A Porter 0-4-0 shunts the “scrap for the war effort” freight into position ready to be sent onwards for salvage, and melting down for armaments factories.

Historical Note

During the war years, Americans got their first taste of recycling. To aid the war effort, they were encouraged to salvage their tin cans, bottles, odd bits of rubber, waste paper, nylon and silk, (to make parachutes), scrap metal of any type, and even fats and cooking oils left over from cooking, with which to make explosives. Scrap metal drives were held all over the country, and even the farmers were encouraged by the John Deere Company to 'Sink a Sub From Your Farm': Bring in Your Scrap. Clothing was collected to make rags for cleaning machinery, and cleaning the decks of  navy ships. Many other classes of material were collected for various ultimate uses, all to help in the war effort.

For the older generation, all of this was not unexpected, nor was it a great hardship, as they had just a few years since coming out of the Great Depression, during which time, although there was no rationing, money was scarce, so therefore supplies, food and most all of the basic necessities were very difficult to obtain. For the younger generation, this tightening of the belt was new, and in most cases created a great deal of suffering and hardship. They did not know how to cope without many things. But, they learned.