wwII military train

[Flagler]

USA of course,where can I buy armor,tanks jeeps and trucks to carry on flatcars

[prdave]

Here's one website to start with;
http://www.kenraymodels.com/military.html
-Dave

[sd45elect2000]

The Kenray stuff is really nice. For my military train I also supplied it with a bunch of Micro trains 12-1 and 10-1-2 sleepers. I got four of the MT troop cars including 2 of the kitchen cars. As soon as MT releases their diner I will add that to the consist.

 As near as I can tell an armored division moved in several trains. One train (or more) was usually heavy equipment with a couple sleepers for the guards and support staff along with some sort of diner and baggage cars. Sometimes baggage cars doubled as mess halls too

 Another train may be light vehicles and guns with a few usual sleepers, diner and baggage cars and a couple more may have been long trains of sleepers, diners and baggage cars for the bulk of the personnel.  My goal is to have that division someday.

Randy

[VonRyan]

The KenRay jeeps are rough, and they weigh a ton. GHQ makes an M2 half-track in white metal and it'll nicely detailed. I'd buy one or two and make resin castings.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Another option is to look for the "toys" which are often 1:144 scale.  I've used 1:144 scale "modern" military vehicles for loads.  when measured up, the Dragon models equipment is very close in size to N scale.

[Flagler]

would 50 flat cars be used in 1940?

[sd45elect2000]

would 50 flat cars be used in 1940?

Yes

[jmlaboda]

I think that there are some misconceptions of what sort of passenger cars would be operated on MAIN and how military equipment was handled by the railroads.  To say the least much of what has already been mentioned is very inaccurate.

First the passenger cars.  The cars used were Pullman Tourist sleepers rebuilt from 12 Section - 1 Drawing Room sleepers, 14 Section sleepers and parlor cars that were converted to troop sleeper cars.  Nothing fancy by any means and none of the cars would have had air conditioning, making it very hard to accurately model these cars, at least, not without a great deal of work on the roofs.  The parlor cars had three high bunik beds while the Section sleepers kept their accommodations though in revenue service the Drawing Room would be sold as a thirteenth Section.

Second the "mess" cars.  The use of a typical dining car was extremely rare and may not have ever happened largely because troop kitchen cars and baggage cars that were set up for cooking the meals were readily available with the set up of baggage cars for a kitchen car was easily done and not requiring actual changes to the interior of the car.

Shipment of military equipment such as tanks, Jeeps, Duce-and-a-half and 5-ton trucks and other associated vehicles would move just as the same moves today... unaccompanied by any "Guards" of any kind with these trains being kept on the move, stopping only to change crews and locomotives/cabooses.  Like the MAIN troop trains the importance of getting this equipment to its final destination as quickly as possible, so any real need for Guards was largely non-existant.

One final thing about the troop trains.  The positioning of kitchen cars, be they troop sleepers or converted baggage cars was in between 3 to 4 sleepers, largely as a limit to the number of personnel the kitchen car could handle.

Something else to consider were the mortuary trains which used the converted heavyweight hospital cars (themselves rebuilt from Pullman sleeper and parlor cars) with their windows plated over.  The caskets would be set onto the beds that the hospital cars had.  Sometimes these cars would be operated in solid trains, other times it could be just one or two cars, largely depending on where the remains were bound for.

[sd45elect2000]

Jerry,

In the book "the brass ring" by Bill Mauldin he describes the unpleasant duty of riding the flat cars. Unpleasant in unpleasant weather and boring in good weather. He describes the farm women coming out with sandwiches and coffee when the train was stopped at a siding or whatever.
I have to assume that at least some of the MAIN trains were guarded. Everything that I've read indicates that when a division or army group moved the trains were guarded, new equipment appeared not to be.

I was also taught that actual dining cars were used as officers mess.

As far as non air conditioned sleepers they are difficult to make from existing models but I'm sure at some point anything was put into troop service. Most civilian sleeping car service was severely curtailed by the war and sleeper routes under 400 miles were eliminated for the duration. Bottom line is the military needed all the berths it could get regardless of car type.
Randy

[John]

[GN Fan]

 A note to sd45elect2000:
A 1945 tank division had 1,869 vehicles. See http://www.wwiivehicles.com/usa/organization/tables-of-organization-and-equipment/1945-armored-division.png.  Since each tank would be loaded on a single 50 foot flat. (M-4 tank was 30 tons, 50 foot flat had a 50 ton capability) That is likely as not to be more than one train. 
Tom Todd

[sd45elect2000]

I'm no expert at all. I just look at pictures, read WW2 books and whatnot. I'm only passing on what I've either read or observed. I am teachable , if anyone can teach me more about these trains I am very interested.


1869 vehicles in a typical armored division means I have 1840 more vehicles to buy.

Randy

[strummer]

Great video...

Mark in Oregon

[jmlaboda]

You probably do know more than I about such things... but I also know what I have seen in videos (scarce) and photos of troop trains with military equipment and none showed armed troops on the cars.  I guess this is something I am learning about... that's my day's limit.

[Mark5]

This was made by Dmented, but Dmented seems to have vanished:



Minifigs used to make a bunch of 1:160 WW2 stuff, including a Sherman Tank, but I don't know if anyone picked up their line. 

I think GHQ used to make a Sherman tank.

CinC has some WW2 trailers here: http://www.pfc-cinc.com/n_scale_trailers.html

Mark