NASA Railroad

NASA Railroad
A recently refurbished NASA Railroad SW1500 poses outside the maintenance shop.
Reporting mark	NLAX
Locale	Kennedy Space Center
Dates of operation	1963 (1963)–present
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Length	38 mi (61 km)
Headquarters	Cape Canaveral, Florida

The NASA Railroad (reporting mark NLAX) is a Class III industrial short-line railroad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The railroad consists of 38 miles (61 km) of track connecting the mainline of the Florida East Coast Railway and trackage at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.^[1]

Overview

NASA uses the railroad to transport equipment which cannot be transported over the road to and from other NASA locations. Rail transportation also offers cost savings over transporting bulky and heavy cargo via barge or aircraft.

Much of the rail traffic is devoted to segments of the reusable solid rocket boosters (SRB) from the Thiokol plant in Utah back again for refurbishment after Space Shuttle launches and recovery. 24 cars are devoted to transporting the SRBs.^[1]

With the end of the Shuttle program in 2011, the railroad's future is uncertain. It's future is under review by the government, and a decision will be made in late 2011 or early 2012. It could possibly serve to deliver equipment for private space launches at Cape Canaveral. ^[2]

Equipment

The NASA Railroad currently operates three SW1500 switchers, all of which are former Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway units, and more than 102 rolling stock cars. The fleet is maintained by the NASA Railroad shop, which also maintains locomotives and cars for the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.^[1]

Model	Built	Acquired	Number
EMD SW1500	1968	1983	1
EMD SW1500	1970	1983	2
EMD SW1500	1970	1983	3

See also

• List of United States railroads
  • List of Florida railroads

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "NASA Facts: The NASA Railroad". NASA.gov. October 2007. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/192935main_RRtrain08.pdf. Retrieved December 26, 2010. 
2. ^ http://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/article/Short-lines-NASA-Railroad39s-future-in-question--25734

External links

• Rockets and Rails: The NASA Railroad at YouTube.com