The Army began moving equipment by rail in the 19th century.

Since then, the power source has changed from steam to diesel and electric. Fort Lewis just received two members of a clean, new generation – “ultra-low-emitting locomotives.”

Manufactured by National Railway Equipment Company, the “N-Viromotive” locomotives cost $1.5 million apiece and will replace the current Fort Lewis fleet of two older diesels and one electric model. They will continue to use diesel fuel, but in a far more efficient manner.

“These new … locomotives should provide Fort Lewis with an overall reduction in rail-related fuel usage of over 60 percent compared to our older units,” said Russ Baggerly, chief of the Installation Transportation Division, “plus a nearly 80 percent reduction in emissions of nitrous gas and particulate solids. These are very, very clean-running systems.”

Instead of one large, conventional power plant, the locomotives feature three computer-controlled engines.

“As the engine senses it needs more power, another one will kick on,” said Pat McMullin, a Fort Lewis locomotive engineer. “And if you need more power, a third one will kick on. As you gain momentum, they start dropping off. That way you can maintain your speed.”

“Each engine generates 700 horsepower,” Baggerly said. “It’s all computerized and automatic. It’s also smart, in that it’ll turn off the engine that has the most operating hours, so it keeps the hours about the same.

“In terms of … fuel economy, each one of those can pull twice as much freight as (the older locomotives). Sixty-five percent less fuel, and I can move twice as much freight down the rail. These things really do have the grunt to move the freight we need them to move.”

By substituting composite materials for steel in their construction, NREC added to the fuel economy of the new locomotives.

“The old ones are 100 percent steel,” Baggerly pointed out.

According to Baggerly, the new locomotives are undergoing “maintenance and acceptance trials” now before being placed into service at about mid year. They will roll over a Fort Lewis rail system that began receiving a $15 million makeover last August that should be completed when the locomotives are ready.

“The (operational tempo) of the deployments is such that we have to be able to move cargo by rail,” Baggerly said.

“We’re going to essentially quadruple our rail capacity by the time this thing’s done.”

U.S. Army
by Bob Reinert, a reporter with Fort Lewis’ Northwest Guardian

Trains delivering precious crude oil continue to arrive here despite harsh conditions and obstacles.

Marines and Sailors with Civil Affairs Team 6, Detachment 1, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 are here to make sure the trains are running at full capacity and arriving at the train station without encountering any obstructions.

“We’re renovating the train station to have it operable so that trains can pass through and deliver crude oil to the offload station,” said Sgt. Nelson L. Neely Jr., 22, a machine gunner with CA Team 6, from Houston. “We go there and check on the project and see how the trains and tracks are doing.”

“We help manage the trains as they come in,” said Staff Sgt. Graham H. Webb, 26, team chief with CA Team 6, from Ripley, Tenn. “We work with the Iraqi Railroad to coordinate the movement of crude oil from Bayji to Haqlaniyah.”

The CA team has spent approximately $450,000 of Commanders Emergency Response Program (CERP) funds thus far on improvements on the railroad itself and railroad station, which supplies the refinery here with crude oil to be processed. The goal is to have two trains of 20 cars each per day, which should support the refinery here and produce 16,000 barrels a day.

“When they bring the trains in, the crude oil gets sent to the refinery and then distributed all around al-Anbar province,” said Webb. “Access to fuel by the people lowers fuel prices and helps the economy in al-Anbar province.”

An issue the railroad has encountered is frequent sand drifts, which can cover portions of the railroad and affect the number and regularity of incoming trains.

“The refinery here depends on the train station to get the oil,” said Webb. “We paid a contractor who uses a bulldozer to manually clear the tracks, and we also gave money to the train station to build a blower to mount on the front of the trains.”

Plans are also in the works for future improvements on an existing oil pipeline to bring in additional oil.

“There are plans to repair (an existing) pipeline (that would) bring in additional crude oil to the area,” said Webb.

On a recent visit to the train station by CA Team 6, Kahlid Kamil Hussni, an Iraqi contractor in charge of clearing the railroad tracks at the Haqlaniyah train station spoke warmly of the Coalition force members here.

“If it wasn’t for (CA Team 6) and the Americans, this project would never have happened,” said Hussni.

MNF-I
By Cpl. Sean Coolman
Regimental Combat Team 5

The ability to move cargo and equipment within a large base by train is important. Having it all connected to a national system even more so.

It has been four years since a train powered its way onto Camp Taji, Iraq, and at least that long since any care or attention has been paid to the rail yard. As a result, a crew of ten Iraqi Republic Railway’s workers started the rigorous task of cleaning and repairing the neglected tracks.

“Today they are repairing switches, placing derailed train cars back onto the tracks, and clearing debris,” said Staff Sgt. Gilbert Torress, a native of Fresno, Calif., and the sergeant of the guard with Detachment 1, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, a California National Guard unit attached to the 1st Sustainment Brigade. “After this they will load containers on cars and test the tracks.”

These tracks are currently being renovated as part of an initiative to rebuild the railroad and it’s capabilities to move large volumes of cargo.

“The trains pulling in here will carry mostly containers and Iraqi army materials bound for the maintenance facilities under the Taji National Depot,” said Maj. Ira Baldwin, a Laurinburg, N.C., native and mobility chief for the 1st Sustainment Brigade.

Every track cleaned and switch repaired is a step closer to a fully functioning railroad and the eventual creation of good paying jobs for Iraqi people.

DVIDS
By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude
1st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs