OT: a dangerous train

[gyuri_ft]

Not sure, these are still runnung, but they used to be pulled masqued as a "regular" freght train. But they have more dangerous cargo anyone would expect. Never heared about them until recent, one is in railroad museum in SPB:

First, I was thinking it's a good (or bad?) joke, but made a little research - and it turned to be true: a train running at 50 mph and carrying an intercontinental nuke, potentially ready for action in few minutes.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I think they either did the same sort of thing in the U.S. or considered it. The idea was to make a mobile platform that could not have an anti-ICBM missile pre-targeted on it (like you could with silo-based missiles that have a fixed location). It was supposed to give you the same sort of location protection that a missile sub has without nearly as high a cost. I don't know if they were to run on regular freight tracks, or if they were given their own exclusive oval tracks somewhere. But the idea, I think, was to make it impossible to pre-target it for destruction on a preemptive first strike and therefore to make it a more effective deterrent to a sneak-attack.

 

[George Harris]

This was considered in the US. In fact, it had reached the point of giving contracts to various consultants to determine which rail lines could and could not handle the things and what modifications would have to be made and where. This was in 1980-81. It got killed off in 1981 in recognition of the silliness of being able to keep the positions of these things secret in an open society. I am not altogether sure, but I believe that the origin of the concept was one of Jimmy Carter's "better" ideas. Seeing Gyuri's picture makes me wonder if the concept was actually borrowed from the Soviets. I can see the CIA going to Jimmy C and saying, hey we have got to match what the Soviets are doing, and besides it can be sold as a really great idea.

 

[gyuri_ft]

It got killed off in 1981 in recognition of the silliness of being able to keep the positions of these things secret in an open society.

Good riddance of a "project" of that kind...

if the concept was actually borrowed from the Soviets.

It most likely was, the original designer was Utkin. I found it by accident because I was googling on "Utkin" - a well-known railfan from Kazakhstan but found also this reference about late Utkin, member of Academy who was the designer of nuke-train.

As brilliant as it is - it's probably an other monstre thing. Was good to raise the costs and throw away domestic money (with the lame argumentation, Americans would spend more money trying to track it than Soviets build it), was good to let US military burn extra money, made probably some contractor$$ in the US very happy. Unfortunately these nuke-trains are 100% useless to hit the real enemy (=Usama) up his @ss.

But like the other, more "cool" money-burners (SU-37 or F-22) they have the benefit of raising the patriotic pride and hormone level of teens watching the youtube.

 

[gyuri_ft]

I don't know if they were to run on regular freight tracks

yes

 

[Dakguy201]

Unfortunately, I can not longer remember where I saw the photo, but the U.S. made at least a prototype railroad car designed to serve the same purpose. I seem to think some museum now has it, but exactly who is pretty fuzzy. :unsure:

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I don't know if they were to run on regular freight tracks

yes

I was speaking of the proposed U.S. trains, not the Russian ones. I think one of the proposals for the U.S. ones was to build some closed-circuit tracks of 50-100 miles that would allow keeping it mobile enough that it couldn't be fixed-targeted but still keep it off of tracks used by regular freights. I had no real idea whether any of that had actually been done over here or if it was just talked about.

 

[MrFSS]

Is THIS what you are looking for?

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Yep. Thanks, Tom. Whoooeee, look at those trucks!! Does NOT qualify as "light rail" :lol:

 

[JAChooChoo]

As has been pointed out, the idea was a target that could be constantly moved, even hidden in tunnels.

It was conceived as untrackable, but even back then someone pointed out that the Railfan Community could track ANYTHING! LOL

 

[PerRock]

Here is an interesting pic;

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/smc_hist/Mxrail.jpg

also the James Bond Movie Goldeneye featured an ex russian ICBM train. the movie train was shortened to include 3 cars and the engine, the cars are: Control room, Lounge, and a helecopter carrier. you can see some ok shots of it here:

mind you the image in the movie was resized so everything seems a bit tall (and narrow)
peter

 

[oldtimer]

Is THIS what you are looking for?

The Peacekeeper program was studied and it was proposed to run on Amtrak's Western trains. If it were on the UP all the US needed to do is give the enemy the schedule and you know they would never find it.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Yeah, just paint Amtrak logos on the missile cars. Nobody would have a clue where they were. They would probably have to give instructions to the military people on the cars to the effect that if their retirement date occurred while on the train, just go ahead and get off at the next town, as long as it didn't take more than another couple of weeks for the train to to get there, and then just catch a cab to the nearest military base. I thought I saw somewhere that they were going to try to have pharmacy reps start to meet Sunset at various cities since so many passengers' prescriptions were expiring while they were on that train......... :lol: