World War II Hospital Trains

Facts on the Tracks Lesson 2:

Hospital Trains

This YouTube video posted by N Cunningham gives brief information on the operation of hospital trains during World War II.

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During World War II, the usual method of transporting patients from the evacuation hospitals in the combat zone to general hospitals in the communications zone was by means of hospital trains.

The U.S Army found it advisable to build a fleet of specially constructed hospital cars to handle the rapidly growing traffic of personnel, equipment and the most serious medical cases.

Pictured (above): Hospital Train No. 41 loading patients, near Riardo for its run to Naples, Italy. Picture taken February 1944

The U.S. Army acquired 320 Hospital Cars for operation in the Zone of Interior. Of these, 120 were former Pullman sleeper and lounge cars that would be converted to Hospital Cars with 32 berths arranged in 2 tiers. The Remaining 200 would be specially designed and built as Hospital Cars with accommodations for 36 patients in 3-tier berths. Following the end of World War II The United States retired all but the 89400 series that was commissioned in 1945.

Pictured (Above): Inside view of new self-contained Army Hospital Car with three-tier berths accommodating 36 patients.

Here at Gold Coast Railroad Museum, we are fortunate to have American Car & Foundry Co, hospital car #89436 that was part of the U.S. Government 100 Car Order (USA 89400 - USA 89499). This rail car, while commissioned in January of 1945, saw the most use for the Korean War transporting wounded soldiers. The car was declared surplus in 1969, and was acquired by the museum through the State of Florida Federal Surplus Program where she now exists as a key feature of our exhibits.

Pictured (above): An Image of #89436 in possession of GCRM

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