Finally finished the troop train

Back in February I started a troop train and finally completed it. It's obviously a generic troop train that could be found across the USA during WWII or the Korean War. It is a combination of troop sleepers, troop kitchen cars, one heavyweight Pullman sleeper for the officers, and several flats carrying military hardware.

The military vehicles on the flatcars was pretty fun. There are quite a few photos online of these that you can use as reference material for building the blocking and placing the tie down chains. Some artistic license had to be used on mine due to location of some things on the flat cars.

Some of the flats came from a friend, and they were pretty crude. After extensively reworking them, they are acceptable, but not exact prototype copies.

 

That's fantastic!

 

It really is fantastic. Great work @Skyraider !

 

Thanks for the comments. It's been fun.

 

Do you have access to RFD-TV? On their "Trains and Locomotives" program, once in a while they have a feature about "railroads at war" or something similar. I have no idea how real or realistic the portrayals are, but they do have scenes of tanks, trucks, and what have you being loaded onto flatcars. There's also one scene I wish I could record and keep on my computer: the troops are seated in a coach and a sergeant says, "Now you men remember, if I catch anyone smoking you'll have KP duty for the rest of this train ride!"

 

Thanks for the post. No, I've never even heard of RFD-TV. My wife and I don't have any television source--not cable, satellite, etc. I'll look it up online and see what I find.

 

Now you just need John Wayne with his cavalry hat saying mount up roll out

 

Military trains are a lot of fun and these days there are some great 3D printed models available in N scale. I am working on a 1980's / 1990's era army equipment train. On my home layout it will represent equipment moves to and from the Sierra Army Depot on the Western Pacific line.

 

I hit the wrong button, either Like or Dislike but that's a goof on my part. I was trying to hit the Reply button. FWIW, as late as 2012 on occasion one could see DODX flats at a relatively small yard at Fort Riley, KS. These were the 89-foot-or-so flats. I don't remember seeing anything else during my brief stint as a Federal employee there.