FM 55-21

170 Pages·2005·7.17 MB·English

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL
RAIL TRANSPORTATION
HIGHER UNITS
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY NOVEMBER 1955
TAGO 2698B-Nov
*FM 55-21
FIELD MANUAL DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
NO. 55-21 WASHINGTON 25, D. C., 9 November 1955
RAIL TRANSPORTATION HIGHER UNITS
Paragraphs Page
PART ONE. INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE ----------------- 1,2 3
2. MISSION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF 3-8 4
THE TRANSPORTATION MILITARY
RAILWAY SERVICE.
PART TWO. ORGANIZATION, FUNCTIONS, AND
TRAINING OF RAIL TRANSPORTA-
TION UNITS
CHAPTER 3. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, TRANS- 9-12 9
PORTATION MILITARY RAILWAY
SERVICE.
4. HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS 13-16 15
COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION RAIL-
WAY COMMAND.
5. HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS 17-20 22
COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION RAIL-
WAY GROUP.
6. TRANSPORTATION RAILWAY OPERAT- 21-25 26
ING BATTALION.
7. TRANSPORTATION RAILWAY SHOP BAT- 26-29 30
TALION.
8. MILITARY RAILWAY SERVICE --------- 30-37 34
9. TYPE B RAIL UNITS ------------------- 38-41 39
10. CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ------------------ 42-49 41
11. TRAINING ----------------------------- 50-54 52
PARTTHREE. TRANSPORTATION MILITARY RAILWAY
SERVICE OPERATIONS
CHAPTER 12. TECHNIQUE OF EMPLOYMENT
Section I. General ------------------------ 55, 56 56
II. Tactical considerations -___________________ 57-60 57
III. -Technical considerations ------------------ 61-65 58
IV. Phases of operation -__-__-________-__-____ 66-69 62
CHAPTER 13. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER AGENCIES 70-76 65
14. RAILWAY MOVEMENT PROCEDURES ___ 77-80 69
15. RAILWAY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ___ 81-89 74
16. RAILWAY OPERATING PROCEDURES __ 90-99 79
17. RAILWAY MAINTENANCE ------------- 100-103 87
*This manual supersedes FM 55-50, 27 March 1944.
TAGO 2698B 1
Paragraphs Page
CHAPTERR1 8. RAILWAY SUPPLY --------------------- 104-112 91
19. RAILWAY SECURITY ------------------ 113-119 96
20. RECORDS AND REPORTS -------------- 120-124 101
PART FPOUR. RAILWAY PLANNING AND INTELLI-
GENCE.
CHAPTERR2 1. GENERAL ------------------------------ 125-128 106
22. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE ------------- 129-132 108
23. RAILWAY LINE CAPACITY DETER- 133-145 112
MINATION.
24. RAILWAY YARD CAPACITY DETER- 146-150 120
MINATION.
25. RAILWAY EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS 151-154 124
26. RAILWAY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS 155-158 128
27. RAILWAY SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS ___ 159-162 131
28. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION AND RE-
HABILITATION.
Section I. General .. . .....1..6..3..-..1..6..5...........1.3. 4
II. New construction . . ........1..6..6..-.1..7...2.. 135
III. Rehabilitation --------------------------- 173-175 137
CHAPTER 29. RAILWAY ENGINEERING DATA ------- 176-179 139
APPENDI:x I. REFERENCES. ......................... 144
II. ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE-RAILWAY - 146
PLANNING.
III. STATISTICS ----------------------------- . 155
INDEX ------------------------------------------------- 159
2 TAGO 2698B
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
1. Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to guide commanders and staffs
of transportation military railway service higher units. It is also
designed to proviee asic mifooraomon commanders and staffs
of m railws aiye lower units, for commanders of sup-
porting units, and for staff officers of higher headquarters.
2. Scope
a. This manual describes the mission, composition, and employ-
ment of military railway service higher units. It also describes
military railway planning and operations in a theater of opera-
tions.
b. All table of organization and equipment references give only
the basic number. The reference will apply to the table with the
basic number, and also the tables with the suffixes A, B, or R.
TAGO 2698B 3
CHAPTER 2
MISSION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
MILITARY RAILWAY SERVICE
3. Mission
a. In theaters of operations the mission of the transportation
military railway service is to operate and maintain all military
railways. The transportation military railway service is utilized
to control and supervise the functions of those military railways
operated and maintained by civilian personnel in support of mili-
tary operations.
b. In the continental United States, during periods of peace and
mobilization, the transportation military railway service trains
personnel and operates and maintains Department of the Army
training railways. The general headquarters of the transportation
military railway service, a unit of the United States Army Re-
serve, acts as an executive agent for the Chief of Transportation
for liaison with the civilian railway industry. Its purpose is to
make competent and qualified railway personnel available to the
military.
4. Military Railways
a. Military railways include all railways (standard gage or
otherwise) and railway facilities in theaters of operations which
are constructed, maintained, or operated in support of United
States military operations. Construction, maintenance, or opera-
tion may be by military personnel or by civilian personnel under
military direction.
b. Military railways also include Department of the Army rail-
ways and railway facilities in the United States used for train-
ing purposes by the transportation military railway service.
