I have a small army base on the desert portion of the HO layout. I’m in the process of adding a few flatcars with various military equipment like tanks, and trucks on the siding that leads to the base. I have a few Roco minitanks already, just have to get some appropriate flatcars. The layout is set around 1957, so the equipment includes some postwar tanks and some WWII era equipment as well.
Have any of you modeled a military train? If so I’d love to see photos or read your stories about old time to the present day military trains and or bases on your layouts.
In August 1965 I drove MY M113 personell carrier, and a few others, onto UP flat cars at Ft Riley KS. Also a few M48A1 tanks. They went San Fran/Oakland Army Terminal and were put on a WWII freighter to Vietnam. They were chained & had chocks front & rear of the treads. Also jeeps, deuce & a halfs, trailers, etc. No pics, but they were pretty streight forward loadings. [:(]
There is an excellent article in the 4th Quarter 2004 Warbonnet (Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society magazine) all about the different types of chocks, chains, and specific diagrams on how to load various equipment. If anyone is interested, back issues can be found here: 2004 Warbonnet Back Issues
When I was stationed in Germany 2000-2006( - a one year tour in Iraq) I was in a Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle ADA Battalion. We railed our equipment (M2’s, M577,M113A3s, M998’s and a M88) about 6 times a year for training missions. We loaded from the frieght ramp in the town, or the railhead on the base across town. We loaded our equipment circus style, by wieght with the HMMWV’'s in the front followed by the 113/577’s then the Bradley’s with the 88 taking up the rear. Once the train was loaded a old passenger car was tacked on to the train and we rode with our equipment to the training area.
Following my Germany assignment I went to Fort Bliss, TX (El Paso) for a year where there was a huge railhead, where 2 US Army GP9M’s(I think) switched the Base, there was also the remnants of a rail network on the base that served the large warehouses, Note If you Google Earth Military Bases you can see the rail networks( if they still exsist) pretty good.
I’ve got a bunch of war items. It’s also going to be one of my industries. I’ll see if I can find the crate they are in. Still have a bunch of bids not all unpacked yet.
I’m still debating what flat cars to use. I’m leaning more toward the Athearn 50 footer. Especially since they offer Santa Fe and other western paint schemes. I also like the length, not too long and not too short.
But are there more detailed models out there? Athearn is fine and affordable, but the military base is in a very prominent spot on the layout and I’d prefer as detailed a flat as I can get. But I haven’t found much online or in my Walthers catalog.
A wood deck is also must. However, the Athearn deck is molded on and any wood deck added would simply sit on top, like this: Athearn 50’ flat with wood deck
One of the solutions to the raised deck that a club member did was rout out the deck to level of the new wood being added. Another solution would be to sand the deck down to an approximate level and then add the decking.
When you mean models are you looking for the 85’ or 40’ flats or are you looking for modern military or vintage military equipment. Roco, Trident, Heiser, and Boley all have WWII era armor and support vehicles. They probably have more modern ones as well, but those are outside my time period.
Models I’m looking for are 50’ flat cars. 40’ is too small, and 60’-85’ is too long and modern for my Santa Fe themed 1957 layout.
Military equipment is all Roco Minitanks that have been picked up over the years. I have some tanks, jeeps, and this truck. I also have this Busch pickup
I’m in the process of building a WWII military train using standard 40’ and 50’ flat cars for Roco military equipment. I’ve already got the Walthers troop cars, and am finishing up a couple of Sherman tank kits to fit on the flat cars. I’m using the 40-footers for Jeeps and transport vehicles, and the 50-footers for the tanks. They’re loaded ‘circus’ style, according to photos and films I have seen from the WWII era.
Since my MR is ‘set’ during that era, I figured I should have at least one.
As a military modeler as well as model railroader here is some comments on equipment;
Flatcars: the Athearn 50-footer is OK, especially with a wood deck or a good paint job to simulate AGED wood. The Proto2000 (now Walthers) 53’ 6" car is very nice and the deck is easier to replace. The older Walthers GSC car can be used in limited amounts as these cast frame cars were around in the 1950s (at least on UP). There weren’t many 60’ flats in 1957 and most models of them are 70’s or later types. Some 40 foot cars are OK. For tanks capacity is important versus length. For jeeps, etc the weight is not as big of an issue. I have seen modern 89-footers packed with HumVees, etc. For a 40-50 ton car then one tank/car is appropriate.
