Yes, as explained in the comment I made just before the one you posted, the Porter had his own "compartment". It was the top bunk on one end of the car (next to the washroom). He gained access to this car with some grab irons on that wall and climbing up. One of the reasons for this arrangement was so the military personnel from the South, were not travelling in the same cars as a Black. Even though they were actually in the same car, by having the Porter "blocked off", the illusion was he was not in the same car. The other part of course, is that the Porter had his privacy. What I don't know, is whether there was a "door" on the small entrance in that area so that the Porter could close it and possibly lock it from the inside. Hopefully, someone will comment to your question.

BTW, thanks for your service.

Les

I believe there was a Trains Magazine article on the troop sleepers in the early 1970s, from which I remember some of the facts noted above, such as the meal logistics. Also that the cars were operated by the Pullman Company with a porter, interchangeably with standard sleepers. Only a lot rougher riding. As in the pictures, they were painted Pullman green and lettered "Pullman."

We use one as a tool car with PM 1225, and I still trip over the rise in the floor at each end that brings the floor height up to the passenger-car standard.

Aarne Frobom
Selfridge Field, Michigan

From what I have read, Pullman initially took Heavyweight Tourist cars out of storage for the troop trains. Tourist cars were older Pullmans that had been withdrawn from Pullman's Standard (the term used then instead of First Class) service and operated at a reduced fare (still more than coach). For troop service, the air conditioning was disconnected.

By 1942 it was clear more cars were needed because schedulled Standard service was using all the available cars for regular Pullman passengers, and all the tourist cars were in troop service. For this the troop sleeper was born.

A troop sleeper could accommodate 29 GI's plus a Porter in individual berths, albeit three high. (when tourist or Standard cars were used, two GI's shared the lower berth, one slept in in the upper.)

Most Army field units had their own cooks and messing facilities and each GI had a mess kit. These units could set up in a baggage car to feed their own troops to include cleaning the kitchens and mess kits. The kitchen cars saved the time of setting up the field kitchens. They were safer as the kitchen cars did not have wood floors or interior lining. The field kitchens used motor gasoline (Mogas)

Phil Mulligan

Interesting note: the PRR required troop trains to go into the yard and offload all the gasoline before entering the tunnels through Penn Station NY. When they got to the other side of the rivers, they could load the mogas other trains had discarded.

Here are a few more photos showing the distribution process that show some of the variety of eating styles/combo of plates and mess kit utensils. Granted, these are tourist sleepers and kitchen baggage cars, but the process was similar for those and the government cars which operated with mixed consists of equipment at times.

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... na2cXH7S2w
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... NguHMa8Irg
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... UeLJILplag
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... hZOb6zKreQ
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... FyJhQRSvKQ
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... LRlIXDTQMw
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset ... k3r4KkvtHg

Phil -

Thanks for the explanation. The photos that RPO1921 posted above, were all taken in a "Tourist" Pullman and not a Troop Sleeper.

Les

I know WWW2 stuff way more than I know trains, and I've talked with vets over the years who have ridden those cars. I must admit how they got chow in them wasn't the primary subject but I do remember hearing from one or two (while standing next to the one at the B&O museum) that some had mess kits and some ate off the metal trays. Like all things military, it depends on who was in charge at the time. Handling mess kits made accountability easier as nobody had to sign for the trays and the GI's would have to provide their own (and wash them in the drums of hot water if provided, but I've talked with lots of GIs who had to use dirt and a canteen to clean theirs).
Mermite cans did exist in WW2 but they weren't nearly as common as in the era you probably remember. They were also differently made. They were round, looking like an ottoman with wire top to hold tension from clips on each side of the body. Inside were three flat-ish containers that looked like they were to bake a cake inside. Those would stack up, three to a can.
You really don't see them often in period photos often (nowhere near as often as in 'Nam era photos) other than being used for blood plasma. There were two types, one that ad a galvanized lining and the other porcelain one with blue and speckles, like modern camping cups. There's conjecture on which each was for, for general consensus is that the blue lined ones were for blood plasma.

