| Type 95 So-Ki Armored Railroad car | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Armored car[1] |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 121 to 135[1][2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.7 tons |
| Length | 4.9m |
| Width | 2.56m |
| Height | 2.54m (on rail line); 2.43 (on road) |
| Crew | 6 |
|
| |
| Engine |
gasoline (petrol) 84 hp |
| Suspension | wheeled or Bell crank |
| Maximum speed | (rail line) 72 km/h; (ground) 30 km/h |
The Type 95 So-Ki was an armored railroad car of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was used for patrolling and guarding railway lines in both Manchuria and Burma. The chassis was based on the Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank. The Type 95 So-Ki had light armor and no weapons armament. It had a simple suspension system with bogie wheels suspended on bell cranks on each side of the chassis. The tracks were driven through the front sprockets. There were three small return wheels.[1][2]
The Type 95 So-Ki was unique as it had both a track and wheel drive system. The vehicle could be changed between railway line wheels mode and track mode for ground use within a few minutes time as it had retractable wheels. In addition, the width of the wheels could be adjusted to the various widths of the rail gauges.[1][2]
Type 95 So-Ki with mounted crew
Produced between 1935 and 1943, with 121 to 135 units made.[1][2]
Notes[]
References[]
- Taki's Imperial Japanese Army Page - Akira Takizawa
- Zaloga, Steven J. (2008). Armored Trains. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-8460-3242-4. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Yei6CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=type+95+rail+tank&source=bl&ots=kAE5xKKat_&sig=41-b9WprpqlUhXPGu289dSKJJsc&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=type%2095%20rail%20tank&f=false.
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The original article can be found at Type 95 So-Ki and the edit history here.