MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- During fiscal year 2002 MCLB has gone through quite a few changes: Installations and Logistics Division designated a Most Efficient Organization, Pass and Identification relocated to the front gate in Bldg. T-117, the relocation of the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society and Training and Audiovisual to a new facility in Bldg. 204.
The list of changes goes on. But perhaps the biggest change, or at least the most audible, is the revamping and reopening of the Nebo Railhead. The additional rail compliments the Yermo Annex Railhead further expanding MCLB Barstow's prominence as the largest railhead in the Department of Defense.
With the exception of some sporadic use over past 15 to 20 years this approximately 5,800-foot stretch of track, which runs along the backside of Nebo, has lain dormant until recently.
"The last time the tracks were used was during the mid-80s," said John Noxon, Transportation Contracting Officer's representative and quality assurance at Public Works. "It was used to bring in full box cars of rations/MREs at that time and they use to send them out the same way from Warehouse 14."
Since then, the increased Army unit rotations and their frequency led to a problem with the Yermo railhead - congestion, according to Noxon.
"When we did the A-76 in 2000, we based it on about 16,000 car movements per year, that was the figure we put in our PWS (Performance Work Statement)," said Noxon. "Last year we moved about 46,000 cars."
Part of the reason for this increase, is that the prepositioned fleet at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, went away, according to Noxon.
"They use to have two fleets of tracked vehicles for their rotational units to use. One was in the shop for maintenance after the rotation then they would use the other. They flip-flopped those back and forth then they did away with the fleet," he said. "So our rotations have doubled in size and car counts."
Noxon saw the problem and figured the best solution would be to start using the Nebo railhead to help alleviate the congestion problem at Yermo. But in order to accomplish this the Nebo railhead required a few things to become operational again.
Concrete ramps were built at warehouses 13 and 14 for loading and unloading equipment, a few of the switches behind Building 15 were replaced, and a few of the ties had to be replaced. All the work that was required to bring the tracks back up to the standards needed for use was accomplished, along with various other projects for about $1.2 million, according to Noxon.
"The first rotation that was here about two months ago we brought in one train, which is about 60 cars," said Noxon. "This last rotation with 1st Cavalry from Fort Hood, Texas, we brought in two trains, the next rotation that'll come in here - it should be February - we'll bring in four trains."
Noxon described how having more trains offload and upload on the Nebo railhead would help the Yermo side tremendously. He also revealed that Army Captain Lorenzo Rios, the Movement Control Officer at Yermo, is very pleased with the additional railhead. Commander Jeff Johnston, Installation and Logistics, voiced his satisfaction with the Nebo railhead.
"By going from one railhead to two we increase our ability to move large quantities of materials into and out of our base," said Johnston. "This input and output is an essential part of all our logistics missions (maintenance, storage distribution, etc.). The bottom line is that we become a more capable logistics base.
"The big impact, however, affects our role as a strategic railhead. We aren't the only ones who make our railhead a key element in operational plans. Units going into and out of Fort Irwin and 29 Palms need a place where they can quickly and safely get things off (and eventually back on) their railcars. The addition of the Nebo railhead means that we can accommodate more of these units without interfering with our operations."
According to Noxon, a lot of physical improvements have been made to the system to include things people haven't seen yet.
"I found three locomotives at Yorktown Shipyard that they weren't using anymore; they're on their way out here and we'll be able to take the three and build two out of three," he said. "That will give us two 85-ton locomotives that we can use on this side (Nebo). The Army is looking to buy a couple of new General Motors EMD locomotives to place over here and those have a greatly increased capacity compared to what we have."
According to Noxon the current GP-9 locomotives that are being used here now were built in about 1957 and have been rehabbed many times over the years. They are about 1,500 hp, whereas the new EMDs that MCLB is looking at are rated about 3,800 hp. So what is being accomplished with two locomotives now will only take one to do later.
"These are our own in-house rail crew that works with the locomotives. They are Marine Corps employees and I'll guarantee you that they are the best crew in the Department of Defense," Noxon said. "They know their business."
Noxon also revealed that Lt. Col Charles Bridgeman, director of Installations and Logistics at the time, had the insight to support his efforts to bring the tracks back up to standard and begin using the Nebo side.
Realizing the long-term benefits of having two railheads at MCLB Barstow, Lt. Col. Bridgeman added that with this move, "we become a more valuable and indispensable logistics link in the DOD transportation system."
Cmdr. Johnston, the current I&L director, expanded on this adding, "As W. P. Kinsella put it 'if you build it, they will come,' and we fully expect that the Nebo railhead will soon become almost as busy, if not quite as large, as the Yermo railhead.
"And that's a good deal for the base in a number of ways. It makes us a greater strategic asset to all of the Department of the Defense, and increases our joint operational capability, it increases our internal capabilities, and also pumps more money into the base."
Reactivating the railhead after all this time has been a real learning experience for Noxon and all those involved with the process.
"We're finally beginning to realize some of the returns on the investment we made," Noxon concluded.