The Soviet Armored Super Train

During the early days of the 20th century, a civilian transport train was converted into an unstoppable war machine that ruled the rails of Eastern Europe and Asia.
Among the many armored trains produced during this era, none became as famous and feared as the Zaamurets. Assembled in the last days of World War I by the decadent Tsarist Army, this armored train had no loyalties.
The Zaamurets were equipped with two fully traversable 57-millimeter turrets, a dozen machine guns, and layers of thick armor.
The weaponized vehicle became highly sought by the White and Red Russians of the Bolshevik revolution, but it eventually also fell under the hands of the Czechoslovak Legion, the Chinese, and the Japanese.
They all wanted to own the most devastating land-based super-weapon of the time.

[@waywardscythe3358]

Important context: during the Bolshevik Revolution much of Russia was not industrialized at all except railways. Massive swathes of territory could be controlled by holding a few or even one train station. A large portion of the war was fought EXCLUSIVELY via railway. Soldiers would hang on the outside of the train and try and take the station. If the engagement lasted more than ten minutes the assaulting train would usually fall back to avoid being captured, leaving any soldier too slow to jump back on behind.

[@michaeldebellis4202]

Why didn’t the side without the armored train just destroy the rail lines?

[@waywardscythe3358]

@@michaeldebellis4202 both sides needed the rail lines to be functioning to be able to move troops, food, and supplies. Russian industrial capabilities were so limited and far away from the fighting it was also likely that a destroyed rail line would be very difficult if not impossible to repair.

[@michaeldebellis4202]

@@waywardscythe3358 I thought it was probably something like that. I just didn't think repairing rail lines was such a big deal but perhaps that reflects how backward Russia was at that time. Thanks for the info.

[@waywardscythe3358]

@@michaeldebellis4202 Geography had a big part of it too. The Rail War was mostly over Eastern Russia, the part that's barely inhabited. The areas that could support factories were days or weeks away by rail or wagon, and not all the factories were running either.

[@michaeldebellis4202]

@@waywardscythe3358 Interesting thanks. I've always wanted to read more about the war(s) that followed the revolution. They seem so chaotic with so many different factions and governments. Just FYI, there is a great book by Alexander Solzhenitsyn called 1914 that is about the defeat of the Imperial Russian army at the beginning of WWI. Solzhenitsyn mostly writes about how abysmal life was under the Soviets in the gulags (where he was imprisoned for a while) and similar things but 1914 is one of the best historical war novels I've ever read. He really did his homework and as the story unfolds, the Russians so arrogant and cocky walking into Prussia (the Tannenburg forest) without opposition at first and not realizing they are walking into a trap it is really a gripping novel. He's a bit wordy sometimes and has lots of subplots (typical long Russian novel) but the parts about battles and strategies are just riveting and incredibly realistic (he was in the Army, I think during WWII so he had real military experience). Thanks again for the info.

[@TheMajorActual]

Armored trains don't get enough love. Until real air power became available, they were a hugely powerful force to be reckoned with.

[@johnpatz8395]

