Armored Train Car

[USS ALASKA]

http://firstmdus.net/Rail cars_files/rail monitor63.jpg

The above photo states that it might be the only one of its kind. I've seen drawings of Civil War armored cars but not any pics. Anyone know of any others?

Also, what the heck is a Pennsylvania Rail Road car doing this far south?

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

https://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1-armor-train.jpg

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[John Hartwell]

Plan of one type of "railroad monitor", from http://www.firstmdus.net/Rail cars.htm, which has numerous pictures of armored railroad cars of all kinds. They are intended for model builders.

 

[John Hartwell]

This brief notice appeared in several northern newspapers in May/June, 1862:

Burnside was, of course, campaigning in North Carolina at the time.

Built "over a locomotive" is a new one on me. Sounds like a self-propelled vehicle. Just how that works out, with one gun at each end, is unclear.

 

[John Hartwell]

There were some ambitious plans:

[Elkhart Daily News, Nov. 22, 1862]​

"10,000 shots in half an hour" with a gun crew of two!!!!

 

[USS ALASKA]

There were some ambitious plans

This sounds more like a tank than a railroad item but interesting none the less...

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[John Hartwell]

This sounds more like a tank than a railroad item but interesting none the less...

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

You're right. Ifound Albet E. Redstone's "Land Monitor."

[https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/d...bols_and_substance/articles/land_monitor.html]
​

Redstone operated a machine shop in Indianapolis. He later moved to California.

 

[19thGeorgia]

Were these also known as the "Siege Train?"

 

[USS ALASKA]

Were these also known as the "Siege Train?"

Sir...

'A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent heavy castle doors, thick city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some are immobile, constructed in place by sappers to attack enemy fortifications from a distance, while others have wheels to enable advancing up to the enemy fortification. There are many distinct types, such as siege towers to allow attacking soldiers to scale walls and attack the defenders, battering rams to break walls or gates, to catapults, ballistae, trebuchets and other similar constructions used to attack from a distance and fire a projectile; some complex siege engines were combinations of these types.

Siege engines are fairly large constructions—from the size of a small house to a large building. From antiquity up to the development of gunpowder, they were made largely of wood, using rope or leather to help bind them, possibly with few pieces of metal at key stress points. They could launch simple projectiles using natural materials to build up force by tension, torsion, or, in the case of trebuchets, human power or counterweights coupled with mechanical advantage. With the development of gunpowder and improved metallurgy, bombards and later heavy artillery became the primary siege engines.

Collectively, siege engines or artillery together with the necessary soldiers, sappers, ammunition, and transport vehicles to conduct a siege are referred to as a siege-train.'

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_engine

HTH,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Wouldn't this cause a tremendous amount of heat buildup under all the extra metal?

Thanks,
USS ALASKA

 

[Carronade]

Wouldn't this cause a tremendous amount of heat buildup under all the extra metal?

Thanks,
USS ALASKA

No doubt it would.....this seems a good example of the quality of Civil War journalistic speculation, like some of the fanciful descriptions of ironclad warships.

 

[rebelatsea]

You're right. Ifound Albet E. Redstone's "Land Monitor."

View attachment 178227
[https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/d...bols_and_substance/articles/land_monitor.html]
​

Redstone operated a machine shop in Indianapolis. He later moved to California.

He'd seen Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings !

 

[John Hartwell]

Richmond's "Railway Merrimac" [The Boston Post, August 4, 1862; quoting the Richmond Enquirer]:

 

[DaveBrt]

Richmond's "Railway Merrimac" [The Boston Post, August 4, 1862; quoting the Richmond Enquirer]:

View attachment 178751 View attachment 178752​

This was just a flat car carrying a naval gun protected by sloping wood, covered with iron. Only the front was protected and it had to be pushed by an unprotected locomotive.

In addition to use in the 7 Days Battles, this gun was used near Butler's lines at Bermuda Hundred in '64.

 

[USS ALASKA]

In addition to use in the 7 Days Battles, this gun was used near Butler's lines at Bermuda Hundred in '64.

So the image is something that really happened? Not some artist's flight of fantasy?

'Savage Station, June 1862. Pushed by standard RR engine. Ordered to be advanced from Richmond by Maj Gen MacGruder. Fired from a railroad cut that opened on the Federal lines. Federals forced back to new position at an angle to the rail line. Could have broken the Federals if the gun could have been turned.'

Period image of the Rail car. Sketch by Private Robert Sneden, USA

http://www.firstmdus.net/Rail cars.htm

Was it really worth getting one cannon into battle vs. the possible loss of a locomotive?

Not that it wouldn't have been extremely frightening to see this thing headed toward you...

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[DaveBrt]

So the image is something that really happened? Not some artist's flight of fantasy?

View attachment 178775


'Savage Station, June 1862. Pushed by standard RR engine. Ordered to be advanced from Richmond by Maj Gen MacGruder. Fired from a railroad cut that opened on the Federal lines. Federals forced back to new position at an angle to the rail line. Could have broken the Federals if the gun could have been turned.'

Period image of the Rail car. Sketch by Private Robert Sneden, USA

http://www.firstmdus.net/Rail cars.htm

Was it really worth getting one cannon into battle vs. the possible loss of a locomotive?

Not that it wouldn't have been extremely frightening to see this thing headed toward you...

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

The artist, Sneden was at the battle, but probably did not get a close look at the train. His version of the gun shield implies it extended back along the side of the car, but that is not verified in any other account or photo.

The gun was a 32-pdr, far more powerful than the usual 6- and 10-pdrs the Army was using. As for the possible loss of a locomotive, remember that these battles were about the survival of Richmond, so all the stops were pulled out.

 

[rebelatsea]

I

The artist, Sneden was at the battle, but probably did not get a close look at the train. His version of the gun shield implies it extended back along the side of the car, but that is not verified in any other account or photo.

The gun was a 32-pdr, far more powerful than the usual 6- and 10-pdrs the Army was using. As for the possible loss of a locomotive, remember that these battles were about the survival of Richmond, so all the stops were pulled out.

I wonder what they were firing, 32pdr shot would not have great effect on open order troops, canister would be devastating f it could be dropped just in front of or in the advancing lines.

 

[DaveBrt]

I

I wonder what they were firing, 32pdr shot would not have great effect on open order troops, canister would be devastating f it could be dropped just in front of or in the advancing lines.

The article says the were firing shell.

 

[Jimklag]

Were these also known as the "Siege Train?"

"Siege train" denotes a column of artillery to be used in a siege. It can be guns and caissons pulled by harnessed animals or loaded on a train that's pulled by steam locomotives.

 

[Mike Serpa]

You're right. Ifound Albet E. Redstone's "Land Monitor."

View attachment 178227
[https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/d...bols_and_substance/articles/land_monitor.html]
​

Redstone operated a machine shop in Indianapolis. He later moved to California.

Design borrowed from Leonardo da Vinci's tank?