Y-12 dedicates 1941-era rail cars to museum
Y-12 dedicates 1941-era rail cars to museum
Wed, 25 February 2009
Two 1941-vintage tanker cars were dedicated today to their new home—the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum (SARM), a non-profit organization operated by volunteers.
The Y-12 landmarks, instrumental for transporting materials and goods during World War II, will continue to have a place in history. The cars are among only a handful of units of this particular type remaining in the United States.
“Donating the tanker cars to the museum is a great opportunity for Y‑12 employees to take pride in preserving and protecting one of its historic resources, and partner with a local organization to convey the history of Y‑12 to the community,” said Michelle Reichert, vice president of Y‑12’s Environment, Safety and Health organization.
While the rail cars left the complex last year as part of the Unneeded Materials and Chemicals (UMC) initiative, the process to remove them began more than five years ago. Logistics, cleanup and the actual movement of the cars required extensive work from many internal Y‑12 organizations, as well as assistance from some subcontractor companies.
The Barnhart Crane Company and G&S Construction helped move the tankers to their new home. Additionally, Cavanagh Services and Impact Services teamed up to prepare the tanker cars for public release, and URS assisted with draining the tanker cars.
“By donating these tanker cars to the museum, we not only preserved historic items, we also helped our environment by keeping more than 47 tons of metal from waste disposal,” said Jan Jackson of Y‑12’s Waste Management organization.
B&W Y-12, a limited liability enterprise of The Babcock and Wilcox Company and Bechtel National Inc., operates the Y‑12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.