Armoured train



         


Armoured train is a train protected with armour.  Usually they are also equipped with artillery and machine guns. 

Armoured trains saw some use during the American Civil War, the Boer War, and the First and Second World Wars.  The most intensive use of armoured trains was during the Russian Civil War.  There are also reports of a limited use of armoured trains in the Second Chechen War.

The advantage of armoured trains is that they can be quickly moved across great distances (which was especially importand in the extremely mobile Russian Civil War).  They can also carry a large quantity of supplies (including ammunition and materials for track repairs).

The obvious disadvantage is that they are tied to rail tracks, and destroying tracks immobilizes them.  They are also easy to spot and destroy from the air.  Because of this, armoured trains have virtually disappeared since World War II.

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