Armoured train
Armoured trains were mobile fortresses on rails.
An armoured train, also called an armored train, is a railway train covered with thick metal plating. It typically includes wagons fitted with artillery, machine guns, and autocannons. Earlier versions sometimes had small openings for firing rifles from inside. These trains were mainly used from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, as they provided a fast way to move heavy firepower to a new area. Most nations stopped using them because road vehicles grew more powerful and adaptable, railway tracks became easy targets for sabotage and air attacks, and aircraft offered an even more flexible means of shifting firepower. Still, they have seen occasional use in the late 1900s and early 2000s. Russia deployed improvised armoured trains in the Second Chechen War and during its invasion of Ukraine. Historically, these were fighting systems with heavy weapons. One exception was the US "White Train," a Department of Energy nuclear weapons transport train that was armoured and guarded by personnel carrying personal weapons.
An armoured train is defined by the armour that gives it its name. It should not be confused with railway artillery, which involves a large gun and its crew but lacks special protection. Trains with only light weapons and no elaborate protective gear—like a simple wagon with machine guns behind sandbags—are also not considered armoured trains.
The rail cars on an armoured train were built for various tasks. Common roles included artillery cars for carrying guns, machine guns, and rocket launchers; infantry cars for troops, sometimes with machine guns; machine gun cars; anti-aircraft cars; command cars for train control; anti-tank cars with tank gun turrets; unarmoured platform cars for ammunition, vehicles, track repair, derailing protection, or ploughs for destroying tracks; troop sleeper cars; and missile transport cars. The German Wehrmacht sometimes used a flatbed car to carry a light tank, like a captured French Somua S-35 or Czech PzKpfw 38(t), or a Panzer II, which could drive down a ramp to chase partisans away from the line. The USSR had railway-based RT-23 Molodets ICBMs by the late 1980s to reduce the chance of a first strike destroying launchers. The US once proposed a railway system for the MX Missile program but never built it. The US also used an armoured Department of Energy nuclear weapons transport train for domestic transpor
- field
- Military technology
- era
- Late 19th century to early 21st century
- notable_conflicts
- American Civil War, Franco-Prussian War, Boer Wars, Russo-Japanese War, Mexican Revolution, World War I, Russian Civil War, Chinese Civil War, Spanish Civil War, World War II, First Indochina War, Col
- key_feature
- Heavy metal plating and mounted artillery, machine guns, autocannons
- distinction
- Not to be confused with railway artillery or trains with light weapons without elaborate protective devices
Lore & Background
Armoured trains saw use during the 19th century in the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, and the First and Second Boer Wars. During the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill, then a war correspondent, was travelling on an armoured train which was ambushed by a Boer commando led by General Louis Botha on 15 November 1899; the Boers captured Churchill and many of the train's contingent. Early in the 20th century, Russia used armoured trains during the Russo-Japanese War. The most intensive use of armoured trains was during the Russian Civil War (1918–1920). During the Chinese Civil War, White Russian emigrants in the service of Marshal Zhang Zuchang built 14 armored trains in 1924–1928. The Spanish Civil War saw a little use of armoured trains, though World War II saw more. The French used them during the First Indochina War, a number of countries had armoured trains during the Cold War, and they were used during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Reader's Guide
Armoured trains represent a transitional phase in military history, combining the mobility of railways with the firepower of artillery and machine guns. Their peak usage occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when they offered a rapid means to deploy heavy firepower. However, their vulnerability to sabotage, air attack, and the rise of more flexible road and air transport led to their decline. Despite this, they have seen occasional use in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including improvised armoured trains used by Russia in the Second Chechen War and its invasion of Ukraine. The design of armoured trains varied widely, from simple improvised wagons with sandbags to complex trains with artillery, anti-aircraft, and command cars. An exception to their fighting role was the US 'White Train', the Department of Energy Nuclear Weapons Transport Train, which was armoured and escorted by personnel armed with personal weapons. The legacy of armoured trains is one of innovation in mobile warfare, but also of obsolescence as technology advanced.
Did You Know?
- The most successful armed train in the American Civil War was a single armoured wagon built to defend the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, sheathed with 2.5-inch oak planks and 0.5-inch boiler plate.
- During the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill was captured after the armoured train he was on was ambushed by Boer forces.
- The USSR had railway-based RT-23 Molodets ICBMs by the late 1980s, using armoured trains to reduce the chances of a first strike succeeding.
- Russia used improvised armoured trains during the Second Chechen War (1999–2009) and in its invasion of Ukraine (2022–present).
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