because of a shortage of flatcars?). Tanks and other equipment may also have been lifted directly off or onto flatcars with cranes at dockside when loading into ships.
On the Steam Era Freight Cars list Andy Laurent provided a list of some on-line Signal Corps photos of WWII rail loads: Photos from Newport News, VA embarkation port: http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/079.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/079.jpg> M4 and an M3 unloading at Newport News Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/075.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/075.jpg> M3 and M4 Feb '43 showing blocking on flatcar http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/076.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/076.jpg> same as above scene http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/074.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/074.jpg> M4 close up on a GTW flat Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/32/096.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/32/096.jpg> M10 tank destroyers on flats Aug '45 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/07/049.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/07/049.jpg> M4 loaded 1 per flatcar Sept '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/07/048.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/07/048.jpg> M4 same as above Sept '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/083.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/083.jpg> M3 on light flatcars Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/077.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/077.jpg> T2 tank recovery unit on PRR flatcar Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/08/071.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/08/071.jpg> M10 Tank destroyer on IHB flatcar Aug '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/01/030.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/01/030.jpg> M3 tank on flatcar, end view Oct '42 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/11/017.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/11/017.jpg> Unloading 500 lb bombs from boxcars Jan '44 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/11/027.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/11/027.jpg> Same 500 lb unloading http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/093.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/093.jpg> Misc earthmoving equipment on flatcars Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/085.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/085.jpg> "Barber Greene" ditcher on CP flatcar Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/095.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/095.jpg> "Diamond T" tar spreader on flatcar Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/094.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/094.jpg> Road scraper on flatcar Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/092.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/02/092.jpg> "LeTourneau carry-all" on flatcar and light guns Feb '43 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/34/002.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/34/002.jpg> Misc vehicles/trucks being loaded after return Jan '46 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/16/036.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/16/036.jpg> 4.7" AA gun on SP flatcar April '44 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/19/037.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/19/037.jpg> Stacked Jeeps on flatcar July '44 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/19/036.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/19/036.jpg> More stacked Jeeps on flatcar July '44 >From the subject listing of one photo about M4 tanks: "Each [M-4] tank is 1,743 cubic feet in capacity and is 661,490 pounds in weight." Want to run some Marklin on your WWII era layout? http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/30/039.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/30/039.jpg> Captured German chemical 'buggy' June '45 Other locations: Loading an "Amtrack" onto an N&W flatcar in a scene that begs to be modeled: http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/33/062.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/33/062.jpg> Amtrack loading Nov '45 http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/27/028.jpg <http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/VTLS/SC/27/028.jpg> Army boats on flatcars Jan '45 Portsmouth, VA Modern military transport is somewhat different, with much of the rolling stock owned by DOD. Pieter Roos --- ed_loizeaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dr. Don and others.... > > I have a book with two photos showing the loading of > tanks onto > flatcars. Title: AMERICA'S FIGHTING RAILROADS. > Sub-title: A World > War II Pictorial History. Author: DON DeNEVI. > Library of Congress > Catalog Card No. 96-68879 ISBN: 1-57510-001-0 > Publisher: Pictorial > Histories Publishing Company, Inc., 713 South Third > West, Missoula, > Montana 59801, (406) 549-8488, E-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web Site: > pictorialhistoriespublishing.com > > On pages 29 and 135 are photos of tanks being loaded > onto flat cars. > In both cases, a wooden ramp at the end of the flat > car was used. > The slope was quite steep -- approaching 30 degrees. > In one case the > ramp was obviously jury-rigged from large beams of > wood placed on top > of the rails and parallel to the ties and with > increasing height > toward the flat car. On top of these beams were > laid heavy planks > just where the treads of the tank would travel. A > wide open space > was between the planks and you can the beams beneath > and note their > increasing height. M-3 tanks are shown being driven > off the end ramp > from about four or five flat cars coupled together. > The photo does > not show how the spaces between the flat cars was > filled in. > > The other photo shows what appears to be a formally > constructed wood > ramp with a triangular side framework on the sides. > Many planks > totally fill the space between the side framework. > No open spaces at > all on this ramp. > > Hope this helps....Ed L. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
