Modeling a German WWII armour/troop train.

Here's a Marx Train that has been customized to give the appearance of a WW2 German Train. I'm going to attempt this sort of project myself, someday, but using an "O" gauge European styled locomotive & cars.

Punkrockpub posted:

Here's a Marx Train that has been customized to give the appearance of a WW2 German Train. I'm going to attempt this sort of project myself, someday, but using an "O" gauge European styled locomotive & cars.

I get real bad vibes from seeing WW2 German military markings on classic American trains. Maybe you'd like to put the Japanese rising sun insignia on another train for west coast service, to build on a theme of Axis domination of the American continent?

Ace posted:

Punkrockpub posted:

Here's a Marx Train that has been customized to give the appearance of a WW2 German Train. I'm going to attempt this sort of project myself, someday, but using an "O" gauge European styled locomotive & cars.

I get real bad vibes from seeing WW2 German military markings on classic American trains. Maybe you'd like to put the Japanese rising sun insignia on another train for west coast service, to build on a theme of Axis domination of the American continent?

They had some superior armor and some better equipment. They committed the worse atrocities to many. They had some very good leaders that later got ignored or dispensed. Look what happened to Rommel.

 I worked for a guy who's family had (to) moved to Brazil after the war. He would have been very young during that war. I don't have any hatred directly towards them or the Japanese descendants.

 I know we sent in the masses to take them down but I'll always believe that their crazy leadership and rule, brought on their own demise. I won't force religion on anyone but there must be balance in this world. It does not matter on what scale. History keeps repeating this.

BTW, If I were still young, and I built a train painted like the picture above, my brother and I would probably do the Adams Family thing to it!

No, I don't wish to see America dominated by an enemy force, from then, or now! The title of this subject was WW2 GERMAN TRAIN. It's simply a alternate version of a train that someone wanted different than what's currently, or past currently on the market. I Understand peoples Animosity towards Fascism! I hate it myself. Also, currently Lionel, MTH, RMT, Atlas, are all made in China! Only the older trains were made in the U.S.. I, myself, LOVE the Pre-war Trains of Ives, Lionel, Marx, & American Flyer. I only posted pictures of it for the person wanting to customize a train like this. I would like to have one myself, along with a U.S. Army train on the same layout to simulate a WW2 battlefield, using both trains for each armies. There's NO political agenda in my post for the originator of this topic. 

I also have a love for military history and have done some research and modeling on German armour. One thing that was a problem in transporting the Tiger 1's was their massive size. The tracks had to be removed and a 66cm set of transportation tracks had to be put on. These then had to be removed and the combat tracks had to be put back on when they arrived at their destination. When funds are available, I would like to get MTH's 4-10-2 and model a train transporting armour. Not sure about flat cars. I believe the flat cars that moved Tigers used six wheel trucks. Like to get some photo's and see what I could use.

                                                 JG

This website seems to have a lot of wonderful options in the military area ... unfortunately in a scale you aren't interested in.

http://www.reynaulds.com/rei.aspx

But still fun to look through at least, get ideas and so forth.

You might want some VW BEETLES. Charlie Chaplin's stunt double gathered engineers from all over to design ,"the people's car". Porsche's design won (actually it's been found out it was very likely stolen from a Jewish designer, no joke) From that base you had convertible 4 door command cars(canvas doors), Schwimwagens (amphibious bathtub car), 4wd Kafer, and Kubelwagen. The Kubelwagen was often used with a PTO on the rear as a tank starter.(it looks a 1970s VW Thing.)

Late in the war, as the Axis began hurting for supplies, some were converted to run off wood gasses or steam.

Victoria and Vitese have made quite a few of these machines in 1:48 finished die cast with good details.

Most of the better models kits by others are 1:35, maybe as small as 1:43( opinion) or 1:72.

Im not sure Ive ever disagreed with you Ace, and kind of understand, and even admire your patriotism, but try to look at the trains as a blank page in a history book, or an artist's canvas. Forgetting any of it would be worse. I promised my Grandfather, and Great Grandfather I wouldn't. I called Great Grandpa Odada, and Gramps jumped 7 times and opened boxcars of the dead. The war is long over, it's time to remember, never forget.

