Titan at Cape Canaveral
This SW8 was part of an order of 41 such locomotives by the US Army in early 1951 to support the Korean War. The locomotives were all shipped across the Pacific to aid in motive power on the Korean National Railroad. After the war, some of the locomotives stayed in South Korea, while most returned back to the US for service on military bases.
This particular SW8, along with two others (USAX 2000 & 2007), was eventually given to the Air Force for service in the Titan IV program. Using a set of parallel tracks, a pair of SW8's would pull Titan rockets from their assembly building to the launch pad (performing the same function that the Space Shuttle's crawler later performed). In order to operate in tandem, these Air Force locomotives were equipped with MU cables that were connected via swing arms. This allowed the locomotives to synchronize while operating side-by-side.
After the last Titan IV launch in 2005, USAF 2021 was cosmetically restored by NASA Railroad employees and then moved in 2006 to where it is currently displayed at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
USAF SW8 #2021
Cape Canaveral, FL
April 26th, 2024
Titan at Cape Canaveral
This SW8 was part of an order of 41 such locomotives by the US Army in early 1951 to support the Korean War. The locomotives were all shipped across the Pacific to aid in motive power on the Korean National Railroad. After the war, some of the locomotives stayed in South Korea, while most returned back to the US for service on military bases.
This particular SW8, along with two others (USAX 2000 & 2007), was eventually given to the Air Force for service in the Titan IV program. Using a set of parallel tracks, a pair of SW8's would pull Titan rockets from their assembly building to the launch pad (performing the same function that the Space Shuttle's crawler later performed). In order to operate in tandem, these Air Force locomotives were equipped with MU cables that were connected via swing arms. This allowed the locomotives to synchronize while operating side-by-side.
After the last Titan IV launch in 2005, USAF 2021 was cosmetically restored by NASA Railroad employees and then moved in 2006 to where it is currently displayed at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
USAF SW8 #2021
Cape Canaveral, FL
April 26th, 2024