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atsf359 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Mar 07, 2008 Posts: 2

Hello folks..
I am new to this group..I was recomended here by a freind....I have a quick question...I am a avid WWII nut..My father served in the pacific as a medic on Guadal Canal.....I can remember the only time he would let me stay up late as a kid was to watch old war movies with him...I have almost every one of the classics on video or dvd........I model N scale trains....The scale is 1/160.....I have found some great WWII tanks made by New Toy Millennium that are very very close to N scale..I want to mount a Sherman on a depressed center flat car for my train layout.........I would like to know if anyone has detailed pictures of how the tanks were actually mounted onto the flatcars for transport such as the wooden blocks and chain tackle used to prevent the tank from shifting during transport...I would imagine they used some sort of wood blocks in front and back of the two tracks to prevent forward or reverse movement and some sort of chain tackle to tie the whole tank down to the flatcar but i have dont have any pictures to assist me in modeling this in scale...Does anyone know of a site that would have some good pics? Has anyone here ever done this type of thing in scale that i might be able to use ideas from?...Lastly When transporting, was the main gun turned to the rear or forward? I appreciate any and all help you folks may be...Thanks again
Paul

Roy_A_Lingle

HI Paul! Hi Folks!

Here's a pair of Army Signal Corps photos of a train load of Sherman tanks.

Looks like blocking was the main thing that was used on this train load.
There is something I am not sure about that might be a cable or chain between the side of the flat cars and one bogie assemble on each tank.

Can't help with links to other sites. Good luck with your project.

Sgt, Scouts out!

MarkHolloway

All I could come up with is tanks on 'regular' flat cars like Roy posted.

binder001 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 25, 2006 Posts: 363

As a model train person as well as US armor buff I can say that depressed center flatcars were rarely, if ever, used to move Shermans. The average flatcar in the 1940's was 42-53 feet in length and had a load rating of 40-50 tons. So each regular flatcar could earliy carry an M4 series tank, and there were many thousands of such flatcars nationwide. Depressed center cars are used for "high-wide" loads and a far fewer in number in the total freight car fleet.

As shown in the photo, most had blocking at the front and rear of the tracks plus chains or cables from the towing lugs to the flatcar. Some tanks were covered with tarps during movement, others were not. Remember that MGs, tools, etc. were stored inside the tank for most rail movements (or sent separately).

Good luck with your project.

Gary Binder

atsf359 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Mar 07, 2008 Posts: 2

Thanks to everyone who replyed and sent pictures...They were very helpfull....Looks like i am going to have to find a regular standard flatcar for my project from what i see in the pictures and the responce from Mr Binder...It actually makes my job a little easier because regular 40' & 50' flatcars are very easy to come by in N scale...The blocking should be easy enough with scale balsa wood lumber and the better quality flatcars on the market have side sill tie-downs that make securing my sherman very easy with some scale chain...This is going to work great...I'll try to post some pics when i am done if i can figure out how...Thanks again for all the feedback..
pmd