Here in America we think of armored trains, if we think of them at all, as relics of a bygone age. Perhaps we recall steel clad locomotives steaming across the African veldt, armed with Martini Henrys, gatlings, Lees and Maxims. Or World Wars I and II, in which battle trains were famously active. Today? Not so much. But hold on, readers.
Armored trains are very much alive and well, especially in Eastern Europe. Serbia, for example, deployed the famous Krajina Express. Here's a photo:
And Russia notoriously armored up some rolling stock in the Chechen conflict, Baikal, Amur, Terek, and Don. These battle wagons were armed with 23 mm ZU-23-2 guns, a T 62 on a flatbed, and 30 mm BMP cannon, to say nothing of small arms, jamming equipment, missiles and whatever else the Russkies strap onto the rolling beasts.
After the second Chechen war these ferocious trains were put in storage only to reappear in rail intensive Ukraine, where they've seen extensive service. Apparently several Chechen conflict trains have been combined into one train, the Volga.
What can we say? The message is clear, surely, armored trains are awesome and we want one, or more. Texas demands it.
Casey Jones,
LSP
As the son of a Denver and Rio Grande Section Foreman I can safely say trains don't run without continuous and properly aligned rails. It takes someone who knows what they are doing using simple hand tools about five minutes to cause a derailment. The more kilometers of tracks the harder to prevent sabotage. Think the French Resistance just after the Normandy invasion.
ReplyDeleteNow that, Mr. WSF, is a very good point.
ReplyDeleteThe DLC needs its own pullman car to be connected to the armored train.
ReplyDeleteSpend More $$ types have for decades pushed 250mph "just like Europe" commuter and passenger rains to get office drones from Somewhere to Somewhere else. They could get behind armored trains if the idea were camouflaged in a "Stop the Insurrectionists!" campaign.
ReplyDeleteThat makes an awful lot of sense, LL. A Pullman, perhaps several, will be integral to our train and yes, the Mess will eat in style in the Dining Car.
ReplyDeleteThat's more than a bit terrifying, Sgt., but we will counter their inefficiently run, loss making, rubbish rolling stock with our own trains. Faster, better armed, not dependent on wind and solar and crewed with patriots.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Insurrection trains...
I apologize a bit for being off topic, but I can't help but notice that awful green-blue color the Soviets and Russians use for their military equipment (bottom picture of the twin barrel gun on the railway car). I heard once that the KGB painted their facilities that color b/c the psychologists figured out that it caused prisoners anxiety or dread or something. There might be something to it since I feel some kind of cringe when I see a picture of the inside of a jet cockpit or submarine interior and it's that awful color. Maybe it's just because the YMCA where I learned to swim as a toddler was painted that way and I can't separate the bad memories from the color.
ReplyDeleteDoes that paint cause anyone else to flinch?
Anon, it's not a good color. Looks like it is moldy and dying. Certainly not upbeat.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon, no need to apologize at all.
ReplyDeleteYes, what a hideous color scheme and I've often wondered why they did/do it. Low budget? Some sublim SovBloc messaging? See YMCA.
But OMG, what is this, a TERROR WEAPON? Quite possibly.
Scary, Kid, especially when Ukraine's winning so hard.
ReplyDelete