Whistler Old-School Support Rail

[AlphaMirage]

OOC - I've been on a roll with rail lately so I was thinking of another bizarre one.

Whistler Primitive Support Engine
Mass: 40 tons
Movement Type: Rail
Power Plant: Steam
Cruising Speed: 64.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph
Armor: BAR 2
Cost: 42,746 C-bills

Background - Composed of very low tech components the Whistler has seen use on very primitive worlds or remote areas that are lacking in available liquid fuel. Available as a kit with the most engineered component being the boiler the Whistler connects remote settlements in the far frontier. Using solid fuel and water the Whistler is capable of moving a fairly large cargo load but is only lightly protected against small arms fire by the boiler plates and steel that make up its frame.
   

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Type: Whistler
Chassis Type: Rail (Medium)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Mass: 40 tons
Battle Value: 40

Equipment                                         Mass (tons)
Chassis/Controls                                   12.5
Engine/Trans.                                      11.5
    Cruise MP:6
Flank MP:9
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                               10.0
Armor Factor (BAR 2)          20                    0.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   2         6     
     R/L Side               2/2       5/5   
     Rear                    2         4   

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (Liquid) (4.91 tons)1 Door   

Notes:
Features Tractor Chassis and Controls Modification
Trailer Hitch (1)
Whistler 'Cattle Car'
Mass: 40 tons
Movement Type: Rail
Armor: BAR 3
Armament:
     1 Rifle (Cannon, Medium)
Cost: 100,630 C-bills

Background - On worlds without easily accessible liquid hydrocarbons the horse is still king, as such militia forces or frontier guards still ride them into battle against rustlers and outlaws. The 'Cattle Car' has 21 seats for a standard light cavalry platoon and enough space to house their horses and water available to tend them. The extra ton of storage is in addition to their personal kit (giving them about a week of sustainment) so the cavalry need to pasture their mounts while the Whistler is restocking its tender if they want them to perform properly when needed.

A Medium Rifle is located in a 'ironsides' style turret that looks closer to one carried aboard a portee. Nevertheless it is a 'long range' weapon that is very effective against low tech opponents although the ammunition supply needs to be carefully husbanded.
 

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Type: Whistler 'Cattle Car'
Chassis Type: Rail (Medium)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Mass: 40 tons
Battle Value: 116

Equipment                                         Mass (tons)
Chassis/Controls                                  10.075
Turret                                              0.5
Armor Factor (BAR 3)          24                    1.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   4         9     
     R/L Side               4/4       4/4   
     Rear                    4         3     
     Turret                  4         4     

Weapons
and Ammo                 Location    Tonnage   
Rifle                     Turret       5.0     
Medium Rifle Ammo (18)     Body        2.0     

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (Liquid) (4.91 tons)1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (1.0 tons)        1 Door   
15 ton Infantry Compartment
21 Standard Seats (1575kg)

Notes:
Features Trailer Chassis and Controls Modification
Trailer Hitch(2)

[maxcarrion]

So, I think the "Cattle Car" is a terrible idea, mounting a tank cannon on a almost completely unarmoured transport carriage is a pretty terrible ideas for many reasons.  Can you imagine a cattle car with 15 horses in being rattled by the recoil of a 75mm gun?  Any return fire trying to silence the gun is effectively aimed at your troops, any ammo incident blows up your guys.  If you're going to the effort of a train with multiple carriages you might as well go to the effort of having separate transport carriages and highly explosive carriages.

For versatility and logistics you probably even want separate infantry and horse carriages, although I haven't checked if there is a rules advantage to having a single 40T carriage over 2 20T carriages but a 40T locomotive pulling 6 20T carriages - something like weapons car, infantry car, horse car, infantry car, cargo car, weapons car might make a decent military asset for a backwater world.  Might behove me to check the towing rules as I don't know them off the top of my head.

[AlphaMirage]

My thought was that they'd already be disembarked and it's more a self defense weapon, it would be a heck of a wakeup call if folks be catching some shut-eye.

The problem with more smaller carriages is probably on the max armoring and split cargo capacity. Separating horse and man probably would make the people happier but the horses not so much since they do need maintenance.

[RifleMech]

I like them    I don't understand the liquid cargo on the engine or the Cattle Car. Are they for the train or the riders? If it's the train, I would think the water would count as part of the fuel weight.

If the train is supposed to be in the field for a while maybe swap the liquid cargo on the cattle car for a field kitchen to feed the troops and crew?

I'm also not understanding the 21 seats and the infantry bay. Are the seats so they're not sitting on their bunks during the trip? I'm also guessing the weight of the Infantry Bay includes the horses. Are you mating an Infantry bay and a Cargo, Livestock bay together? Unfortunately, we don't have clear rules for Beast Infantry Bays/Compartments. I wish we did.

I don't mind the MRC. It gives some heavier firepower when needed and makes the train harder to attack. And horses can be trained to ignore the noise so that shouldn't be a problem. It might work better on a flatbed trailer as part of a field gun platoon equipped with some vintage Gatling guns though. Only you'd have to house rule it since field guns are only allowed to motorized or mechanized infantry.