313:. In 2012, the program's helium tank cars, a liquid oxygen tank car, and a liquid hydrogen tank car (all of which were acquired from the U.S. Bureau of Mines) were transferred for delivery to the SpaceX engine test complex outside McGregor, Texas, where they were re-purposed to support their engine tests. Eight other cars were shipped to California and are currently on lease to SpaceX to support Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex-4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX already uses three helium tank cars at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, which were previously used for the shuttle program.
340:(SLS) vehicle. The railroad took delivery of a train loaded segments of the two shuttle-derived solid fuel rocket boosters that will be used on the initial flights of the SLS. Each booster will provide 3.6 million lb (1.6 million kg) of thrust by adding one additional solid fuel propellant segment to the modified shuttle boosters (five sections for the SLS versus four for the STS). This SLS booster will be the largest, most powerful solid propellant boosters ever built. The boosters are by manufactured
377:
36:
27:
206:. This connection joined 28 miles of NASA-constructed track at a junction named Wilson’s Corners. The FEC built two yards, a seven-track yard originally called Cape Canaveral Junction (now known as Jay Jay Yard), and a second seven-track yard called Wilson Yard. East of Wilson Yard, the line divided with the nine-mile "West Leg" branch going south to NASA’s
333:, where it is used for regular freight service and passenger excursion train service. By 2016, much of the trackage along the East Leg as well as in the KSC Industrial Area had been pulled up and was presumably scrapped, while the majority of trackage along the West Leg was left in place and simply taken out of service.
320:
in Miami where it remains on static display. In spring 2015, it was announced that the NASA railroad would formally cease operations. The remaining two locomotives, #1 & #3, were pulled from service and delivered via the
Florida East Coast Railway to their respective new homes. Locomotive #1 was
299:
NASA primarily used the railroad to transport equipment which could not be transported over the road to and from other NASA locations. Rail transportation also offered cost savings over transporting bulky and heavy cargo via barge or aircraft. Much of the rail traffic was devoted to sending segments
287:
laid on concrete cross-ties. The work was done by the track maintenance subsidiary of the FEC and was constructed to 60 mph (97 km/h) standards, which was FEC's mainline running speed. However, normal operating speed was kept to 25 mph (40 km/h) or less to reduce maintenance and
308:
plant in Utah back again for refurbishment after Space
Shuttle launches and recovery. A total of 24 cars were devoted to transporting the SRBs. However, with the end of the Shuttle program in 2011, the railroad's future became uncertain and went under review by the government. One possibility that
363:
locomotives, each former Toledo, Peoria and
Western Railway units, as well as 75 railroad cars. The fleet was maintained by the NASA Railroad shop, which also maintained locomotives and railcars for the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Upon the railroad's reopening in 2020, several industrial
296:. Each locomotive was painted into the NASA Railroad red, gray and black color scheme and were renumbered 1, 2 and 3. They were stored and maintained in-house at the NASA Railroad Shop at KSC.
241:
rocket and even ferried Apollo astronauts to an area known as "The
Sandpile," which was used as a lunar testing ground. During the late 1970s, as NASA transitioned from the Apollo to the
1171:
1191:
194:
uses the railroad to deliver large or bulk materials to support its operations, particularly solid rocket boosters and chemicals such as helium and oxygen for rocket fuel.
1222:
260:. It was during this time that NASA decided to completely rebuild and upgrade the railroad due to the hazardous materials that were being hauled, particularly the
1074:
769:
250:
202:
In 1963, the
Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) constructed a 7.5 miles (12.1 km) branch from its mainline to the Kennedy Space Center just north of
1307:
1297:
886:
785:"Media Detail National Aeronautics and Space Administration John F. Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899 FOR RELEASE: 05/23/2012"
256:
In June 1983, NASA purchased the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) portion of the railroad line owned by the FEC, which included the drawbridge over the
888:
HISTORICAL SURVEY AND EVALUATION OF THE JAY JAY BRIDGE, RAILROAD SYSTEM, AND LOCOMOTIVES, JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
770:"Rail Insider-Short lines: NASA Railroad's future in question. Information for Rail Career Professionals from Progressive Railroading Magazine"
931:
984:
912:
784:
1302:
829:
288:
increase the life span of the track. Soon after the railroad was rebuilt, NASA replaced the aging ALCO S-2 locomotives with three
225:
During its first five years of operation, the railroad delivered over 30,000 carloads of aggregate that was used to construct the
1317:
219:
215:
1069:
1094:
1054:
1266:
1064:
1049:
1044:
1034:
502:
293:
187:
1150:
182:
in Cape
Canaveral, Florida. The railroad consists of 38 miles (61 km) of track connecting the mainline of the
977:
856:
690:
1009:
814:
1312:
1140:
1084:
210:
and the
Kennedy Space Center Industrial Area, and the other nine-mile "East Leg" branch which ran along the
895:
1059:
1292:
1271:
1247:
1217:
1039:
970:
440:
317:
183:
41:
993:
695:
207:
1079:
957:
752:
723:
418:
237:, the railroad regularly transported the 56 carloads of propellant that was required to fuel each
1212:
322:
141:
57:
249:
locomotives, which provided local switching around the
Vehicle Assembly Building and within the
1252:
284:
257:
1227:
1089:
792:
1029:
301:
261:
179:
77:
8:
1242:
1196:
1130:
1120:
337:
226:
203:
368:
were purchased by NASA and currently serve as the railroad's only form of motive power.
