davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
Operation OF
Railroads

The services performed by the
American Transportation Corps in
the realm of operation were of two
general natures. American railroad
men ran trains for the French and
helped in the maintenance of their
tracks and rights of way. and they
also operated American trains with
American supplies and troops over
the roads.
The French method of train oper-
alton differs sharply from ours.
Here we are accustomed to move our
trains by means of the block signal
system, under the orders of train
dispatchers. In France the chef de
care, sort of sublimated station
agent, is supreme. He is in absolute
charge of all trains that pass
through his station and of the allot-
ment of cars within his district. A
through train having reached his
station, it cannot leave without his
permission. This practice brings
about such condition that fewer
trains are operated over a French
double-track line than could be han
died over an American single-track
line equipped with block signals and
dispatchers.
But the block signal and dispatcher
system could not be imposed on the
French roads all at once, though, if
the war had continued, American
railroad engineers say this would
have had to be done ultimately in
some sort of fashion.
Consequently American railroad
men were required to undergo thirty
days training under French rail-
road men before they were allowed
to operate trains. With every chef
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
Capacity
100000 Tons

The opening of all of these lines
would have made possible the carry
ing of moro than 100000 tons a day.
and it was planned to have this ca
pacity in operation by June, 1919.
At the time of the signing of the
armistice the bulk of munitions for
the American forces were going for
ward over the first two routes,
though the others, which had not
been organized fully, were being
made considerable factors.
To have developed this traffic of
100000 tons daily for the huge
American army which would have
been in France by June 4, meant the
daily handling from the ports of 1865
trains, with a daily locomotive mile
age of approximately 243 900, a
car mileage of upward of 100000
daily and a ton-mileage in excess of
40,OO0,000 daily.
A vast force of machinery, ma
terials and men was needed by June.
When the armistice was signed the
Transportation Corps had in France
upward of 10000 men. Its plans
called for the presence in France in
June of force of from 100000 to
100000. The end of the fighting
found 1900 American locomotives
and 1900 American freight cars in
France. The Transportation Corps
intended to have in France in June
5000 American locomotives and
$4,000 American freight cars.
Providing freight for the roads the
corps had arranged to have so
tugs, 1913 lighters, IS powerful float
ing cranes with maximum capacity
of 100 tons each and 1856 cranes on
the docks for the quick unloading
and release of vessels. Orders for
all of this material had been placed
and partly filled when the armistice
was signed. That the roads might be
relieved of the necessity of CARRYING
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04

Channel ports and had a very short
distance to travel across the Channel
to put their men in action in France.
and also short haul for their sun
plies.
The port Of St. Nazaire was chosen
because of its facilities for handling
supplies for an army of 100000 men.
Then other available ports of France
were selected. They included ulti-
mately Havre, Fecarup, HonAeur,
Rouen, Cherbourg, st. Malo, Gran
vile, Brest, Lorient, st. Brieuc, St.
Nazaire, Monitor, Donges, Usine
Brulee, Nantes, Les Sables d'Alone.
La Pallice, Rochefort, La Rochelle.
Tonnay = Charente, Marans, Bor-
deaux, Pauillac, Blazefort, st.
Loubes, American Basins, St. Sui
pice, st. Pardon, Bayonne, Mar
settles, Toulon and Cctte.
The requirements of these harbors
in regard to depth Of water for ships
from America had an important
bearing on the orders issued bv the
American government to the Ship
ping Board 1t was found the ma
jority of the harbors of France
could take only ships which drew
twenty-four feet or less.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
Great Erecting
Plant Established

