CENTRAL OHIO MODELER MEET

Image via Wikipedia

The Central Ohio Prototype Modeler Meet begins Thursday night at 8:00 pm with photos and slides. Early arrivals will dine at the ledgendary Shovel bistro across the parking lot. Friday and Saturday the event starts at 9:00 am and runs until at least 8:00 pm each day. A dinner break is set around 5:00 pm with evening movies and slides until we can no longer keep our eyes open.

Nightly slide and movie shows will feature work of noted photographers Joe Slanser, Dale DeVene, Warren Calloway, Robert Graham, and others. Clinics on a variety of prototype topics will offer ideas and techniques to further your modeling skill and knowledge. Additional event details will be posted so check for updates.

An optional cookout lunch is set for late Saturday afternoon. An extra $10.00 cost covers your all-you-can-eat meal. No advance notice or payment needed. The $10.00 can be paid when you attend the cookout.

The Marion Model Railroad Club will be open during the event. More information available HERE.

FREIGHT CAR SHOPS

By Delano, Jack

 

Freight cars are the hardest working equipment on any railroad. Every line, and many industries with large car fleets, operates a car shop to handle repairs. At yards, inspectors check cars for defects. Simple repairs are done without removing the car from the train. If a major problem is noted, and the car can be moved safely, it will be routed to the owner for repair. If the damage is serious, the car will be moved to the railroad’s shop and the owner billed for the work. Car shops are specialized buildings for fast movement of cars between workstations. Sufficient clearance between tracks provides room for scaffolding or materials. Many also have a light-duty overhead crane. The shop may house several departments, handling brakes, trucks, wheels and other fittings.

When railroads maintained passenger car fleets, the work was done in separate shops. Passenger cars required more specialized repairs of plumbing, electrical equipment, steam heating equipment, upholstery and more, which needed a cleaner environment. The car shop is still very much a part of railroading, as repairs and upgrades to existing equipment are frequently cheaper than buying new cars. Through mergers, some railroads have consolidated duplicate facilities into one shop, and there are contract rebuilders who also provide similar services.

Mechaniks in the Iron Kingdoms are busy. They not only have to keep trains and warjacks up to snuff, but they have to maintain the tracks, shops, and buildings. Playing a game of WARMACHINE can be a little more interesting if you include some scenarios or objectives dealing with railroads. Try your next game by setting up terrain to create a freight yard, or car shop. Battling in and out of the various tracks and cars can be a lot of fun.

Idea #1: Set up several rail cars in a freight yard like the picture above. Set deployment zones as you wish. Now use some scraps of paper (4-6 pieces) marking all but one of them “Empty” and the last “Loot!” Mix the scraps up and then use the scraps to mark freight cars on the battlefield. The idea is that neither player knows which one is the loot car. Carry out the game as usual but with a win condition of finding the Loot. In order to “Search” the railroad car, at least one small or medium based model must use it’s action that turn to declare a “Search Action.” Finding the Loot scores a win for that player. What is the Loot? Whatever you choose.

Idea #2: Set up a rail car storage yard. (Think modern day shipping container storage yard for reference.) Make it like a maze. The objective of the game is to get through the yard and assassinate the opposing Warmaster/Warlock. This should be carried out like a Grudge Match between Stryker and Magnus. You can create rules about how the containers provide cover, elevation, or whatever. Maybe you can make it that the containers can be blown up, or moved. I suggest placing a few cranes (like during the Leagues dealing with the Broken Coast) that would allow players to use the crane to move models, or even railroad cars around the battlefield.

Idea #3: My favorite was the game I played against my wife. We set up a length of track running through of the board at a slight angle corner to corner. I played Cygnar, and chose to Defend the Train. My only prerequisite was that my choices had to each have at least one ranged weapon to fire from the train. (No problem!) We started the train at one end of the track with the engine and three cars. I deployed my army throughout the train. My wife chose to be the Attacker, and set her army up with a 10″ deployment zone from her chosen table edge (although she could not choose the one where the train was currently sitting.) The Defender has to shoot the opposing team as the train moves down the track. (We rolled a d6 and added 2″ meaning that the train would move between 3″ and 8″ a turn.)  The Attacker not only gets to use the standard weapons to attack the Defenders, and the Train … but also may declare one small or medium based unit to have control of a bomb that may be used to destroy the track and derail the Train. We made it that the model setting the Bomb had a skill of [5] when installing the Bomb in a hurry on the battlefield. Rolling 1-5 means the bomb will go off and derail the Train, making the Defender have to fight to protect the wreck. Rolling a 6-12 means that the bomb fizzles and the Train will keep moving. If the Train makes it the whole way off the board without being derailed or destroyed, it’s a scenario win for the Defender. Either side assassinating the opposing Warcaster/Warlock wins as normal. Although there are rules for the DEF/ARM of a train in No Quarter somewhere, I think we went with a simple 10/25 for the stats for the Train. Why ARM 25? Cuz we wanted to give it a fighting chance when a Heavy Jack stepped on to the tracks in front of the engine and charged with a huge spear or axe.