I think it was less a matter of air power, and more the development of tanks that made these obsolete, as now you could have smaller, more mobile versions of them, that weren’t restricted to rail lines. But a well armored train could resist fire from many fighters, especially the earlier, lesser armed versions, and even ones with a large number of .50 calibers with AP ammo could be shrugged off by increasing the armor a bit, although the cannon equipped fighters would still be an issue, and adding more AAA guns to the armored trains could keep fighters from closing in to staffing range. But AirPower was a much larger threat to unarmored trains, or unarmored cars and/engines that were hooked to an armored train. As for tanks, but even the most heavily armored train wouldn’t last long against any of the modern tanks during WW2, either directly, as if faced with an armored train the tank could easily target any vulnerable areas, while maneuvering around the train, and indirectly, by ripping up, or blasting out, tracks in the area to keep the train from progressing. Of course, I’m talking about armored trains as an offensive and/or defensive weapon, as opposed to a train with few armored sections that were meant to protect the full train, from attack. That said, while I’ve done some reading on armored trains, I’ll be the first to admit I’m far from an expert on them, so my opinions are based solely on what I do know about them, and how they could best be utilized, as opposed to how they might have actually been utilized. Such that IMO they would be most effective as mobile gun platforms, as opposed to strictly being used to haul and defend a mostly unarmored chain of train cars. For example, had they made flak wagons, so to speak, that were fully armed small chains of heavily armored cars, pulled by a heavily armored engine, that was then parked on random sidings, they could put a small cluster of a AAA battery in locations where they weren’t expected, no thus could be more effective than stationary batteries which could often be avoided by just flying around, just outside their range. In areas deeper within say, German controlled areas, these could been nasty surprises to allied bombers, as pre raid recon might show one area clear of AAA but 12 or 24 hours later there might be one, or even a few, sets of say half a dozen heavy AAA could engage the bomber flight while it was still more tightly grouped to deal with fighters, instead of being spread out like they might be if they were expecting flax in that area.

[@whitewolfcrowley6550]

Until a 500 pound bomb hits it lol. But you are right, even today if you could possibly stick a sam on a train it would ruin a few jet fighters day

[@ynot2385]

But when air power came into play they became the easiest targets of all so even though they were potent for a long time their immediate decline into absolutely uselessness erases a lot of the good memories

[@Ray-eg8ub]

Even stalin appreciated trains

[@fancyultrafresh3264]

Sound a little sick there bud, hope you feel better. Great video as always!

[@PHelsing]

he does indeed sound sick, sounds like a cold(the nose talk)

[@NinjaForHire]

Dude does have an awesome voice. It's ruff tuff and ready to take on the battle.

[@xyzero1682]

"The virus, which had already been detected by the body's immune system, was beginning, its initial assault..."

[@bothanjedirogue]

Haha I thought the same thing, a bit stuffy.

[@jimfowley9941]

Maybe a new mic setup.

[@cherrypoptart2001]

"An enemy behemoth is on route"

[@leoli2450]

"The enemy is being reniforced with a behemoth"

[@joshgale5977]

"We are being reinforced with a friendly behemoth"

[@thooffee]

* Insert noob train driver comments *

[@CrackDCat]

"WATCH THOSE WRIST ROCKETS!!!"

[@CBB-dg9jy]

Bro, still hitting us with knowledge while sick. Thanks Dark Get well soon!

[@hubertcarrolljohnson6580]

.

[@andrewbeil1799]

Isn't this narrator an A.I. voice?

[@CBB-dg9jy]

@@andrewbeil1799 negative

[@LL.Johnson]

You can operate this train in BF1.

[@Whyjustwhy78]

Yeah

[@wearegoingtogoseeyousoonid1891]

I miss that game it was good shit

[@theunluckycharm9637]

@@wearegoingtogoseeyousoonid1891 its alive and well on ps5

[@ElectrifiedGremlin]

@@wearegoingtogoseeyousoonid1891 good on Xbox Oceana

[@wearegoingtogoseeyousoonid1891]

Ah I can’t redownload I’ve got no free space appreciate it tho

[@lynnmori3282]

I love to learn facts that I'd not even heard of before. Thanks, Dark!

[@Alwaysoutdoorsbushcraft]

Sounds like he's got a cold today ... Still good though

[@tHEHEAd1138]

Maybe it's a tumer?... IT'S NOT A TUUMA!

[@dictatorenvy472]

The guy that was kinda galloping through the woods has a pretty smart technique to prevent hyper-extension of a knee running through uncertain terrain. I think I might adopt that method the next time I attack an armored train.

[@johnpatz8395]

As they say, it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared. 😁

[@conorg9256]

Russia has one today I believe it’s super fast and looks like a civilian commuter train and it carries long range ICBMs

[@commieprop]

Not quite, You mixed it all up. There are ~5 rocket trains, but they are not armoured. AND there are 4 specifically Armoured trains - "Baikal", "Terek", "Amur" and "Don" - but they do not carry ICBMS. All of these are painfully slow and also look like some variously misused refrigerator wagons.