The problem of erecting freight
cars shipped from the United States
in knocked-down shape was one
the engineers Of the Transportation
Corps had to solve. SO in La Ro-
chelle was established car-erecting
plant which soon had a capacity of
1000 cars month. But more cars
were needed by June than the capac-
ity Of this plant could develop,
though plans were under way to in
crease its output to 5000 cars a
month.
This would be $500 cars short of
the Transportation Corps needs. 1t
was found that the British could do
a part of the work at Dunkirk, and
the corps informed the United
States that it would have to ship
set-up cars to make good the bal
ance. After some difficulty cars be
gan arriving in France, partly
erected. That is, they were in three
pieces. The body was one piece and
the two trucks were the others. This
was only an illustration of the way
the Americans in France made Eu-
rope sit up.
Of course, the American locomo-
tives in France had to be main
tanned. SO in Nevers the Transpor-
tation Corps took over a partly COM
pleted shop and equipped it for car
ing for 1900 up to the time of the
signing Of the armistice. At that
time the Transportation Corps had
gone to Melun, south of Paris, to
adapt factory there to its require
ment for other repair shops Cabled
orders had been sent to the United
States for tools and men.
The American Transportation
Corps proved to be one of the most
versatile body of men who ever ex-
listed, it may be remarked in pass
ing, for it did not confine its repair
work to locomotives, tracks and cars,
but patched up ships at st. Nazaire,
Basins and Marseilles.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
When American industrial Magic Felt Stimulus of War
F Thr


others tracks, was not known to the
French and had to be explained in
detail. Colonel Wilgus also re-
ported that it would be necessary to
lave American repair shops, Ameri-
can engine houses, American yards,
and American erecting shops for
erecting locomotives and cars ship
ped in sections from the United
States. He recommended that as
large and as heavy American cars
and locomotives be shipped from the
United States as the size of tunnels
and the strength of bridges would
permit, the clearances and tensile
strengths not being sufficient to al
low the use of the heavier American
cars and locomotives.
Colonel Wilgus decided that a
consolidation locomotive of $4,000
pounds tractive effort should be
used, and thirty-ton freight cars,
which latter were three times the
size of the French cars.
Cars were to be equipped with air
brakes, unlike the French cars, and
the couplers were to be of the
French type so that mixed trains of
French and American cars could be
operated.
So comprehensive was Requisition
No. 6 that it even ordered material
and supplies for charging the sys-
TENS on the railroads of water sup
ply. The French locomotives were
so small that when they took water
they secured it from tanks so small,
with pipes of such small dimensions,
that it would have taken half an
hour to water an American locomo-
tive at the French tanks. During this
half hour trains would have piled up
on the track behind. So one of the
first measures planned was an en-
larging of the water supply. This
was part of the general plan of
providing complete facilities for
taking care of the American locomo-
tives sent to France, as there were
no facilities adequate to the task in
that country.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04

Transportation Corps concluded the
rate of 100 a month was not enough,
and decided to double it.
The corps demanded that locomo-
tives be shipped set up from the
United States. The Shipping Board
protested that ships would not stand
the strain of such loading, but the
Transportation Corps insisted, and
five ships were finally secured which
brought over locomotives erected ex-
cept for attaching the tender and the
stack. These were lifted out of the
ships by the heavy cranes, received
their tenders and stacks and
steamed away from the docks under
their own power.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
By B. w. Babcock

TNAKE soap box and set il
8 down in France
Take packing box, some
-slat larger, and place 1t near the
soap box.
Then seat Col. William ]. Wilgus
formerly engineering vice-president
of the New York Central, on the
soap box with his hands resting on
the packing case, desk fashion.
Do these three simple things to
begin with and at the signing of the
armistice you will find that you
have:
Built or rebuilt and fully equipped
with docks, railroad tracks, huge
cranes and warehouses for the heav-
lest traffic in the world, upwards
of thirty ports in France.
Transported and put into operation
in France 1900 American locomo-
tives.
Sent into France $4,000 American
freight cars.
Laid 900 miles of new railroad
track
Imported so cranes, Is harbor tugs,
S6 lighters, 2 floating cranes, inland
waterway tugs, 100000 tons Of rail,
II inland waterway barges, II hos
pital trains, large quantities of
heavy railroad tools and appliances,
millions of feet of railroad ties and
bridge tiTubers, large quantities of
light railway material, including roll
ing stock, several thousand miles
of telephone and telegraph wire.
Built a great locomotive repair
shop at Nevers, large car assem-
bling plant at La Rochelle and a
huge locomotive assembling plant
at ST. Nazaire.
Constructed several hundred stor-
age depots for base, intermediate
and advance storage.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04

