Re: train with guns

The Army was concerned enough about the exposed shoreline position of the Oahu Ry along with western side of Oahu Island, that it began building an alternate way of connecting the south side (Honolulu. Pear Harbor and Schofield Barracks) with the north shore. Construction began in January, 1941, and it involved the upgrading of a couple of agricultural railways and building a connection between them. Work was completed late in December 1941. Report is that only a few test runs were made over the line. Also this line might have been the reason one of the Oahu's Shay locomotives was shopped and returned to operation. This information is again from Jeff Livingston's book Oahu's Narrow-Gauge Army Rail.

No idea if the concern was about possible attach or about line being washed out by storm/Tsunami. The US Military since the early 1920s considered that one of the coming military conflicts could/would involve Japan. One of the reasons for the US annexing the Republic of Hawaii in 1898 was keep it from being controlled by Japan (which was making serious overtones at that time) or any other country with expansionist desires. But that is getting beyond the focus of this forum.

BN