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US NAVY has ordered NEW, Armor-plated Cabooses 1st one is VWXX800

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  • Member since
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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 8:48 AM

They haven't gone far enough.

It'd be a LOT more impressive with some quad-.50's mounted fore and aft of the cupola!   

THAT'D make the bad guys think twice!   Captain

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Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 1:37 AM

(shades of railroading meets "The War Wagon" or new car to guard the boxcars w/ shackles?)

Possibly the outcome of the railroads eliminating their waycar fleets and the cars the military and atomic energy commission (AECX) had now at the end of their AAR/FRA mandated lives?

It's not only the armor, how about those beefy collision posts on the end!

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 10:10 PM

The 2 vertical black rectangles almost look like retractable bay windows ?

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 9:31 PM

Reminds me of a drover's caboose.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 8:26 PM

samfp1943
Found the following linked article in 'The DRIVE'  [Its sister publication called "The War Zone" ] .

Linked @ https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39654/wait-this-mysterious-heavily-armored-blue-train-caboose-belongs-to-the-navy

The author is Joseph Trevithick, and it was publshed 3/08/2021

Te caboose was built by a company called Vigor Industrial,LLC. at a location in the PNW (?) under contract to USN.   This company's website indicates that they usually build, smaller(?) naval vessels, and other fabrication contracts for the U.S.N.  

It is apparently, to be tasked by the Navy as a escort and support vehicle; for transport to locations across the USA. The first one is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year.

From the photos in the article VWXX-800 would appear to be possibly twice the length of what used to be a normal length caboose(?).   It is to be operated by the Naval; Nuclear Propulsion Program, according to the article.

Sort of interesting, that in 2021, the Government is going to build  several(?) armored caboose(s)?  After almost 40 or so years of saying they were not needed?  One would almost expect thay could have, up-armored, another car type ?Whistling

Military shipments frequently have 'riders' that go along with the shipment.  Frequently the riders are armed.

The pictured 'caboose' looks to be light on windows and heavy on gun ports.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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US NAVY has ordered NEW, Armor-plated Cabooses 1st one is VWXX800
Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 7:48 PM

Found the following linked article in 'The DRIVE'  [Its sister publication called "The War Zone" ] .

Linked @ https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39654/wait-this-mysterious-heavily-armored-blue-train-caboose-belongs-to-the-navy

The author is Joseph Trevithick, and it was publshed 3/08/2021

Te caboose was built by a company called Vigor Industrial,LLC. at a location in the PNW (?) under contract to USN.   This company's website indicates that they usually build, smaller(?) naval vessels, and other fabrication contracts for the U.S.N.  

It is apparently, to be tasked by the Navy as a escort and support vehicle; for transport to locations across the USA. The first one is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year.

From the photos in the article VWXX-800 would appear to be possibly twice the length of what used to be a normal length caboose(?).   It is to be operated by the Naval; Nuclear Propulsion Program, according to the article.

Sort of interesting, that in 2021, the Government is going to build  several(?) armored caboose(s)?  After almost 40 or so years of saying they were not needed?  One would almost expect thay could have, up-armored, another car type ?Whistling

 

 


 

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