The design term "form follows function" has begun to be attributed to solely to American designers, but is really from the Bauhaus, closed by 33. German style of the time was very good and had a heavy influence on the rest of the world too; including America. Throw out that influence and it's possible Dreyfuss, and Loewy wouldn't have been so great. 

Charlie's double, and an idiot emperor led Governments, not the whole of any race. But it is amazing what just charisma and/or lies can con a group into doing,

Currahee-Stand alone!

Pete,

Sounds like an interesting project.

Are you planning of kit-bashing the locomotive?  I think that having heavy armor plating would actually make this project easier.

Jim

WW II railroading in Europe is really very interesting. There weren't many roads to speak of in Russia so trains were very important. The Germans faced many difficulties  on both fronts but, as usual, they were/are good organizers and did a good job.  It is historical modeling , not politics. 

Jim, VERY INTERESTING---------VERY INTERESTING.  Sorry I couldn't resist, but one of my favorite films is "The Great Escape".  One of my plans is to try to find the type & style of the German Locomotives and  passenger cars used in the movie and do a small scene/diorama on my layout.

Hitler's personal armored train was named AMERIKA.  Given his paranoia,it was probably the most heavily armored of all German trains.

One of the learning channels had a feature about it some time ago.

Norm 

Quite a few years ago we were at a WW II re-enactment at Ft. Eustis, Va. where the Army trained  their railroaders. Back in the woods the tracks and some "switch towers" were still there. There was a big passenger car there and some of the guys said that it was Goring's personal rail car.  I looked at it but not real close and no photos. It is possible because  Ft. "Useless" was home to the Army Transportation  Museum  for a long time.

What is need on this subject is some WW2 vets to chip in.  See what they know.  I've heard tell of intel. officers from all branches swarming all over captured German armor and the like.  Also I heard on WW2 vet says that they shipped some of the armor (whole or in pieces) and did tests on them.  So after finishing up some flat cars with U.S. Army equipment, I will start modeling a string of flats with "captured" German equipment, e.g. tanks, light & heavy, support vehicles and the V-1 and V-2.  For ideas on this, go to R. Bishops' Modelcrafters website and see what he's doing. 

A few yeas ago we were at Ft. knox for a WW II re-enactment and some of the local guys had contacts at the Fort's  armor museum. They let us roam around in a building with captured German vehicles, some still with European mud on them.  They brought back a bunch of  Me262 jets and flew them quite a bit.  They  really studied the German rockets. So you could justify just about any  German WW II weaponry on an American train.

FWIW, this just came over the wire:

I noticed that new Trapani/Marre book listed on an e-mail I got from Ron's Books this morning...looks interesting.

Earlier in the thread, a picture of one of Wolfgang Sawodny's books was posted. Mr. Sawodny appears to be recognized as the premier expert on the topic of German armored trains. Here are listings of more titles he's authored on the subject:

https://www.amazon.com/German-...litary/dp/0887401988

Bob

Honestly, my favorite WWII German trains are the blown up ones...

Well maybe with a little effort (& money) you could print some shells using a 3D printer... & then paint them to match the photos.

Sounds like a "long weekend" project though.

J Daddy posted:

Honestly, my favorite WWII German trains are the blown up ones...

 

 

 

 

 

The soldier looks just like one of us when we cant reach a derailment.

Or maybe his "command" thought it was conventional. Lol.

J Daddy posted:

Honestly, my favorite WWII German trains are the blown up ones...

That's one reason that I like the movie...

One thing's for sure, don't use movies for military trains. I roll my eyes every time I see railroad cars vaulting through the air from low speeds like this:

p51 posted:

One thing's for sure, don't use movies for military trains. I roll my eyes every time I see railroad cars vaulting through the air from low speeds like this:

 

While you are rolling your eyes, the rest of the theater goers are cheeringtheirassoff.