I have not posted on RYPN for some time. A friend at OERM/SCRM, Richard Beck
brought this thread to my attention on Wed.
For the last year and half Gary Knight and myself have been restoring #89674 a HOSPITAL kitchen car The car was built by St louis car company one 84 built under that work order the
builder plate gives a date of 1954.
Our museum Bought two of these cars back in the early 1980"s according to Ray Balish, as he was the person responsible for getting them moved from China Lake to Perris.
The car that we are restoring was NEVER put into service and has No wear marks on the interior.
Not the same for the outside it was covered with a great amount of surface rust and that was our reason for starting the project, if we didn't start now (July 27th 2020) there would have been nothing worth saving We received $4,000.00 donation From the Harvey Girl Historical Society of OERM in the amount of $2,000.00 along with an equal amount from the Questers of San Diego. To date we have been able to stay in budget.
At this time we are painting on all the letters and Number's as they were when the car was built. we hope to be finished in the next few months. We have no working manuals

USAX Hospital Trains were different animals from troop sleepers and kitchen cars.

For one thing, the Hospital Cars were real passenger cars, being full length and with passenger trucks. Most of the cars looked like baggage-coach combines with wide side doors at one end. This was for loading stretcher cases.

The kitchen cars had to be more sophisticated as some patients had specific dietary requirements.

https://www.med-dept.com/articles/ww2-hospital-trains/

The Monon rebuilt surplus Hospital Cars into their postwar named trains.

Of course, the most critical patients were flown. The USAAF could rig their cargo planes as flying ambulances by installing litter racks in place of seats. The USAAF cargo planes had double side doors so loading a litter patient was no problem. Four-engine C-54's could fly transoceanic by island hopping. The aircraft carried Flight Nurses.

Phil Mulligan



Phil Mulligan

FWIW

I actually spent many a night sleeping in a troop sleeper at the Valley Railroad's yard in Essex in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, last I heard, the car is no more having been torched by vandals or something.

We had many of the original fittings inside including the bunks, although the car had been slightly modified to add a shower, hot water heater and some sinks along with a small electric pump for water pressure and a kitchen sink with refrigerator.

What I clearly recall is that it was cold as could be in the winter (until we got the coal stove fired up) while in the summer with the sun baking down, it often felt like an oven despite having the windows, end doors and vents open. (I suspect wall and roof insulation was minimal or non-existant).

In addition, being parked in a yard with working steam and diesel locos nearby ensured that everything inside was always covered with a nice layer of dirt and grit. Made it quite challenging to show up ready to work as train crew with a clean white dress shirt.

There was also the constant challenge of getting dressed or undressed with John Q. Public always wanting to peak inside to have a look at the historic "Pullman."

Recall one time someone left the water pump running a bit too long and one of the water tank fittings from WWII (which were on the ceiling) gave way giving all of us an unexpected shower. Another time we played a prank on an old timer called CP by giving the car a good rocking with a front end loader while he was soundly sleeping only to have him suddenly wake up thinking the car was being moved down the line leaving his beloved VW bug behind.

-Steve A

Wow. The lengths we went to to accommodate racism... Insane.

Due to racism Pullman also made the porters on troop sleepers as well as regular cars use blankets died a different from the ones used by customers. I expect their sheets were segregated as well.

Think about what our great grandchildren will think of our societal normatives.....

We have one at Pacific SW RR Museum in Campo, CA. See https://www.psrm.org/trains/passenger/us-army-g-10/ for details.

Some years ago when we used the car regularly on our train, a visitor told me how the meals were served on the train he had ridden on. He didn't say if they used trays or mess kits, but he said they filed through the car to get their food. Adjoining the kitchen car was a "dining car." It had long tables running the length of the car with attached benches. You sat down at one end of the table and slid along the bench toward the other end as you ate. You had to be done eating when you reached the far end.

Jim -

Thanks for bringing up this variation in how the military personnel got their meals. My guess is that the car with the long tables was a baggage car, or something similar. I'm now going to have to try to find a photo of a troop train (with either Pullman Troop Sleepers and/or the heavyweight "tourist" Pullman cars) where a baggage car was a part of the consist.

Les

Les,

Keep in mind that baggage cars were also used as kitchen cars early on before the AC&F kitchen cars were delivered. As someone explained earlier, originally the unit had to set up their own field kitchen equipment in the empty baggage car. These were interspersed between groups of Pullmans, each kitchen responsible for feeding the troops in the cars adjacent. So, for evidence of serving at a long table as just described, you need to find photos that show TWO baggage cars together between Pullmans. I suspect that the SOP for feeding the troops in transit changed as experience was gained.

My Dad's only story about eating on a troop train involved a water stop someplace in Montana where a bunch of the guys went to a restaurant across from the depot... When the engine whistled off, they all grabbed their steaks off their plates and ran for the train.