222:, as well as to interchange with the former Cape Canaveral Air Force Station railroad.
1176:
1024:
175:
172:
1232:
1019:
808:
462:
341:
330:
326:
309:
was being considered was the delivery of equipment for private space launches at
1001:
310:
234:
211:
165:
133:
64:
1286:
1237:
1166:
376:
365:
280:
265:
242:
1186:
269:
345:
268:
was a combination of 100 pounds (45 kg) and 112 pounds (51 kg)
105:
35:
1145:
1115:
1014:
962:
932:"Rocket Motors for First NASA Artemis Moon Mission Arrive at Spaceport"
448:
426:
404:
357:
289:
277:
273:
1135:
360:
246:
238:
229:
that connected the
Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pads at
1125:
305:
1110:
230:
884:
292:
locomotives, which were built between 1968 and 1970 for the
26:
191:
245:
program, it acquired three World War II-era ex-U.S Army
336:
In 2020, NASA reopened the railroad to support the new
1272:
List of United States railroads by political division
380:
Locomotive #3 outside of the maintenance shops at KSC
718:
716:
714:
712:
348:) in Utah and shipped cross-country to KSC by rail.
880:
878:
857:"NASA's Famous Rocket Railroad Is Back in Business"
709:
1284:
875:
283:. It was replaced with 132 pounds (60 kg)
16:Short-line railroad at the Kennedy Space Center
978:
264:segments for the space shuttle. The original
830:"NASA Railroad reaches the end of its line"
316:In 2014, NASA donated locomotive #2 to the
985:
971:
356:The NASA Railroad formerly operated three
34:
1308:Transportation in Brevard County, Florida
1298:Industrial railroads in the United States
782:
992:
375:
321:sold to the Natchitoches Parish Port in
1285:
929:
325:, while locomotive #3 was sold to the
966:
854:
1070:Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
827:
1095:Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad
803:quotes public domain text from NASA
13:
1045:Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad
958:NASA Fact Sheet: The NASA Railroad
294:Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
188:Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
14:
1329:
1151:Walt Disney World Monorail System
951:
913:"NASA Railroad rides into sunset"
885:Archaeological Consultants, Inc.
1303:Switching and terminal railroads
471:
25:
724:"NASA Facts: The NASA Railroad"
691:List of United States railroads
40:NASA Railroad and connector to
1318:1963 establishments in Florida
1172:Conrad Yelvington Distributors
1010:Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway
923:
905:
894:. pp. 3–8. Archived from
855:Leman, Jennifer (2020-06-17).
848:
821:
776:
762:
745:
371:
176:industrial short-line railroad
1:
1085:South Central Florida Express
783:Grossmann, Jim (2012-05-23).
703:
636:Gondola car – 74-ft; 100-ton
351:
7:
1192:Port of Palm Beach District
1065:Georgia and Florida Railway
1060:Florida West Coast Railroad
930:Potter, Sean (2020-06-16).
684:
10:
1334:
1267:Former carriers in Florida
1248:Walt Disney World Railroad
1218:Gold Coast Railroad Museum
1040:Florida East Coast Railway
828:Dean, James (2015-05-24).
