Genius of U.S. Military Railroad — Herman Haupt
From the very beginning, the American Civil War was a “railroad war.” To that point, railroads played a major role in the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run. In 1862, in recognition of the importance of railroads to the war effort, President Lincoln and the U.S. Congress authorized the creation of the United States Military Railroad. It became responsible for all new railroad construction, the repair of damaged railroad infrastructure, and the refurbishment of captured Confederate railroads. This government-owned railroad was also placed in charge of all shipments of war materials and was granted the power to nationalize any private railroad that failed to prioritize military traffic.

Jay Kelly’s presentation will provide a brief review of railroad technology available in the 1860s, followed by the remarkable story of Herman Haupt, the railroad genius who ran the U.S. Military Railroad during the most critical period of the war. Jay’s talk will focus on examples of Herman Haupt’s unique contributions to the Union victory and on his lasting legacy as it influenced future conflicts.

Jay Kelly
Jay worked for more than 36 years at TRW/Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, retiring in 2006. Most of his career focused on large-scale data processing systems.
He is married and has three children and three grandchildren. A lifelong railroad enthusiast, Jay has served as President of the Southern California Garden Railway Society since 2008. He is also a dedicated UCLA football season ticket holder.
Beyond his professional and family life, Jay enjoys woodworking and photography, and he actively gives back to his community by volunteering at the Banning Museum in Wilmington and with South Bay Village, a senior-support organization in Torrance.