Another piece ready for the paintshop...just the engine and the Flakwaggen nearly fill the length of the shed. When completed this will be a monster...... Germany made use of armoured trains from the beginning of the Second World War. Extensive use was made of captured material, and new trains were built for the invasion of Russia in 1941. Military success was followed by lengthening supply lines, and armoured trains were needed to protect the railways from partisan activity. Attack, defence, patrol and maintenance of communications, even artillery support: there was a wide variety of potential roles for the armoured train. In May 1942 the decision was made to create a standard design of train - the BP42 - which, with a few improvements and modifications, was to serve to the end of the war. Eleven BP42 trains were constructed, and several older trains were re-configured to approximate to this standard, using the existing stock. Additional anti-tank firepower was later added, to make the BP44. COMPOSITION The complete BP42/BP44 train was symmetrical. In the centre was an armoured locomotive.This had an armoured tender behind, and an identical auxiliary tender in front to increase range. Next came artillery wagons, each with some accommodation, for kitchen or medical purposes. The gun, a 7.2cm or 10 cm howitzer, was housed in a ten-sided revolving turret. Outside these came two nearly identical wagons. One was the infantry wagon, and the other the command wagon, nearly identical but distinguishable by minor differences in the roof plates and by its radio aerials. Outside these came an artillery and flak wagon. The flak was the 2 cm Flakvierling, and the turret was identical with that of the artillery wagon. Armour for all units was between 1.5 and 3 cm. This extended down to protect the bogies. Articulating armour plates allowed the crew to move between the wagons under cover. The train's armament was strengthened by the addition of two tanks, to enable it to take the fight to the enemy. These travelled in tank-carrier wagons in a central well between the wheels, to give added protection to the running gear. A ramp at the outer end of the wagon enabled the tank to disembark rapidly. Typically two Czech 38T tanks were carried: not a match for the later enemy tanks, particularly in the East, but reliable, and highly effective against partisans. At either end of the BP42 was a pusher car also known as a mine car. This was essentially a flat car which was more expendable than the rest of the train and would hit trouble first. Facing the tank-carrier car a special automatic coupling enabled swift detachment so that the tank could be deployed more swiftly. The pusher cars were usually loaded with ballast and track-mending equipment or sandbags. I'm glad Stan organised the building of the engine first...driver Dai Thesteam is going to be kept busy shunting this stuff to the paint shop, just hope they've got enough grey paint...may be worth ordering some more in, just to be safe.