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Originally designated as the "advanced trainer" AT-6, North American's single-engine training aircraft was extensively used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Navy (as the "SNJ"), Royal Air Force (as the "Harvard") and allied air forces during WWII. The prototype first flew in 1935, and by the time production ceased over 15, 000 T-6s of all types were built. This included the AT-6B, which could hold a machine gun and was used for gunnery traini...

One of the most legendary naval aircraft of WWII, the Grumman TBF Avenger (and the General Motors-produced TBM) saw action in most of the major battles in the Pacific including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Armed with a forward machine gun and a second in a dorsal turret, the plane could carry a 21-inch torpedo or four 500-lb. bombs, or a combination thereof. Avengers are credited with sinking the Japanese superbattleships Musashi and Yamato. A young...

In 1903 the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company broke ground on an ambitious project, to create the City of Brotherly Love's first high speed rail system. When it opened on March 4, 1907, the Market Street Subway-Elevated Line was greeted with acclaim. Running from the suburbs of West Philadelphia on elevated tracks, trains ducked underground to reach the city center. The line would be joined by the Frankford Elevated in 1922, and merged into t...

The Fairmont Motor Car owes its existence to a tired railway section hand named Fred Mahlman Sr. Exhausted by daily trips using a handcar, Mahlman decided there must be a better way. He contacted a local machine shop and inquired about buying a two h.p. motor, and attempted to rig it on his handcar. His initial attempt failed, but he didn't give up on the concept. Eventually, he hired the machine shop to construct a purpose-built motorcar.The ...

In the 1910's and 20's, economic pressures and the rise of the motorbus produced dramatic changes in the streetcar industry. A promising solution to ensure profitability was the introduction of the so-called "Safety Car" designed by Stone and Webster Corp. engineer Charles O. Birney. This type of small trolley featured several innovations, including "deadman" controls that automatically cut power to the motors and applied brakes in an emergenc...

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1857, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation grew to become the second largest steel producer in the United States and one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world. It was also a major supplier of components for the nation's railroads. this catalog, which dates from the 1950's, shows mine and industrial trackwork, including railway switches and stands. it contains tables and diagrams to assist customers in orderin...

The exploits of the U.S. Navy's 'Patrol Torpedo' or PT Boat crews became famous during WWII. Known by the Japanese as "devil boats", the little PTs landed big blows on the enemy, sinking numerous ships and supply barges. They also laid mines, carried out intelligence operations, and performed search and rescue operations among other tasks. While the most famous boat of the war was PT-109, commanded by future President John F. Kennedy, PT-73 al...

In 1873, the first cable railway in the United States began operation in the hilly city of San Francisco. In subsequent years, the Clay Street Railroad was joined by many other operators throughout the U.S.A., including systems in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The rise of the electric trolley made most cable car systems obsolete, but San Francisco's Municipal Railway managed to survive not only because of tourism, but because cable cars m...

Originally written in the late 1900's and then periodically revised, A History of the Baldwin Locomotive Works chronicles the origins and growth of one of America's greatest industrial-era corporations. Founded in the early 1830's by Philadelphia jeweler Matthais Baldwin, the company built a huge number of steam locomotives before ceasing production in 1949. These included the 4-4-0 American type, 2-8-2 Mikado and 2-8-0 Consolidation. Hit hard...

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the primary Marine Corps and U.S. Navy fighter aircraft during the opening year of WWII. Although the Japanese Zero outperformed it, Wildcat pilots more than held their own during the crucial battles at Coral Sea and Midway. Almost 8, 000 Wildcats were built during the war, many of them by General Motors. The G.M. versions, designated FM-1 and later the improved FM-2, entered service after the faster Corsairs and He...

Originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor, the P-38 was the first U.S. fighter of WWII to compare with the Spitfire and Me-109. The twin-tailed, single seat "Fork Tailed Devil"carried four .50-caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon, and could fly at speeds above 400 mph. An extremely successful design, it was the primary long-range fighter for the Army AirForce until the appearance of the P-51 Mustang. It also produced devastating res...

The Douglas SBD Dauntless served as the U.S. Navy's front line dive bomber from the outbreak of WWII thru 1943.The aircraft proved its mettle at the battles of Coral Sea and Midway, where its crews accounted for four Japanese carriers. The plane also saw action in support of the Marines at Guadalcanal. Their last combat stint was at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944.Originally printed by Douglas and the U.S. Navy during WWII, this SBD-6...

The M1917 Enfield, formally named "United States rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" was an American modification of the British .303 caliber P14 rifle developed and manufactured from 1917-1918. The Enfield rifle was noted for several design features. It was designed with a rear receiver aperture sight, protected by sturdy "ears, " a design that proved to be faster and more accurate than the typical mid-barrel sight. Future American rifles, such as...

The Browning Automatic Rifle (known as the "BAR") M1918 was designed in 1917 by John Browning for the U.S. Expeditionary Corps in Europe. The M1918 is a selective fire, air-cooled automatic rifle chambered for the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge. It uses a gas-operated long-stroke piston rod actuated by propellant gases bled through a vent in the barrel. The bolt is locked by a rising bolt lock and the gun fires from an open bolt. The sprin...

The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service in December of 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. Compared to the Thompson submachine gun, the M3 was cheaper to produce, lighter, and more accurate. The M3 was commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" or simply "the Greaser, " due to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool.Intended as a replacement for the .45-caliber Thompson submachine...

The M41 Walker Bulldog was a U.S. light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. While the M24 Chaffee was a successful design, its main gun was not effective enough against well armored opposition. Although the primary mission of a light tank was scouting, the U.S. Army wanted one with more powerful armament. The development of the new tank, T37, began in 1947. The vehicle was designed to be air-transportable, and the desired anti-tank capa...

During WWII, the U.S. Army's ranks of men and its arsenal of equipment grew mightily. From a mere 190, 000 soldiers in 1939, the Army would reach 8.4 million in 1945. That was a staggering achievement, and what is even more impressive is to consider how few guns, tanks, artillery and other essentials the military possessed prior to Pearl Harbor. Outfitting America's war machine, and assessing its needs and delivering the goods, was one of the ...

During WWII, the U.S. Army's ranks of men and its arsenal of equipment grew mightily. From a mere 190, 000 soldiers in 1939, the Army would reach 8.4 million in 1945. That was a staggering achievement, and what is even more impressive is to consider how few guns, tanks, artillery and other essentials the military possessed prior to Pearl Harbor. Outfitting America's war machine, and assessing its needs and delivering the goods, was one of the ...

WWII was not just a war of weapons, but also a war of production. One of America's greatest victories on this front was certainly in the city of Detroit, where auto assembly lines were transformed into an arsenal of democracy. Chrysler's Tank Arsenal was the nation's most spectacular war plant, a place where history was made. From it came 25, 059 medium and heavy tanks of twelve different types, including the tanks that turned the tide of the ...