[@dustinandtarynwolfe5540]

I think he's talking about the conspiracy theory about the doomsday train that's a dead hand switch. Could be wrong too though.

[@commieprop]

@@dustinandtarynwolfe5540 No, dead hand is a dead hand it never had a train component in it. It's not conspiracy btw. He talks about barguzin project(nato: scalpel ,afaik) and it, while also a real piece, is not an armoured train, its just an icbm launcher but on rails. (it's patick.jpg)

[@DARTHMOBIUS]

The ICBM carriers have been scaled back to transport from storage to launch sites, largely supplanted by trucks, much of the haulers ended up pulling civilian coaches before decommissioned. I rode on a civvie train hauled by one of the old ICBM haulers 25 years ago.

[@someguy8732]

@@dustinandtarynwolfe5540 Dead Hand is very real, not sure if train based nukes are incorporated tho

[@racerdad6455]

I’d think it would be very easy to disable this weapon with a piece of chain on the tracks or any other way of damaging the tracks would stop its travel rather quickly.

[@TommygunNG]

Precisely. "Nothing looks more formidable and impressive than an armoured train; but nothing is in fact more vulnerable and helpless. It was only necessary to blow up a bridge of culvert to leave the monster stranded, far from home and help, at the mercy of the enemy" -- Winston Churchill, regarding armored train use in the Second Boer War ("My Early Life"). Folks just didn't want to damage essential infrastructure and dreamed of capturing and using the train for one's own side, I guess.

[@jagervonweebs610]

The tracks are too valuable and too difficult to repair in a time of war to damage just to take out a train

[@TommygunNG]

@@jagervonweebs610 Yes, that would be a big factor in a cost-benefit analysis, especially in those days and that part of the world, though not necessarily a conclusive one, given the notoriety of that particular guntrain. That said, less destructive means of such actions--static barricades, stationary cars, very minimal damage, etc.--would largely avoid that problem.

[@jonasstahl9826]

@@jagervonweebs610 They just need to cut of a short section or put a metal wedge on to derail the train.

[@jagervonweebs610]

@@jonasstahl9826and then you have a derailed pillbox full of angry enemy soldiers blocking that section of line , even if you then defeat it there is now a section of line to repair, AND hundreds tones of iron to move out of the way

[@KermitFrazierdotcom]

That's the Problem with a Train... Limited Mobility Options... Bridges... Dynamite.

[@yoda5565]

The German's as well deployed armored trains in WW2. One distinguishing feature being the use of stock Pz IV turrets. I'd like to hear about them?

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

Fascinating video, thanks for uploading!!!!

[@zeusandathena4094]

Excellent information as usual. Thank you Sir👍😊

[@TheHomelessDreamer]

Destroy the tracks long before the armored train gets there. Problem solved. Easier than taking out a tank's tracks.

[@boatshift]

except the train is usualy behind a bunch of scouts infantry that wouldve already fixed it.

[@riograndedosulball248]

Destroy the tracks and get starved to death, isolated in the middle of Siberia, without tracks to get your own trains across. That's the thing with armoured trains, if you destroy the tracks, you cannot use them. But the train might repair them anyways, to use it themselves.

[@boatshift]

@@riograndedosulball248 it was never alone and had dedicated engineer teams? lmao

[@jacobzimmermann59]

In WW2, the Schwere Gustav was based on the idea that they would construct the tracks first to get it where they needed it.

[@koharumi1]

Unless the train has a repair system on board...

[@Ploggy.]

