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I doubt that would fit on one train. How many wagons would that train be?
The fighting vehicles would probably be two-up on flatcars, so those with a bunch of trucks probably wouldn't exceed 120. Five or six thousand tons would not be out of the realm of possibility for one big steam locomotive or two regular-sized ones.
Maybe in the US, not in Europe. Trains in western Europe are even nowadays never longer than 50 wagons. Could be different in the USSR, but I doubt it.
With a quick search I found this about the transportation of the 7th Wehrmacht Panzer divsion in 1941:
Now that was a whole division, with tanks and supporting troops. And it was german and not russian.
More than 100 tanks as well, so numbers may be lower in this case, you can't just convert it to 32 trains, more info would be needed. 100 tanks would also need support but even without that, 1 train seems way off to me. When I replied earlier I though it would have been at least three trains, probably four: I would have thought that the tanks would have been at least a train, probably two. It's not that two tanks wouldn't fit physically on a flattop, but it would need the carrying capacity as well. The trucks would be another train, and fuel and ammo one more. But now I would guess even more.
And then you'd also need to transport the men and their suppies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Panzer_Division_(Wehrmacht)#Eastern_Front
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I love this forum. No matter what it is, somebody knows something about it.
Indeed. Basically that is the reason that even today in western Europe trains are never longer than 50 wagons (or more accurately: approximately 750 meters). The railway infrastructure is not build for it.
As I was picturing the scene, it is just a material replacement train. The men and the ammunition and the fuel and the workshops are already at the front in units that have taken losses in combat. The equipment coming off of the train is factory or at least depot fresh.
Does that make sense?
Driftless
Donor
Out of curiosity, did the Russians/Soviets follow a similar model to more densely built up western European areas?
What else would we do on AH.com apart from argue waiting for our betters to give us the next story instalment?
Happy to help
And it's good that you respond to this, it makes your story better.This makes more sense. I found a picture with two T-34s on a railwaycar, so the tanks could be one train. 63 Artillerypieces need 63 trucks. Artillery would be 3 to 5 on a wagon, depending on how they can stack them and how heavy the artillery is. Trucks 2. That would probably just fit on one train. And the suppy (fuel and ammo + trucks for that) on the third. I am not sure of the numbers, but it feels better now.
Rereading your initial entry, I also have some doubt about this:
I'm not sure how long that would last, but you don't specify a timeframe. It would last for a limited time.
I found that the german army in Barbarossa needed 120 trains on a daily basis. source. The russian army would probably need about the same, although the russians could maybe do with a bit less. Still overall a lot of trains. What you described would be a pretty ordinary day on any given railwaystation which is close to the front (maybe even a somewhat quiet day). So it's a good description of what is happening there, which is what you're trying to picture.
I like this TL a lot BTW.
Since I wondered the same, I aready did a quick search for railway yards in Moscow. In current days there seem to be at least two:
Perovo
Lyublino
They seem about the same size as current western European railway yards, so it will fit similar length trains. BTW these are a railway yards, were trains are put together. They are unloaded elsewhere, on stations. But the capacity of a railway yard, will define the maximum lenght of a train. They will (almost never) put a train together on the main track. Because that would block all traffic. Further: raillwayyards will be built to put together trains that can fit onto stations. You can be pretty sure that no-one will build a station where trains can be handled that cannot be put together in the railwayyards.
I can't imagine that the railwayyards were bigger in WW2 than today. In fact the main railwayyards have grown over time, because they are more centralized. So there became less of them, but they became bigger, not smaller.
Since I am a railwayenthusiast, the scene triggered me and I started to think about it.
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Also his British relative Colonel Monsoon.
And American friend Admiral Factory.
Story 0972
December 18, 1941 Belfast
HMS Galatea steamed out of the harbor. She had been confined in the port for three weeks as war and weather damage was repaired. Four days from now she was due to join another Winston Special. Once those ships arrived, she would stay on distant station. The Admiralty had not yet decided if the small light cruiser would home port in Alexandria or somewhere further east.
HMS Galatea steamed out of the harbor. She had been confined in the port for three weeks as war and weather damage was repaired. Four days from now she was due to join another Winston Special. Once those ships arrived, she would stay on distant station. The Admiralty had not yet decided if the small light cruiser would home port in Alexandria or somewhere further east.
Butterfly, as Galatea was sunk IOTL on 14/12/41 by U-557 near Alexandria.
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