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LIFE Magazine Railway Photos (formerly USATC in France 1944)


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They posted a few more railway-related photo sets from the 1940s.

This one, I think, is about soldiers learning about railroad operation in the USA in 1945.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2025385604374092
25446486_2025385714374081_35388142395198

Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway - 1947
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2024466701132649
25395996_2024466834465969_54486890060035

This photo set from 1949 seems to be focusing on one railroad's conversion from steam to diesel power. A lot of the steam fleet is shown being scrapped.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2023382434574409
25289348_2023383284574324_88616369371107

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More railway-related albums I dug out of their facebook page.
 
A railway training school in Yugoslavia in 1948 - kids learning how to operate trains!
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2014057768840209
23915481_2014058372173482_17997499696221
 
 
The AT&SF railway in 1945
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2013925025520150
23905633_2013925755520077_21936835407080
 
1947 - I think this may be about Jews who wanted to emigrate to Palestine
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2014413772137942
23843364_2014416375471015_13840564103088
 
The D&RGW in 1950
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2016292268616759
24176633_2016294748616511_84057134468981
 
I think this set is an overall view of freight carriers in the USA in 1943
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2012133802365939
23754788_2012139232365396_55343349847468
 
A hospital train in Britain, 1943
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW2/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2006399552939364
23376234_2006399952939324_23796233850994

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The jugoslav shot of children operating a railway fits with the common case of 'pioneer railways' in communist and former communist countries (my history is a bit wonky, so I'm not sure whether Jugoslavia was communist or not by 1948 Edit: checked, and it became communist in 1946). These are operated by groups that are a bit like the scouts or guides, but are learning to be railway personnel, rather than how to polish their woggles (my knowledge of scouting is limited).

 

Until recently, children of c11-16 were entrusted with all sorts of jobs on these railways, up to and including signalling and driving, but I think that has been reined back a bit now, so that adults cover the 'safety critical' roles, and children the rest. Some have closed since westernisation, but by no means all.

 

The lines are I think all either narrow gauge (600mm or 750mm) or miniature (381mm).

 

If you google 'pioneerbahnen' you should get a lot of information about them, in multiple countries.

 

Pity we never had them in the UK; I would have signed-up at about age 8.

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The jugoslav shot of children operating a railway fits with the common case of 'pioneer railways' in communist and former communist countries (my history is a bit wonky, so I'm not sure whether Jugoslavia was communist or not by 1948 Edit: checked, and it became communist in 1946). These are operated by groups that are a bit like the scouts or guides, but are learning to be railway personnel, rather than how to polish their woggles (my knowledge of scouting is limited).

 

Until recently, children of c11-16 were entrusted with all sorts of jobs on these railways, up to and including signalling and driving, but I think that has been reined back a bit now, so that adults cover the 'safety critical' roles, and children the rest. Some have closed since westernisation, but by no means all.

 

The lines are I think all either narrow gauge (600mm or 750mm) or miniature (381mm).

 

If you google 'pioneerbahnen' you should get a lot of information about them, in multiple countries.

 

Pity we never had them in the UK; I would have signed-up at about age 8.

A former flat-mate, who moved to Hungary in the early 1980s, used to volunteer on one; his girl-friend was an official in the railway-workers' union, which may have had something to do with it.

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