813:: CS1 maint: postscript (
789:NASA Kennedy Media Gallery
490:Flat car – Spacer – 70-ton
441:Gold Coast Railroad Museum
318:Gold Coast Railroad Museum
197:
184:Florida East Coast Railway
42:Florida East Coast Railway
1261:
1205:
1159:
1103:
1055:Florida Northern Railroad
1000:
696:List of Florida railroads
208:Vehicle Assembly Building
150:
140:
104:
99:
83:
73:
63:
53:
48:
33:
24:
1080:Norfolk Southern Railway
1050:Florida Midland Railroad
1035:Florida Central Railroad
527:Flat car –60-ft; 100-ton
419:Natchitoches Parish Port
1223:Kirby Family Farm Train
1213:Florida Railroad Museum
560:Flat car –65-ft; 90-ton
323:Natchitoches, Louisiana
154:38 mi (61 km)
58:Cape Canaveral, Florida
1253:Wildlife Express Train
791:. NASA. Archived from
381:
285:continuous welded rail
1228:Seminole Gulf Railway
1090:Seminole Gulf Railway
1075:Port Manatee Railroad
538:Flat car –Pig -70-ton
379:
302:solid rocket boosters
214:to serve launch pads
1313:Kennedy Space Center
1030:First Coast Railroad
994:Railroads of Florida
861:Popularmechanics.com
795:on February 16, 2015
262:solid rocket booster
186:and trackage at the
180:Kennedy Space Center
78:Kennedy Space Center
1243:TECO Line Streetcar
1197:Port of Panama City
1131:TECO Line Streetcar
1121:Jacksonville Skyway
863:. Popular Mechanics
753:"The NASA Railroad"
625:Gondola car – 60-ft
338:Space Launch System
251:KSC Industrial Area
21:
1206:Heritage railroads
1177:The Mosaic Company
1104:Passenger carriers
1025:CSX Transportation
614:Tank car – 100-ton
592:Hopper car 100-ton
549:Flat car – 100-ton
382:
84:Dates of operation
19:
1293:Florida railroads
1280:
1279:
1233:Serengeti Express
1020:Bay Line Railroad
680:
679:
603:Tank car – 70-ton
469:
468:
158:
157:
1325:
1160:Private carriers
987:
980:
973:
964:
963:
946:
945:
943:
942:
927:
921:
920:
909:
903:
902:
900:
893:
882:
873:
872:
870:
868:
852:
846:
845:
843:
841:
825:
819:
818:
812:
804:
802:
800:
780:
774:
773:
766:
760:
759:
757:
749:
743:
742:
740:
738:
728:
720:
516:Flat car – 90-ft
476:
475:
463:Madison Railroad
384:
383:
342:Northrop Grumman
331:Madison, Indiana
327:Madison Railroad
300:of the reusable
136:
130:
126:
124:
123:
119:
116:
94:
92:
38:
29:
22:
18:
1333:
1332:
1328:
1327:
1326:
1324:
1323:
1322:
1283:
1282:
1281:
1276:
1257:
1201:
1155:
1099:
1002:Common carriers
996:
991:
954:
949:
940:
938:
928:
924:
911:
910:
906:
898:
891:
883:
876:
866:
864:
853:
849:
839:
837:
826:
822:
806:
805:
798:
796:
781:
777:
768:
767:
763:
755:
751:
750:
746:
736:
734:
726:
722:
721:
710:
706:
687:
658:Boxcar – 70-ton
501:Flat car – Aft
474:
374:
354:
304:(SRB) from the
272:laid on wooden
200:
142:Electrification
132:
128:
121:
117:
114:
112:
111:4 ft
110:
90:
88:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1331:
1321:
1320:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1300:
1295:
1278:
1277:
1275:
1274:
1269:
1262:
1259:
1258:
1256:
1255:
1250:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1209:
1207:
1203:
1202:
1200:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1174:
1169:
1163:
1161:
1157:
1156:
1154:
1153:
1148:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1107:
1105:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1006:
1004:
998:
997:
990:
989:
982:
975:
967:
961:
960:
953:
952:External links
950:
948:
947:
922:
904:
901:on 2013-02-17.
874:
847:
820:
775:
761:
744:
733:. October 2007
707:
705:
702:
701:
700:
699:
698:
686:
683:
678:
677:
674:
672:
666:
665:
662:
659:
655:
654:
651:
648:
644:
643:
640:
637:
633:
632:
629:
626:
622:
621:
618:
615:
611:
610:
607:
604:
600:
599:
596:
593:
589:
588:
585:
583:
579:
578:
575:
572:
568:
567:
564:
561:
557:
556:
553:
550:
546:
545:
542:
539:
535:
534:
531:
528:
524:
523:
520:
517:
513:
512:
509:
506:
505:skirt – 70-ton
498:
497:
494:
491:
487:
486:
483:
480:
473:
470:
467:
466:
460:
457:
454:
451:
445:
444:
438:
435:
432:
429:
423:
422:
416:
413:
410:
407:
401:
400:
397:
394:
391:
388:
373:
370:
366:railcar movers
353:
350:
311:Cape Canaveral
235:Apollo program
212:Atlantic Ocean
199:
196:
166:reporting mark
156:
155:
152:
148:
147:
144:
138:
137:
134:standard gauge
108:
102:
101:
97:
96:
95:–present
85:
81:
80:
75:
71:
70:
67:
65:Reporting mark
