Armored Trains After WW2 the usage of armored trains has rapidly declined as most of the war-time trains have been utilized for metal, and were generally forgotten.
The armored trains have seen some limited patrol duties against UPA acting in Western Ukraine, until 1953. In 1958 the Soviet Union formally closed all development of railway artillery systems (aka armored trains).
Soviets revoked the idea after the conflict with China in 1969 when there was a need to protect railway communications along the vast unpopulated area. In 1970 Kharkov transport machinery plant produced 4 armored trains BP-1 consisted of TG-16 armored locomotive, command car with ZSU-23 AAA, 2 cars with PT-76 light tanks, 4 cars with BTR-40ZhD and 5 self-propelled railway car BTL-1 that could either be part of the train or act independently. BTL-1 had an armored maneuvering locomotive TGM-14 and two platforms with T-62 tanks and was operated by a crew of 25. The trains were patrolling the communications for some time then moved to storage.
In 1979 they were used once again when the Soviet relation with China deteriorated. In 1986 one of the BT-1 trains participated in the rescue of the big railroad disaster. During hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan around NKAO, an armored train was brought to live in Chita and was used to protect railway stations and escorting cargoes. Despite being attacked several times the orders were not to open fire. Interestingly, on the way to the conflict it conducted life firing exercises! After 1990 the train was put to storage and written off shortly.
Armored trains were spotted in South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions after the war of 2008. Russia had plans to write off all the SP armored trains by 2015 but they were canceled and all four trains underwent maintenance and upgrade. In 2016 – Amur and Don took part in the exercise when a 400m floating railway bridge was constructed over Volga River and Amur crossed it to the other side with a regular train and number of vehicles.
With the beginning of the 2nd Chechen War in 1999, the matter of railways in Chechnya was taken very seriously. With the capture of Gudermes by Russian troops in Nov 1999, the idea of extensive usage of railways became feasible and it also concerned armored trains. In late 1999 three improvised armored trains appeared – two Army (Iron Kaput-1 and -2, in some sources also called Kazbek) and one of Internal Troops (Kozma Minin, named after its famous predecessor of WW2). Kozma Minin, nicknamed Kuzya, was operated by “Yastreb” (Rus – hawk) OMON unit of Volgo-Vyatsky, responsible for transportation security.
The train was crafted in Nizhny Novgorod depot, and actually connected different types of railroad equipment found at various places equipped with BMP-2, ZPU-4 and several MGs and AGS-17 grenade launchers. Actually there is no armor but lumber, railway track parts and sandbags. The main task of the improvised trains was providing transportation security for military personnel.
In June 2000, Iron Kapit was destroyed at the Gudermes-Argun section, by several IEDs that completely destroyed about 60m (180ft) of the tracks. 4 open platforms ditched sideways, other cars rammed each other, there were KIA and WIA (though I don’t have details). According to several sources, Kaput was replaced by Flying Dutch, but I don’t have any other information.
The first special armored train designed for railways and bridge repair and equipped with two BMP and well as fortified machine gun and rocket launcher points appeared in late 2000 – SP-1 Baikal and SP-2 Amur, while Baikal was used for escorting, engineering and scouting duties and Amur for personnel transportation. The trains had better armor protection and weaponry – T-62 tanks and BMP-2 APCs as heavy fire support, and ZSU-23-2 AAA as well as machine guns and AGS-17 grenade launchers, train crews also included sappers and engineers.
On Aug 19, 2002 a Mi-26 transport helicopter was downed at Khankala, and all the heliborne personnel transportation was banned, switching to railways. In 2002 additional SP-3 Terek joined the force followed by SP-4 Don in 2004. There were up-to three SP trains in each particular time supporting Russian Forces in Chechnya and the other 1-2 were under maintenance. During their service SP trains encountered numerous IEDs and many times have been fired upon. Armored trains also participated in SF operations against rebel groups planning to disturb communications.
Armored Trains Written by Efim Sandler, Editor of Tanks In Action