You can come up with your own ideas for scenarios. Remember, this is fun so go crazy and come up with some wacky stuff to play. If all else fails, play through a Great Train Robbery.

Click here to read more of my Blog articles about railroads and railroading.

While we’re talking about railroads and railroading, check out Walthers.com today. Walthers is currently offering free standard shipping on domestic orders of $150 or more, and $3.95 shipping on orders of $100-$149.99. Offers are good only for in-stock items and standard shipping to addresses within the United States. Also, head on over to Walthers Winter Sale for great scenery materials and details to create your own unique winter landscape, as well as the perfect Valentine’s Day figures to add a dash of romance to those cold winter months.

BRIDGE OUT!

On many rail lines railroads have relocated the tracks to ease grades or reduce sharp curves. Often the new tracks are only a few feet away from the original alignment. In some cases, small bridges have been removed from the old line but the abutments left in place. To model this, choose a spot next to your line where it crosses a small creek or ditch. Build up a subgrade of similar height and elevation where the railroad used to run, roughly parallel to your present railroad grade, but leave a gap where the line crosses the creek. Add bridge abutments, but no bridge, and finish the surrounding scenery. Remember, because the old abutments are near water, vegetation growth will be thick around the abutments.

Now get busy!

ARMORED TRAINS

Armored Train

The emergence of trains as a means of transport and supply made travel from place to place faster and more effective. What usually would take a week to move could easily now be placed in a new location within a day. A train could move across great distances with relative ease and speed as compared to a unit of foot soldiers and some mule driven wagons. Additionally, commanders in the field could survey the battlefield and use the trains as delivery systems to get soldiers into key locations without the need to tire them out getting their on foot. The extensive use of trains in military situations forced engineers and railroad crews to improvise armor and weapondry for their trains.

It is important to note now that there is a difference between armored trains and armed trains. Armored trains used vast amounts of armor plating, modified view ports and windows, extensive railroad weaponry, and rams. Armorerd trains were used primarily for military purposes and not for transporting  goods or troopers. However, armed trains were simply troop or supply trains that were outfitted with flatcars that had stacks of sandbags to provide cover for groups of snipers who were supposed to defend the train from attacks, or box cars that were outfitted with machine gun pits that allowed for heavy fire to be directed against anyone attempting to sabotage the train.

Railroads were very important to armies in the field. They were intended now oly to move freight from place to place but also to allow for soldier mobility, allowing fresh troopers to be deployed into contested areas and allow the soldiers to fight from within the train. Flatcars and wagons generally were outfitted with thick steel plates allowing the soldiers protection during fire fights. Sometimes the steel plates were designed with “murder holes” that allowed snipers to fire outwards with their rifles without revealing themselves to the enemy.

It became typical for armored trains to carry out a number of different military missions. For example: patrolling mainlines between established depots and stations, assisting infantry in engaging and intercepting the enemy, protecting the flanks of units in the field, escorting supply trains, and reinforcing encampments with mobile gun platforms.

Gun Pill Box on Flatcar

RAILROADS AND WAR

Armored Train

The next NO QUARTER is going to feature some information on a IK Supply Train. I thought I would discuss the role that railroads play during war time. Although I am drawing my information from the use of war trains during the American Civil War, much of the information may be applicable to the Iron Kingdoms. Be aware that there is nothing official about this article. It’s my thoughts and opinions. We’ll see what NO QUARTER has to say when the next issue comes out.

Railroads are second only to waterways for armies in the field. Locomotives often provided logistical support, and some were utilized for tactical missions. In some situations, military leaders would send locomotive teams to reconnoiter the battlefield and gain information on enemy troop positions, movement, and supply lines. The trains could spy on the enemy and then reverse course to escape harm. A locomotive chugging along at over 50 mph could easily outrun foot troops and cavalry, asuming that the tracks were secure. This superior transportation was also used for delivering supplies, mail, commanders, and troops into key objectives on the battlfield. Although telegraph communications could be used at times to deliever imprtant information and intelligence, it was more effective to use a locomotive team to get the job done. It is easier to sabotage a telegrapgh system than to knock out a railway.

Railroads and the trains using them were often key targets for military missions. They had to be readily defended and maintained during warefare. The loss of a single train could spell disaster for a heavy entrenched or deployed miltary force. Locomotives were vulnerable to derailments and sharpshooters, who might eliminate a boiler or an operator. Although armor was used to protect boilers, it was not very long until locomotive crewmen discovered that too much armor would overheat the cabs and toast the people inside. An solution eventually evolved applying armor to some parts of the cab and installing small oval windows, allowing for the crew to see out but minimizing the target for a sniper’s bullet. Derailments were a crewmen’s worst nightmare. Crews of inspectors (mechaniks and bodgers!) were emplyed to constantly check out the tracks and make sure that they were not only secured but free of sabotage.