Great vid Dark Tech 👍

[@garykubodera9528]

"Bristling with fire power!" comes to mind...the photos of the "Flackwaggon"? trains of the German WWII era were were pretty impressive as well! The one I remember quite well was the armored train featured in James Bond's "Golden Eye" It was was pretty impressive in the movie but like all trains, the control and conditions of tracks was key! I wonder what happened to this great war train... Maybe the Japanese melted it down for thier navel warships?? A great mystery worth knowing!! Enjoy and stay safe all! 👍😀

[@tHEHEAd1138]

If you've gotta move a bunch of something across potentially hostile territory, there is nothing better! But like you said, keep an eye on the tracks. That's it's only real weakness.

[@garykubodera9528]

@@tHEHEAd1138 👍😀

[@richardbradley2335]

2.18......''The 3.15 to Glasgow has been fully stocked with ammo as is ready for boarding calling at....''

[@987jasy]

Lol no change there then eh?

[@markmulder9845]

Everyone a gangsta till Thomas the tank engine starts shooting with a ruski accent.

[@garykubodera9528]

👍😀😆🤣

[@UnnamedSeeker]

It's not "zamurEz", it's spelled "za-Amurets", with two separate 'A's and inflection on second one. It means "person from beyond river Amur"

[@Hawk1966]

Blow the tracks in front and back. If you can't blow the floor out of it then just starve it out. Sooner or later it runs out of fuel, the troops run out of food.

[@andrewholdaway813]

Bloomin eck, good job no one thought of that or might have been captured multiple times.

[@ninjaGrim1]

Armoured trains are cool

[@johnh.2033]

You got the elevation and depression of the 76.2 mm gun backwards. It's 10° down and 60° up.

[@StoneInMySandal]

Armored trains and giant artillery pieces were the same kind of over valuations of technology we saw during the .com era. Everybody saw the potential but didn’t want to acknowledge the problems and felt certain that throwing enough money at the things would fix everything.

[@JPDuval-xy4yy]

Is it me or does the narrator sound under the weather a bit?

[@kylecrawford630]

thought the same

[@The_Angry_Medic]

Noticed that immediately too

[@brotherrabbit5525]

I like all of this guys channels really good content.

[@johnnaugle5762]

Sounding a bit congested bro.. cool video as usual. Armored trains and nuke trains are so cool

[@andrewholdaway813]

Ten degrees of elevation and sixty of depression?

[@somethingsomethingcrotasen1643]

*we are being reinforced with an armored train*

[@tylerchaney1533]

Maybe we should send a few of these into afghanistan....

[@simon2493]

Piłsudczyk had quite a success in 1939. It was used to hit resting tank unit destroying even a few dozen tanks.

[@MyILoveMinecraft]

Railbased warfare is really something. The Schwerer Gustav is my favourite. It's not meant for direkt combat, but in combat it showed itself to be deadly as artillery support

[@tracyrreed]

3:49 60 horsepower? 16 horsepower? Surely you are missing some zeroes.

[@naradaian]

2 x 60 hp Italian engine not 1

[@theidahotraveler]

Sweet I love trains. I wish there was some cool war train supply games out there

[@omega_mlg1027]

there is, it's called Rails of war I believe, very very old game that I hope is still online. Fun game

[@ytgfy]

Try russian Blitzkrieg RTS series. There you can operate with them in some missions

[@foxkune]

You could try Bounty Train

[@greggyd101]

Sounding sick hope all is well

[@halaljalalgaems6970]

Finland had also armoured train it was used in WW2 as artillery carrier and radio station. Nowadays it is in Finnish armor museum in Parola.

[@mazterfranky4041]

Yes another armoured train vid on utube. Love these ww2 trains

[@Dunkskins]

These were pre world war two, some trains mentioned were pre world war one.

[@ELIGG15]

Did you just go through puberty?! Your voice sounds as deep as a train

[@icecoffee1361]

Britain had the best armoured train ever and it ran on the Romney, Hythe an Dymchurch railway,All other trains shudder when they see this armoured beast of WW2 @DarkTech

[@patrickwentz8413]

Wow! Quite the train!

[@Iswhatitis73]

You should do more on the armored trains! Cold War era?

