Armored trains, equipped with heavy weaponry and enough protection to withstand a brutal fight, may not be commonplace today, but for more than a century, these track-eating juggernauts saw action in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to the Cold War and beyond.
Long before tanks would revolutionize mechanized warfare, the concept of a heavily armored, heavily armed, mobile war machine had already captured the imaginations of war fighters keen to secure an edge over their opponents. Railways, which served as the economic life blood of many developing cities, were crucial for defensive forces. Trains were essential for transporting goods for commerce, of course, but they were also the fastest and most reliable means of transporting troops, equipment, and supplies in support of any war effort.
As a result, the concept of armored trains filled two essential roles in 19th century conflicts: First as a means of defending railways from attack, and second as a way to deliver large amounts of firepower to distant battlefields in a relatively short amount of time. As the years pressed on, new vehicles would come to dominate the battlefield, leaving armored battle trains behind in favor of vehicles that weren’t beholden to vulnerable train tracks; but in one form or another, armored trains even remain in service for a few nations even today.