Locomotives used during wartime often were outfitted with rams. Although the tactics was usually not very effective, there were some incidents where tracks were blocked, and barracaded. A locomotive chugging along under full steam could blow through the obstruction and keep moving. Although it was usually unlikely, sometimes locomotives had to prepare for head-to-head battle between enemy trains occupying either the same main track or second and third rail supply tracks. Sometimes cabs and cars would be deliberately left on the railway, and set ablaze to force a enemy locomotive to deal with multiple risks at the same time. And if enemy forces destoryed an unsecured station or bridge, the locomotive would be “dead in the water” so to say. Many diry tricks were used to stop locomotives from reaching their objectives in the field.

Cannon Car on Train

Armored trains were an excellent way to not only protect a locomotive from attack, but also to increase artillery mobility. An armored train could carry a flat car outfitted with artillery and snipers ready to bring hell to the enemy. Armored trains almost always used the same marching order: a locomotive at the center of the train, with flatcars on either end loaded with troopers and artillery. Then boxcars would be spaced out between the flatcars in order to provide protection to its valuable content. Armored trains doubled as construction trains, escorts to supply trains, and recon units to spy on the enemy.

Although this short article does not cover all the uses of trains during wartime, the limited information contained herein makes it clear that they were important. Whether used as a fast moving delivery system, or a highly mobile artillery platform, trains were necessary for the success of units in the field. a properly maintained and secured railway could literally mean the difference been a success or defeat in the middle of a battle.

♠

THOUGHTS ABOUT IRON KINGDOMS RAILROADING

NO QUARTER #24 had a great article about railroads in the Iron Kingdom. The cover was great, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the tracks themselves.

I noticed that the cross tie sleepers were not embedded in the ballast of any kind. I then noticed the obvious pollution and wreckage along the tracks.

How odd.

I asked about this in the Privateer Press forums… and waited.

—

Quixotic: I noticed that the artwork showed the railroad lacking ballast and the ties being layed directly on the ground rather than half buried in the ground. I was wondering if this was on purpose. IK railroads lacking ballast would make terrain making a bit easier. Plus, it would bring up interesting problems that would occur on the railroads in the long term.Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

PPS-Mod: Simon: As much as I’d like to say that it was intentional and give you a lengthy explanation about why train tracks in the IK do not require ballast, I’ll have to admit that it wasn’t intentional.

—

So I guess we can chalk that up to artistic license. However, let’s consider the ramifications of the Iron Kingdoms not using ballast.

Would it really matter?

Ballast is gravel or broken stone laid on the ground to provide support for the track. It is the bed of the railroad. It is crushed material that is packed between, below, and around the ties. It serves several purposes necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the train. The bed is laid on a series of earthworks called the track formation. Materials most commonly used as ballast are trap rock, granite, blast furnace slag, limestone, and graded gravel.

First, the ballast facilitates drainage. To allow water to build up on the tracks would slowly erode the earthworks on which the rail system rests. If the ground under the tracks becomes worn away by water, or even softened and boggy, the train will suffer deadly consequences as the ground literally gives way underneath its heavy load. Imagine a full steam engine roaring down the tracks loaded with soldiers and ‘jacks. All the sudden the earthworks under the rails give way, and the tracks collapse into a large ditch, or swamp. The train is derailed, passangers die, and the ‘jacks are damaged. Ballast maintains drainage and allows for the stability of the bed and formation of the tracks. Cygnar needs reinforcements? Too bad … the train is all mashed up and laying in a pile. Let’s get some gobbers out there with big wrenches, huh?!

Secondly, the ballast serves to distribute the load of the track and train to prevent overstressing the subgrade. If the ballast is not present or is badly maintained, several things could happen to the tracks. The tracks could become dislodged and begin to move laterally. It literally keeps the track from moving under the weight of the trains. This movement effects fishplates and bolts that hold the tracks together. Even better, the tracks could sink, causing a dip. Either way, the track ends up becoming unsound and the train ends up jumping the track. Once again we have a full steam train launching off of a railroad and smashing wildly into the wilderness.  How can Nemo ride the rails if the trains keep crashing?

Ballast also helps to reduce vibrations from the train. Reducing the vibrations helps to delay damage to the ground that the railroad is built upon. It also serves to stop vibrational damage to nearby structures and telegraph systems that are usually present along the railroads. Without ballast the trains would literally shake and rattle itself into a wreck.

Next, the ballast serves to deter the growth of vegetation on the railway. Weeds, trees, bushes, and other vegetation growing within the tracks  en masse can disrupt the system and lead to malfunctions that can cause derailment. This is specifically true with bends and turns within the railway. Ballast helps to hinder the growth of these plants that can destroy and envelop the railroad tracks without due maintenance.

Lastly, ballast serves to stabilize the entire rail system. Without it the the tracks may become uneven causing swaying, rough riding and possibly derailments. If the tracks start to sway, the train will ultimately end up tipping over and crashing. That usually is not productive in getting people and things from one place to another in short order.

So is it a big deal that the Iron Kingdoms apparently do not use ballast?

You decide.

And I know, Simon, it was an oversight.

Keep rollin’ sixes.

I’m headed back to the Autopsy Table.