existing French railroads were used
by the American forces under track
age rights without disturbing the
regular flow of French military and
other traffic over the lines. At the
signing of the armistice parts of the
Parls-Orleans, the Etat, the Paris.
Lyons and Mediterranean. the Est
and the Midi were being used. 1t
was, however, necessary for the
American. forces to build connec-
TONS, materially increase trackage
at certain points and to build one
extensive cutoff, known as the New
ers cutoff.
The first section of railroad used
by the Transportation Corps was
double forked part of the Paris
orleans to Bourges, where the two
FORKS converged. One fork ran
from the St. Nazaire ports and the
other from the Bordeaux ports
FROM Bourges the route was over
the Paris, Lyons and Mediter-
ranean, through Marcy, Allerey.
and ls-Sur-Tille to Liffol lie Grand.
which is close to Chaumont. the
Pershlng headquarters and the
front.
This line was to be in use IN to
the limit of $4,000 tons dailv
When this amount was exceeded
the Transportation Corps planned
second line Of rail communica-
ton, the same as the first. to
Bourges. Thence it went to Liffol
LIE Grand, via Etais, Larouge and
Neutchateau. 1t was planned that
these two lines would carry ton
mage up to 10000 tons daily. The
reaching of this limit was to be the
signal for the opening of still
another line from Tours, the head
quarters of the Transportation
Corps, which ran to Neufchateau.
i'N''A oiiC AlollCt Nld orleans ana
Troyes.
The carrying of $4,000 tons a
day over these three lines and the
development of a greater traffic
meant in the plans of the Trans
portation Corps the opening of ad-
dltlonal lines from Brest, on the
western coast to Liffol lie Grand,
which should pass through Yer
sailles, Paris, Connats apd Bar LIE
Due; from the Bordeaux ports to
Tours over tracks not included in
the other routes; from the Med
iterranean port of Toulon to a con-
nection with the first line at Tours.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
System Equal to
Three Lehigh Valleys

Put into operation in France an
American railway system equal to
three Lehigh Valleys, and prepared
the way for a system the equal of
the Pennsylvania to handle the army
of 100000 which was intended to
be sent from America.
Rebuilt parts of the existing
French railroad tracks so that dis
tances were shortened and trackage
increased and the use of several
systems by through train made
possible.
Transported between June l, 1917,
and November 80, 1918, as much as
6,547,621 tons of supplies for the
a. E. F., and between June and No
vember total OF 1,s65,440 troops
and 53,1i7 animals.
Prepared and had in readiness for
an advance into Germany by rail
huge quantities Of railroad ties,
bridge timbers and rails.
Placed under your immediate di-
rection III ships, which carry coal
from England, potatoes from Ireland,
supplies from Spain and food from
Africa to French ports
Established a waterways transport
via the Seine canal system to four
points close to the American front.
Established a huge organization
which at the signing Of the armistice
included 2,523 officers and 1853
men, many of whom had seen SER
vice on American railroads in grades
all the way down from president
or general manager.
These are some Of the more i'm.
portant results that arose out of the
happy conjunction in Paris Of the
soap box, the packing case anc
Colonel Wilgus.
Yet, large as they are, they would
rave been tripled or quadrupled il
the fortunes Of war had made nee
cssary the dispatching TO France, as
planned, the American Army OF
1900, 900.
The soap box, the packing case
and Colonel Wilgus happened to be
IN Paris in those early summer days
OF 1917, because Colonel Wilgus hac
been sent TO Europe in advance OF
General Pershing as q member Oh
commission to investigate raiIwa,
needs Of the French and report on
the adyisibility Of granting French
request that certain forces and SUP.
plies be sent to them.
The commission, which was ap.
tinted by the Secretary Of War
had not been asked to study the mill
tary transportation needed for the
coming American troops, but merely
70 report on the question Of giving
aid 10 the French.
Inc members Of the commission
we're, in addition to Colonel (thcr
Major) Wilgus, Colonel William
barclay Parsons, the engineer who
quiz much Of the first subway in
New York City; Captain A. -. Bar
per, of the Corps Of Engineers, u
o. A.; w. A.. Garrett, former preei-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
Nantes Falls
In line