[@jayakadark3]

Yes agreed with this comment. An improvised one was used in the second Chechen war by the Russians. As well as the French using one in the French Indochina war too.

[@EarlofCrawford]

I keep thinking I am subscribed to all the "Dark" channels, then I find another one. Anyone have a complete list? ...Love these guys

[@lizardboy0802]

I really enjoyed that. Is there anything on the new British Challenger 3 yet?

[@daveybernard1056]

I imagine this train rolling along slowly, honking its horn. Von Manstein: "Mein Gott, the Bolsheviks are honking at us with an armored train."

[@MrLoobu]

Less an armored vehicle more a mobile fortress.

[@michaeldebellis4202]

I love trains in general. Unfortunately in the US our long distance passenger trains are terrible. The last time I took a train (from Chicago to Oregon) we arrived over 24 hours late! Always thought armored trains were cool, although I don’t understand why the side without the armored train didn’t just tear or blow up the rail lines.

[@borfer9366]

everyone needs a railway, because the distances (especially in Siberia) are huge. Therefore, the rails were protected. Today the enemy use them, tomorrow - you.

[@augustasmccray4540]

Got the sniffles?

[@simongee8928]

Armoured trains are okay until saboteurs destroy the rails either side.

[@jerkfudgewater147]

LEGO should make a model of this… I don’t care at all about a lego corvette… the idea of which I actually find incredibly depressing… legos are supposed to be wonderful magical things and this insanity running around my Christmas 🎄 tree on a track is exactly that sort of thing… guns out fully prepared to fend off curious house cats as it weaves around our precious treasures… that puts a smile on my face and is far more fun to imagine.

[@dangwinner7124]

thanks for getting my mind of the impending civil war :/ great content

[@dangwinner7124]

off*

[@nickbayer7847]

I see y'all picked I-10 west in southwest Louisiana for the convoy montage 👍😉

[@christiantava442]

Can you make a video about the u boot type XXI?

[@christopherrobin1505]

Sounds like you have a cold !! 🧬🧫

[@tristanhernandez3982]

When Thomas fucking had it…

[@AnthonyPosi]

Got a cold? Dope episode tho 👌.

[@mr.megalodonmegalodon758]

Funny thing is the maus is heavier then that armored train at around 180 tons

[@basichistory]

Armoured cars on railways were used in the Irish Civil War

[@cristsan4171]

They forgot to equip it with portable train tracks

[@caseylimbert266]

That's a nice train ya got there! Be a shame if someone... PULLED UP THE RAILS IT RIDES ON...

[@80AFT]

No quotes! Very good

[@codyflowers8758]

One doesn’t need to blow up the train,just blow up the rails they run on. No rails no train. We learned that here in the US during our civil war back in 1861

[@joek6791]

I see you are still using unrelated imagery related to the topic

[@jestami]

"We are being reinforced with a behemoth"

[@robbabcock_]

It seems like a weird idea.😂 At first blush it seems no weapon would be easier to defeat than a train. The tracks are extremely vulnerable and there is virtually no chance of surprising an enemy. A train can only go where the tracks are so avoiding an armored train would be as easy as eatin' flapjacks.

[@andrewholdaway813]

They didn't operate alone, they would usually support other ground forces.

[@eero77]

60hp engines?!

[@phantomaviator1318]

He still keeping up that speed with no sniffing or anything Based

[@harbinger200]

In "Red road from Stalingrad" book by Mensur Abdulin a infantrymen from ww2 said that armored trains made big problems for Germans at the start of the invasion of Russia.

[@jeremyperala839]

That is a great book.

[@harbinger200]

@@jeremyperala839 fantastic...

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

Another channel how many channels can you keep up with it wants as in producing content your one person and we all need breaks once in a while

[@jagervonweebs610]

The reason none destroyed the tracks is because they were far too valuable to damage in an attempt to get rid of an armored train. Like dark said it was in a time before trucks and planes. The only way to get anywhefe quick was by train

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

And trains had infantry to protect them, and repair crew.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

That train with the turrets reminds me of the Dreadnought tractor-trailer in Death Race

[@miku_hoshino]

You sound like you have a cold hope you get well soon!

