Armored Trains

New Vanguard No. 140
By Steven J. Zaloga
Osprey Publishing, ©2008
ISBN 978-1-84603-242-4
Softbound, 48 Pages
Available from Osprey for $17.95

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

This short volume presents a very interesting topic: armored trains. The first armored trains made their appearance during the American Civil War, and they made regular appearances in conflicts from then on, through to the Second World War. The advent of aviation and ground attack aircraft brought the end to armored trains, as they were just too vulnerable from the air. For the short history of the armored train, though, it had widespread usage, including action in Africa and the Far East, as well as Europe.

The author examines the entire history of the armored train, starting from its origins in the American Civil War. During that war, armored trains were used to patrol the railways to protect against saboteurs. European interest led to the use of an armored train in the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. The British had some success with armored trains in their various colonial skirmishes, but felt that on a European battlefield, they would be ineffective. For the most part, this was proven on the Western Front during the First World War, but the Eastern Front was a different story, and the armored train became a regular part of the Russian, and later Soviet, military.

Complementing the well-written text are many great photos showing these little-seen trains, including some interestingly camouflaged Chinese examples. Also present are several color profile illustrations highlighting the different designs and color schemes worn by armored trains through the years. All together, this makes for a great reference on a little-known subject, one which will tempt many modelers to scratch up some of these interesting subjects. My thanks to Osprey for the review copy.