Fort Belvoir Military Railroad Historic Corridor

Fort Belvoir Military Railroad Historic Corridor. . The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad (FBMRR) was constructed in 1918 when Camp A.A. Humprheys was made a semi-permanent cantonment as the U.S. entered into World War 1. The two main objectives for the FBMRR were to bring supplies and troops to camp for its rapid construction and war mobilization and to train engineer troops on the building of railroads, bridges, and other facilities essential to the U.S. war effort in France., The 4.51-mile, standard-gauge railroad was built largely by combat engineers, with some assistance by civilian workers and soldiers from other branches. From January to July 1918 they laid track from the railhead junction near Newington to the center of camp., The warehouse district buildings and Facility No. 707, just north of this location, were oriented in a linear layout for railroad accessibility. These buildings were directly associated with the supply storage, repair, and maintenance of the railroad to the south of this location. Railroad facilities were used by Belvoir Research, Development and Engineering Center to test rail equipment by simulating various shock types that would be placed on it during railroad yard switching procedures., The FBMRR passenger service was discontinued after the Korean War but the railroad remained in use moving supplies until the last locomotive left Fort Belvoir in 1993.