hello all! i am going to model a rail head at a U.S. army post to transport armor units in particular to port or to different training areas. what i need to know is if there is anyone else out there with a similar layout or idea, and where i could go to gather info on this type of a train. i have never seen an M1 tank being transported on a flatcar so i dont know if i would need special cars for tanks or not. thanks in advance for all replies! matt
Hi I found a great site at military rails online
or http://military.railfan.net/ Alot of great information and picturesof military loads This is a area I have been working on for years mostly roco armor and Athearn 86ft. flats good luck.
I also have some pictures I have taken that might help. Let me know. J.J
hello jj, we just got home from doing all the easter dinners and i thought i would send you a quick note to say thank you for the info and i’ll send you a longer e-mail later and share my ideas with you. it sounds like we may have a common interest! thanks again, matt mcintyre
I’m gonna build a layout set in the 1940’s, nothin but steam loco’s. It’s going to include an Army train & an Army Enlistment facility located in the town.
Hi again Matt My E-mail is urichj63@hotmail.com
Ilive in the Fla panhandle with a CSX line at the end of my road we get a military train about once a monthon the line. a lot of equipment. later.J.J
Hi again Matt My E-mail is urichj63@hotmail.com
Ilive in the Fla panhandle with a CSX line at the end of my road we get a military train about once a monthon the line. a lot of equipment. later.J.J
Check this out for your military load planning.
http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/55-17/ch20.htm#20-4
Matt,
Trains of this type run each summer transporting Reserve and National Guard units to training areas in other parts of the states. The best example is the NTC (National Training Center) out in Colorado, I believe. Regular and reserve units go there for high tech war games using laser weapons to record hits on enemy vehicles. They have a full time aggressor force there to fight as the OPFOR (Opposing Forces) in these battles. They even have vehicles which have been modified to appear as Warsaw Pact vehicles.
Anyway, I would recommend that you find somebody in an Armored unit with the National Guard who has participated in these exercises. I’m certain they moved their unit by train to get there.
Another point, an M1 tank weighs about 72 tons I believe and should probably be placed on a car with six axles like the (Athern I think) depressed center flatcar available in HO scale painted in TTX and other roads. I have one of these cars but it’s still in the box.
Don’t forget to provide passenger cars for the troops and include lots of support vehicles like 2-1/2 ton trucks, Hummers, etc.
Good Luck - Ed