The city authorities of Nantes al
ways had refused to allow the rail-
road through that city to be double
tracked, but the American Transport
tation Corps procured permission to
do so, with the proviso that the ex-
ira track was to be removed when
peace came. The corps also built a
connection at Nantes between the
Etat and the storage plant at St.
Luce.
Connections also were built be-
tween two systems at Perigueaux.
AS all of the railroads of France, in
a general way, radiate from Paris,
it was necessary for the Americans
to build connections that their
trains might pass from one system
to the other. Such were the connec-
tions already mentioned and others
at Saumur and Movers.
If the war had continued the
Transportation Corps would have
had in France thirty-six engine ter
minals, with facilities for caring for
the American locomotives. AS it
was, considerable number was
built. Saumur was the terminal
point Of engine runs from Monitor,
La Rochelle and Rochefort. Provi-
sion was made here for inspecting,
coaling and making minor repairs
to sixty-five locomotives.
PerigueauX marked the terminus
of the engine run from Bordeaux.
Facilities similar to those at Saumur
were established there. Other en-
CINE facilities were provided at
Gievres, Marcy and Montiorchaume,
while the plans included similar es-
adjustments at Etais, San German
du Puy, Poincoin, Orleans, Troyes
and Litfol lie Grand.
The shipping to France of Amer
lean locomotives, knocked down, ne
cessitated the establishing at st. Ma
zaire of locomotive plant
which soon had capacity of $50 en-
glnes month. Each locomotive was
Grated in sixteen packages. The
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04

freight whose swift movement was
not essential the Transportation
Corps planned to have in operation
on the inland waterways, which had
four different destinations near the
front, at least 81 tugs and 500
barges, with a fair chance that by
June these figures would be doubled.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
|Requisition
lumber 6

Requisition No. 6 was cabled to
the United States on Bastile Day,
July IA, by Colonel Wilgus, who
was appointed to General Per-
shing's staff as Director of Military
Railways. The requisition called
for:
$50 American locomotives Tin adj
dition to the 800 ordered for the
French)
$500 American Bottom freight cars.
Sixty electric Gantry cranes Of
100 tons capacity each, of which 40
were to be used at new American
port to be built at Basins, and 20
at some other port.
Several thousand piles.
Several million feet, board meas
urc, of timber for use at the new
ports.
Ten ambulance trains.
Four hundred miles of light rail-
way, 60 centimetre gauge, for the
combat zones.
Locomotives and cars for the light
railways.
Steam shovels, pile drivers, ma
terial for engine houses and eouip-
ment for great locomotive repair
shop.
The whole represented an expendi-
ture of between 100000, 900 and
S2O0,00O,O00.
In August, 1917, General Per
shing ordered that there be always
in France ninety days supplies for
the American forces. Forty-five
days supply was to be always ready
at the base ports, thirty days sup
ply at intermediate storage points
and fifteen days supply at points
within fifty or sixty miles of the
front. This necessitated the con-
struction of enormous STORAGE
warehouses.
Plans were we'll under way and
the whole situation in hand when
Secretary Baker sent to France w.
w. Atterbury, president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad in charge of
operations. When Mr.. Atterbury
reached France in September, 1917,
he saw the work had been we'll
begun and suggested that he re-
turn to America, leaving matters
in the hands Of Colonel Wilgus.
The latter had only the forwarding
of the work in mind, and cheerfully
volunteered to have Mr.. Atterbury
made Director General of Military
Railways. Colonel Wilgus there
upon became Deputy Director Gen
eral.
The problems solved by the or
ganization, which ultimately be-
came known as the Transportation
Corps, affected:
/. Ports.
=. Direction of ships from nearby
countries and inland waterway
transportation.
3. Railroad construction and re-
construction.
4. Repair and erection OF locomo-
tives and cars.
5. Railroad operation.
6. Storage.
Z. Light railways Combat zones).
1t was apparent to Colonel Wilgus
from the start that the northern
ports Of Calais and Boulogne and
other channel ports could not be used
since the British were employing
them for troops and supplies. In this
connection it may be noted that tho
British were using the northern
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04
The Worlds Most
MOderr, Port

