Last Veteran’s Day my club, Del Oro Pacific, participated in the fair held at the Long Beach VA Hospital. I was surprised to see many of our members had special trains honoring veterans and the armed forces.
YouTube link https://youtu.be/qyzbJDC_1IA
I was also envious because all I brought to run were my standard 1890’s GG&SB trains. I got to thinking that I could use early steam engines if I created a Civil War era train.
A little research, a couple of new purchases, some specific loads, and here is the results.
I started with a HLW 4-4-0 “General”. It’s a great match for many of the locomotives in the war photos. I was planning a United States Military Railroad train, so the name had to change. (General started the war on the Confederate side.) I installed a TE Revolutions receiver, a Phoenix PB17 sound card, and a 3” speaker in the tender. Some light weathering and the motive power was ready. A box car became the battery car.
I used a standard flat car for a field artillery load and a short LGB European passenger car was repainted and re-lettered. Here I mounted a 34 star flag to show the colors on Veteran’s Day.
I mounted a large cannon on a short flat car to provide forward defense and a large mortar on another to allow for offensive action.