During WW2, German and Russia expended a great amount of money to develop and deploy armored trains. What aspects of these units made them tactically viable, and what impact did they have on the war?

by Kabukikitsune

Explanation: I'm a model rail roader and something of a historian. Some years ago I picked up a model of a Polish/Russian (It started out Polish, but became Russian) armored train. I've often wondered what made these units viable, from a tactics standpoint, and what impact if any they had. What historical research I have done has been fragmented at best, so I figured someone here might have a better answer.

jschooltiger

We usually respond to questions that have been asked before by saying "there's always more to be said on the topic, but in this case I'm not sure there is. Have a glance at u/georgy_k_zhukov's magnum opus.