5. Characteristics
a. Railway Transportation. Rail transportation is characterized
by the ability to move large tonnages of cargo and large numbers
of personnel over long distances at a uniform rate of speed. Use
of rail transport facilities insures speed and regularity of delivery
and involves minimum risk of cargo deterioration by weather.
Flexibility is limited by the dependence of the railway upon a fixed
4 TAGO 2698B
roadbed, the direction assumed by the scheme of maneuver in rela-
tionship to the rail route, and vulnerability to enemy action. Rail-
way transportation in a land mass theater is normally the prin-
cipal means of overland transportation, and the utilization of rail-
way facilities to their fullest extent is a basic principle of sound
transportation practice.
b. TransportationM ilitary Railway Service. The transportation
military railway service is an operating agency of the theater
transportation service. An intersectional service, it operates
throughout the communications zone and into the combat zone. It
is comprised of Transportation Corps railway supervisory, oper-
ating, and maintenance units, as required, to operate trains, to
maintain rail lines of communications, and to perform organiza-
tional, field, and depot maintenance on locomotives and rolling
stock (fig. 1). Transportation military railway service supervisory
units are so constituted that, depending upon the extent of the op-
eration, any one of them may perform the staff and planning
functions of, and serve as, the highest echelon of the transporta-
tion military railway service in a theater.
6. Organization of the Transportation Military Railway Service
(fig. 2)
The transportation military railway service is organized into
supervisory, operating, and maintenance units as follows:
a. Supervisory.
(1) General headquarters, transportation military railway
service (TOE 55-201R).
(2) Headquarters and headquarters company transportation
railway command (TOE 55-302R).
(3) Headquarters and headquarters company transportation
railway group (TOE 55-202R).
b. Operating.
(1) Transportation railway operating battalion (TOE 55-
225R).
(2) Augmentation teams (TOE 55-500R).
c. Maintenance.
(1) Transportation railway shop battalion (TOE 55-235R).
(2) Railway workshop (mobile) (TOE 55-500R).
(3) Augmentation teams (TOE 55-500R).
7. Comparison with United States Commercial Railway Organization
a. The overall organization of the transportation military rail-
way service was adopted from, and is similar to, the organization
of the operating department of a commercial railway in the United
TAGO 2698B
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States. Consequently, it provides in full for the three separate and
distinct physical functions of railway operation; namely, train
operation, maintenance of way, and maintenance of equipment. In
addition, it provides for the functions of administration and sup-
ply.
b. To illustrate, the following is a comparison of commercial
railway operating officials and commanders of transportation mili-
tary railway service units.
Commercialr ailways Transportationm ilitary railway service
Vice president, operations __Director general, general headquarters, trans-
portation military railway service.
General manager ---------- General manager, transportation railway com-
mand.
General superintendent ----- Group commander, transportation railway group.
Superintendent ----------- Operations superintendent, railway operating
battalion.
c. A railway operating battalion, the basic unit of the transpor-
tation military railway service, corresponds generally in personnel,
duties, territory and operational jurisdiction to the organization,
staff, territory, and responsibility of a division superintendent.
8. Procurement of Rail Units
a. During peacetime the only transportation military railway
service units in the active military service are those required for
training personnel and those required to meet oversea commit-
ments. These are few in number. During wartime, a great number
of transportation military railway service units are required. After
mobilization begins there is insufficient time to organize and train
these highly technical units. Consequently, the majority of trans-
portation military railway service units utilized during wartime
are reserve units called into active service.
b. Transportation military railway service reserve units are
normally sponsored by United States commercial railways. The
majority of the personnel in one unit will be employees of the same
railway. Their TOE assignments in the units are similar to their
civilian positions. Thus, these units are available for immediate
call to active duty. With a minimum amount of active duty train-
ing the units are ready for employment in an active theater of
operations. Since reserve units receive their technical training on
the commercial railways, major items of TOE equipment are not
issued to the units until they are called to active duty.
8 TAGO 2698B
PART TWO
ORGANIZATION, FUNCTIONS, AND TRAINING
OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION UNITS
CHAPTER 3
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, TRANSPORTATION MILITARY
RAILWAY SERVICE
9. Mission
a. The mission of the general headquarters, transportation mili-
tary railway service (TOE 55-201R), is to direct the operation of
military railways in a large theater of operations and to command
all troops assigned to carry out the mission.
b. General headquarters, transportation military railway serv-
ice, operates during periods of peace and mobilization as described
in paragraph 3b.
10. Assignment
a. One general headquarters, transportation military railway
service, is normally assigned to a theater having two or more head-
quarters and headquarters compamnies, transportation railway
command (TOE 55-302R).
b. General headquarters, transportation military railway serv-
ice, will be assigned to the lowest echelon of command which can
direct railway operations. When the rail net is substantially within
a single geographical command, general headquarters, transporta-
tion military railway service, will be assigned to that command
unless there are compelling reasons to assign it to the headquar-
ters having area jurisdiction over the whole railway system. For
example, when the major portion of a rail net is in the communi-
cations zone with limited operations extending into the combat
zone, general headquarters, transportation military railway serv-
ice, will normally be assigned to the communications zone.
11 . Capabilities
a. General headquarters, transportation military railway serv-
ice, is capable of commanding two or more headquarters and
headquarters companies, transportation railway commands (TOE
55-302R).
TAGO 2698B 9