Military equipment: OK, time frame of 1957 - not too many WW2 vehicles. The Army was making an effort to get WW2 trucks, etc out of the system in the mid 1950s. Some National Guard units still had older equipment, but not ANCIENT. No M3/5-series (“Stuart”) light tanks, few if any M24 “Chaffees”. the Roco M41 light tank is a common 1950’s type (at 25 tons, you can put two on a 50’ flatcar). There were a FEW Sherman tanks in reserve units but they would be M4A3E8, M4A1E8 or M4A3s with 105mm howitzer, not readily available in HO. The Roco M47 and M48A1 are good choices. No M60 types (not standardized until 1959). The older Roco M48 bridge launcher is good, but the bridge was usually off the chassis for rail transport (probably stowed at one end of the car). Roco has made some M53/M55 type SP artillery - definitely 1950s’ types. For trucks the Roco WW2 CCKW CAN be used but their M35 models would be a better stand-in for 1950’s types. Jeeps should be the M38A1s (like the civillian CJ3 or later, with the tall rounded hood). Towed guns can be Rocos 105mm howitzer, 155mm howizer, or 8" howitzer. Roco used to ma
Fort Carson here in Colorado has a fairly large raidyard where they load and unload equipment from shippment to the coastal ports. they have several locomotives and ten or so tracks. i have seen several trains pass by with everything from tanks to humvees.
That is why I never get broken hearted when the wife wants to go to the PX at Carson. I thought that it was really cool to see that they stored some of the circus train there when it was in town.
Top notch info Gary. With the limited choice of hardware available for the 50’s transition era, I was thinking of a repair/scrap/recondition base where they are bringing in older equipment/ammo etc., striping it down, and then shipping out the scrap metal or reconditioned units. That way I can have incomming hardware in many various conditions. Allowing a greater range of units from WWII on up to my “end date” of 1959. It would generate much more traffic on the RR. Flat cars, boxcars, tankers, gons… At least this is what I’m thinking. Make for some cool loads and give a nice wide range of dates to incorporate for my “protolance” layout.
As a military modeler as well as model railroader here is some comments on equipment;
Flatcars: the Athearn 50-footer is OK, especially with a wood deck or a good paint job to simulate AGED wood. The Proto2000 (now Walthers) 53’ 6" car is very nice and the deck is easier to replace. The older Walthers GSC car can be used in limited amounts as these cast frame cars were around in the 1950s (at least on UP). There weren’t many 60’ flats in 1957 and most models of them are 70’s or later types. Some 40 foot cars are OK. For tanks capacity is important versus length. For jeeps, etc the weight is not as big of an issue. I have seen modern 89-footers packed with HumVees, etc. For a 40-50 ton car then one tank/car is appropriate.
Military equipment: OK, time frame of 1957 - not too many WW2 vehicles. The Army was making an effort to get WW2 trucks, etc out of the system in the mid 1950s. Some National Guard units still had older equipment, but not ANCIENT. No M3/5-series (“Stuart”) light tanks, few if any M24 “Chaffees”. the Roco M41 light tank is a common 1950’s type (at 25 tons, you can put two on a 50’ flatcar). There were a FEW Sherman tanks in reserve units but they would be M4A3E8, M4A1E8 or M4A3s with 105mm howitzer, not readily available in HO. The Roco M47 and M48A1 are good choices. No M60 types (not standardized until 1959). The older Roco M48 bridge launcher is good, but the bridge was usually off the chassis for rail transport (probably stowed at one end of the car). Roco has made some M53/M55 type SP artillery - definitely 1950s’ types. For trucks the Roco WW2 CCKW CAN be used but their M35 models would be a better stand-in for 1950’s types. Jeeps should be the M38A1s (like the civillian CJ3 or later, with the tall rounded hood). Towed guns can be Rocos 105mm howitzer, 155mm howizer, or 8" howitzer. Roco used to make
