Three of Annie's components - two 12-wheel rail cars and the gondola - were transported by truck
This was probably discussed back then but interesting that they moved it by truck. I guess some of the wheels were seized beyond hope for a rail movement.
No class one railroad today would touch moving those on their wheels for a million or more dollars.
70 year old plain bearings, trucks, cast frames, wheels, foreign brake rigging, not to mention if American style couplers were ever fitted to them. A million things to go wrong and block their valuable main lines for hours costing them more than a million in revenue. If they moved by rail, it would have been loads on flats. But given the Army was already moving heavy tanks, trucks, (and even a V-2 rocket + launcher) by road to the new site, moving these pieces by truck was likely a no-brainer. If I recall, the route the barrel took was pretty interesting; more miles then you would expect.
The class 1 railroads today don't like to move any plain bearing wheel set today, partly because the railroads have no experience, personal with experience with them or the facilities (ie parts) to service them. For that matter, they don't like move any equipment more than 40 or so years old. Almost all older equipment today moves by truck or on flat cars.
Bob