61:
60:
55:
51:
50:
46:
45:
39:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1330:
1319:
1316:
1314:
1311:
1309:
1306:
1304:
1301:
1299:
1296:
1294:
1291:
1290:
1288:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1264:
1263:
1260:
1254:
1251:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1238:Sugar Express
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1210:
1208:
1204:
1198:
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1182:NASA Railroad
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
1170:
1168:
1167:CF Industries
1165:
1164:
1162:
1158:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1134:
1132:
1129:
1127:
1124:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1108:
1106:
1102:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1007:
1005:
1003:
999:
995:
988:
983:
981:
976:
974:
969:
968:
965:
959:
956:
955:
937:
933:
926:
918:
917:Florida Today
914:
908:
897:
890:
889:
881:
879:
862:
858:
851:
835:
831:
824:
816:
810:
794:
790:
786:
779:
771:
765:
754:
748:
732:
725:
719:
717:
715:
713:
708:
697:
694:
693:
692:
689:
688:
682:
675:
673:
671:
668:
667:
663:
660:
657:
656:
652:
649:
646:
645:
641:
638:
635:
634:
630:
627:
624:
623:
619:
616:
613:
612:
608:
605:
602:
601:
597:
594:
591:
590:
586:
584:
581:
580:
576:
573:
570:
569:
565:
562:
559:
558:
554:
551:
548:
547:
543:
540:
537:
536:
532:
529:
526:
525:
521:
518:
515:
514:
510:
507:
504:
500:
499:
495:
492:
489:
488:
484:
481:
478:
477:
472:Rolling stock
465:, April 2015
464:
461:
458:
455:
452:
450:
447:
446:
443:, March 2014
442:
439:
436:
433:
430:
428:
425:
424:
421:, April 2015
420:
417:
414:
411:
408:
406:
403:
402:
398:
395:
392:
389:
386:
385:
378:
369:
367:
362:
359:
349:
347:
343:
339:
334:
332:
328:
324:
319:
314:
312:
307:
303:
297:
295:
291:
286:
282:
279:
276:with crushed
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
254:
252:
248:
244:
243:Space Shuttle
240:
236:
233:. During the
232:
228:
223:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
195:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
174:
170:
167:
163:
162:NASA Railroad
153:
149:
145:
143:
139:
135:
129:1,435 mm
109:
107:
103:
98:
86:
82:
79:
76:
72:
68:
66:
62:
59:
56:
52:
47:
43:
37:
32:
28:
23:
20:NASA Railroad
1187:Perdue Farms
1181:
939:. Retrieved
935:
925:
916:
907:
896:the original
887:
865:. Retrieved
860:
850:
838:. Retrieved
834:usatoday.com
833:
823:
799:February 16,
797:. Retrieved
793:the original
788:
778:
764:
747:
737:December 26,
735:. Retrieved
730:
681:
669:
582:Nitrogen Car
399:Disposition
355:
335:
315:
298:
270:jointed rail
258:Indian River
255:
224:
201:
168:
161:
159:
54:Headquarters
836:. USA Today
372:Locomotives
346:Orbital ATK
106:Track gauge
1287:Categories
1265:See also:
1146:Metromover
1116:Brightline
1015:AN Railway
941:2021-09-11
704:References
628:1966, 1960
617:1962, 1975
571:Helium Car
449:EMD SW1500
427:EMD SW1500
405:EMD SW1500
344:(formerly
290:EMD SW1500
274:cross-ties
227:crawlerway
204:Titusville
1141:Metrorail
647:Cover car
595:1968-1979
519:1961-1969
352:Equipment
278:limestone
173:Class III
100:Technical
1136:Tri-Rail
867:June 18,
809:cite web
731:NASA.gov
685:See also
393:Acquired
361:switcher
247:ALCO S-2
239:Saturn V
125: in
49:Overview
1126:SunRail
306:Thiokol
281:ballast
198:History
178:at the
171:) is a
120:⁄
89: (
1111:Amtrak
840:May 6,
485:count
396:Number
358:SW1500
151:Length
74:Locale
899:(PDF)
892:(PDF)
756:(PDF)
727:(PDF)
670:Total
482:Built
390:Built
387:Model
266:track
231:LC-39
936:NASA
869:2020
842:2016
815:link
801:2015
739:2010
661:1970
650:1960
639:1976
606:1982
574:1961
563:1965
552:1952
541:1968
530:1968
508:1985
493:1952
479:Type
456:1983
453:1970
434:1983
431:1970
412:1983
409:1968
218:and
192:NASA
169:NLAX
160:The
91:1963
87:1963
69:NLAX
676:75
598:11
577:13
555:14
503:SRB
329:in
220:39B
216:39A
1289::
934:.
915:.
877:^
859:.
832:.
811:}}
807:{{
787:.
729:.
711:^
664:1
653:2
642:2
631:2
620:4
609:2
587:2
566:1
544:2
533:3
522:8
511:2
496:2
253:.
190:.
146:No
131:)
986:e
979:t
972:v
944:.
919:.
871:.
844:.
817:)
772:.
758:.
741:.
459:3
437:2
415:1
164:(
127:(
122:2
118:1
115:+
113:8
93:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