[@gungasc]

Took it 10 miles to come to an emergency stop.

[@joebfnl1079]

You are showing the wrong national flag of China at that time!.

[@zachb2046]

dude, why is the audio on that intro beat so loud?

[@ProperLogicalDebate]

Scrap metal for the blast furnace and turned into marus and warships?

[@russellfitzpatrick503]

The one part of the Russian Revolution tha has remained 'dark'. Thanks for this.

[@TommygunNG]

People think the narrator is sick. The narrator is a computer-generated voice. It sounds like the operator slowed it down some in response to complaints.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

4:17 Even something as old as Nordenfelt is mounted on this thing.

[@marvwatkins7029]

The Japanese probably scrapped it and melted it down.

[@lordterra1377]

New to Warthunder. TRAIN BATTLES! Experience the thrills of rail to rail combat! In the strange quasi realistic way only Warthunder can..... Where balance is more of an idea than actual concept we understand... -Developer Quote

[@Shipwright1918]

The train might be armored, but the rails aren't. All you have to do is blow up the tracks ahead and behind, and all that armor and firepower is uselessly stranded.

[@The_Kurg]

Thats my dude

[@partygrove5321]

Armored trains are always vulnerable. Just blow the tracks!

[@jaydenmartinis9092]

Hey can you do more on marines maybe the raiders from ww2 in Japan 🇺🇸VS🇯🇵

[@a.s.etaboo8769]

One bomb detonated under the tracks as the train approached.....Outcome......Track damaged, Train derailed ....Game Over ??

[@johndonohue3962]

There were also Soviet train borne command posts much later in the 20th century

[@captaincodebook3200]

Well does Sheldon Cooper know of this ??

[@guyandthatoneguy6538]

How many channels are you going to make?

[@gizhou3034]

Remove a track and they become immobile.

[@thomastheelephant4602]

Repair the fucking track.

[@gizhou3034]

@@thomastheelephant4602 Mr Land mine tends to make that difficult.

[@Seminolerick]

WHY considered “unstoppable”, when only the rail in front of it needs disfigurement, making it unusable ?

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

Armored train: "I'll beat your ass!" Enemies: **destroy the rails** Enemies: "what are you gonna do now?" Armored train: "you would be fools if you think that could stop me..." Enemies: "oh I'm so scared. What are you gonna do bitch boy?" Bob Semple: **appears** Enemies: "I wanna apologize..."

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

What a colossal beast

[@TommygunNG]

"Nothing looks more formidable and impressive than an armoured train; but nothing is in fact more vulnerable and helpless. It was only necessary to blow up a bridge of culvert to leave the monster stranded, far from home and help, at the mercy of the enemy" -- Winston Churchill, regarding armored train use in the Second Boer War ("My Early Life"). Folks just didn't want to damage essential infrastructure and dreamed of capturing and using the train for one's own side, I guess.

[@notagain2856]

I think railways were the only mean to travel fast across the vast expanse of Russia at the time. Controlling the system was main objective for both sides

[@TommygunNG]

@@notagain2856 And that no doubt contributed to these people being hesitant to blow up tracks to stop this train. But other blocks could have been used, and repairs were possible. Short thinking on those people's part.

[@ryankc3631]

1:07 - "and an arsenal to equip it's it's crew" (shows a wall with modern day firearms). Phony.

[@jomorkenstrseth3526]

It took me two seconds to think: demo team, blow the track!

[@3wiseguys246]

Armored trains are cool

[@commieprop]

5:20 lol, you know that this is not historic photo, right? Then whyyy)))

[@jc_money_us9598]

Sounds sick you okay?

[@hoppish088]

Just blow up the tracks lol

[@thomastheelephant4602]

Repair the fucking track 🤯