What do you do when you find some plywood, 1"x2"x48" sticks, 1" foam and assorted model railroad stuff? Well, I built a model railroad. It was only four feet square, the track went round and round with a few turnouts and absolutely no purpose. Enter the Light bulb (Ford's Better Idea), a slightly twisted mind and a rich slathering of well fermented words. What came forth was "Camp Swampy - The U.S. Army National Railway Test Facility".
History and Purpose of the National Railway Test Facility
During the late 1930’s, as rumors of impending war in Europe circulated in Washington D.C., Congress, in its infinite wisdom, and following its successful takeover of the railroads during World War I, sought to bring prosperity, through regulation, to the South.
Their search for a problem needing regulation eventually brought to their attention the absence of any nationwide system to address the testing of any and all railway equipment. As Chairman of the Senates Committee for Transportation, Senator Chuck Skeemer, lead a select panel to develop plans and solicit bids for the construction of such a facility.
After a series of smoke filled, backroom meetings, a plan came forth:
- Location to be level, requiring minimal earth movement.
- Ready source of treatable water at the site.
- Remote location so as not to annoy neighbors with sounds or smells.
- Facility daily operations to be handled by a reputable railroad.
- Facility to be under the overall direction of the U.S. Army.
As bids were received it became apparent that many had to be rejected because the location sloped toward a river. The facility was in jeopardy if an appropriate site could not be found. A fellow member of Congress recalled that the pyramids were built using a water level system and suggested they use such a system to find the final location for the facility. They needed to find a location that did not slope toward a river. A half brother of Senator Skeemer, John Dealer, owner of Honest Johns Used Cars, declared that he had the ultimate location, and, for the right price, he would be willing to part with it as his patriotic duty.
Mr. Dealer submitted his bid and when opened, the Committee found it to fulfill all the requirements. The location consisted of 800 acres of land, dead level, unlimited treatable water, 20 miles to the nearest neighbor and included the services of a reputable railroad. To prove that the railroad, yet un-named, was reputable Mr. Dealer included two shares of stock for each member of the Committee. The bid was accepted and the House directed to appropriate the $500,000.00 to purchase, construct and begin operation of the facility.
Mr. Dealer notified his second cousin twice removed, Melvin C. Chew, owner of 4 x 4 Lines, a kiddy railroad of good reputation, to prepare to go big time. At the same time the U.S. Army was directed to find an appropriate commander of General rank to oversee the operation of the facility.
So it came to pass that on April 25, 1939, the newly named U.S. Army National Railway Test Facility was dedicated at Camp Swampy, under the command of General Halftrack.
