Tracks of the past

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Carranza
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The railroad tracks laid throughout the base were once the lifeline to what was once known as Fairfield-Suisun Army Airfield, which is now known as Travis.

These tracks can be seen strewn about the roads and fields off of Ragsdale Road, the backside of the supply Bldg. 549, off of Hangar Avenue and even after heading out of the North Gate. A person may not notice these tracks until they run over them to and from work.

These bits and pieces of the past were once 7,200 feet of track on a circular route from the headquarters building to the air corps supply building, according to a Front and Center edition from the 1940s.

The workhorse that ran on these tracks was a 25-ton gasoline operated engine named the "GI Choo-Choo," which replaced its 60-ton, oil-burning predecessor in September 1943.

The miniature locomotive hauled an average of 10 to 15 million pounds of freight each month. It was capable of pulling 14 freight cars loaded to capacity at a time.

The supplies were railed in from the Sacramento Northern Railroad and a regular load used to consist of everything from gravel to beer, to ammunition and K-rations.

The crew at the time consisted of three men, Cpl. Chester Sikorsky, Pfc. Donald Ringler and Clarence Smith who ran and maintained the locomotive. Additionally, Tech. Sgt. John Oglesby of the rail transportation office would step in as a crew member during emergencies, according to the same Front and Center article.

The last time the railroad was used was approximately 10 years ago, to bring in base coarse material for a portion of the airfield, said Edward Cebula, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron horizontal construction foreman. Base coarse is used to stabilize the ground prior to placing concrete or asphalt on for finish.

"It was in 2003 to 2004 time frame that the railroad was used for transportation of base coarse because it was cheaper to bring it in by cart, which was side dumped on the south side of David Grant (USAF) Medical Center, as opposed to trucking it in from its point of origin," Cebula said. "It was the last time that railroad transportation was used on base. Before the main fuel line was put in, the main source of jet fuel was brought in by rail."