Thanks Donald,
Please find your brother’s magazine. If what you say is true: “, it did specifically state that the Chili line was left intact to haul supplies to Los Alamos.” Then someone had some data for them to write that. It was not said account of my review of this question.
Where are some facts pro or con? If some local experts are so con, where is some data to challenge the pro side of this question?
I’m not a war expert but if because of gasoline rationing the Government was having trouble getting workers to Los Alamos from Santa Fe and some boss thought a train would help, I’m sure the railroad did not hesitate to do as told.
I don’t think the Government back at that time would even ask and take any “no” as an answer. I can see them even relaying some rails; but maybe not more than a few miles, to advance the work on the secret Atomic Lab. If the rails were still on the ground in 1943, IMHO it just might have happened.
Most likely this question is only about some passenger movement to move workers, but I would not rule out the transfer of freight from SG to NG and then to truck as any expense. This project had no limitations and what was logical is not a good “con” reason. I can even see the government just jacking up the SG car and rolling NG trucks under them with out ever connecting any brakes and running them up to Otowi. Also, if they transloaded inbound material onto narrow gauge cars, that gives the ability to hold, sort, and arrange delivery for transfer to truck just-in-time to speed the project and save more gasoline. Remember, the Safety Appliance Law may not even been considered account it was a private government operation.
I hope Donald can respond, even if his memory was misleading him. There should be no embarrassment as that happens to the best of us. Seem like there might be some unknown facts still to be found before we close out this case question.
Many other places in the country railroads added passenger trains during the war account of gasoline and tire rationing. The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines increased so much with extra trains and size of others passenger trains, they made enough profit from passenger traffic to pay for the entire freight movements on the railroad. Their connecting carrier (also their owner) got 100% of the interline waybill revenue and the PRSL still had to pay its first taxes to NJ for making a profit, its first and last.
ecret Chili Line, Where are Pro and Con Facts?
