Thursday, February 2, 2012

Those Places Thursday - RBS Express (62-63)


Those Places Thursday
RBS Express (62-63)


This is a very special Those Places because it occurred 'while' we were living it Winslow, Arizona, and St. George, Utah… It is the U.S. Air Force RBS Express, a train in several locations where I served during my 3 years in the service.


 The sun rising on the RBS Express parked in Hysham, Montana. It is a few miles west of Miles City, Montana. I had a temporary duty (TDY) assignment here, near Elko, Nevada, and in western Kansas.


This was The RBS Express #2 in full set-up - you can see the flag in the center, and the radar units on top, further back along the roof line.


 Here the airmen are operating the MSQ-39 radar monitoring bombing runs by B-47 and B-52 aircraft. Note that discussion at the wikipedia link talked about MSQ-35 equipment. Did you note that there 21 cars, 17 support and 4 radar… the description is very accurate!


Here was our dining car - we operated 3 shifts, so someone eating about all the time!


 The orderly room. I worked at one of the desks, when I was on shift.


This was the Pullman sleeper car where my compartment was. Very tiny. Each of the above photos was from Aug-Sep 62.


 This was the Nevada TDY assignment, the train is approaching Deeth, Nevada; note the nearby mountains… each terrain was carefully chosen, they told us. This was Mar 63. Once we were 'parked' on our siding, the engines would go on to other work, of course.


 This one is from Aug 63 - likely the western Kansas TDY trip - all the officers and noncoms assigned. I am third from the right, beside the taller commanding officer (a pilot).

A very memorable part of my Air Force experience.


Families are Forever!  ;-)






8 comments:

  1. WOW! These photos are amazing. They really tell the story! Keep up the great work. I'm really enjoying learning about all the details that I'd never heard before.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you. You inspire me. Wish Blogger would get the links right, the first time, all the time. Fixed the bad ones. These photos are slides that I had not yet scanned. I'll tell a little more story on Sunday in Shared Memories. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. wonderful photos, Bill. You could put them into a movie with your voice-over as well. Wouldn't your grandkids love that, eh?

    ReplyDelete
  4. There is an RBS Express Movie on Youtube floating arround. I thought it was neat. Thought it would be neat to build one of these for a model RR and have it parked and have the Radar sets rigged to motors under the table and "turning" at an appropriate speed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr6JAkt1jmI

    ReplyDelete
  6. Part two of the USAF film about the RBS express:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZtSdj-4AIM

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you, very much! Brings back a lot of those memories. They would certainly make great models, for sure!!

    Dr. Bill ;-)

    ReplyDelete