The Shipping Board was notified
to issue orders that three-quarters
of the ships sent to Europe should
draw not over twenty-four feet of
water.
One Of the most important ports
of the A. f. f. was at Basins,
France. This may be taken as tvpi-
cal of the rest. A ten-bcrth port was
created. 1t had a length along its
principal docks Of 40 feet and was
served by four tracks. In the rear
of the docks were classification yards
and warehouses. There was a COW
cred storage capacity of 1884
square feet and open storage ca
pacity of 262,17O square feet.
Thirty eight and -tenths miles of
trackage was planned.
The American port of Basins was
the most modern in the world. 1t
was equipped with the famous Can
try cranes and could establish a rec
ord at any time Of the year as port
OF unloading. Its methods were the
most modern in the world and it's
machinery the last word in stevedore
engineering.
AT first the Mediterranean ports
were regarded as impossible of
use. The Mediterranean was infest-
ed with submarines, and the Ameri-
can authorities thought they should
be disregarded in the total equation.
But Admiral Sims stated these ports
would be defended by the American
fleet, and they were opened to the
use of the Americans. Marseilles,
Toulon and Cette, or parts of them,
were assigned to the Americans.
In the end these ports handled
upward of 10000 tons a day. 1t is
believed that by next June, if the
war had continued, about 100000
tons would have been handled. The
port locations were about thirty in
number. At first they principally
included those in the neighborhood
of st. Nazaire or the Loire River
ports and those in the vicinity of
Bordeaux, but ultimately, as will be
seen from the list, the ports in
Guided Channel and Mediterranean
locations.
In many of these ports American
facilities were provided, much of
which had been completed at the
signing of the armistice. The
French were amazed to see the
Americans drive down piles and
erect substantial piers, the French
usually constructing costly and time
consuming stone quays. Upon the
piers lines Of railroad tracks were
laid and huge cranes set up, so that
parts of locomotives and bales and
boxes Of goods were lifted directly
from the hold Of ships to railroad
cars on the piers, and many I'M
loading records established
There has been in circulation
story that the American Transporter
ton Corps built and operated
four track railroad from the sea-
coast to the front. This, however,
was not the case, as the plan and ex-
ecution of the railroad men was
far more canny than this. Parts of
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-04

dent Of the Seaboard Air Line, and
vice-president of the Chicago Great
Western and F. de St. Phalle, of the
Baldwin Locomotive Works, Phla
delphia.
The commission started from the
United States May IA, 1917, and
reached Europe May "a. 1t con-
suited with various British and
French ministries, commissions and
official bodies, and then toured the
fighting railroad front and the sup
ply lines in the rear
In a month they were ready to
report. They recommended that
nine railroad engineering regiments,
for which the French had asked, be
sent them. Five of these were con-
struction and maintenance regi-
ments, one shop regiment, and the
other three operating regiments.
The commission also advised that
300 American locomotives, 1850
miles of track material, heavy rail-
road appliances and steam shovels
and rail sawyers be furnished to the
French.
The commission ended it's commits
sion existence in Paris. Colonel Par
sons went back to his regiment, Cap
tain Barber was assigned to general
staff duty, and Mr.. Garrett and Mr..
de st. Phalle returned to America.
So Colonel Wilgus was the only
member Of the commission left in
Paris.
Colonel Wilgus's trip over the rail
roads of France had set him think
ing. Already there was in his mind
a definite realization of the problems
of transportation for the coming
American Army. The necessities of
the case and existing facilities were
thoroughly familiar to him.
At the request Of General PERISH
ing he set to work to formulate the
railroad and transportation needs of
the future American Army in
France. Selecting as his assistant
Captain L. A. Jenny, formerly chief
draughtsman Of the New York Gen.
trail Colonel Wilgus looked for a
place in which to do his work. He
found it in 149 Boulevard Haussman
in room in which some sixty per-
sons did their work. There was
single large table, at which many
persons worked and upon which Colo
mel Wilgus might have made a
start, but papers would have been
unsafe there and any one who left
his seat at the table for moment
found it gone on his return.