Rapido 804002 HO M60A1 Tank: MERDC Summer

Specifications

HO Scale Military Flatcar Loads M60A1 Tank Entering development in 1960, the M60A1 battle tank would prove to be an integral part of the US military’s arsenal and was produced in several variants. Production numbers for the M60A1 would total nearly 8000 units before being production ended in 1980. Seeing use widely for nearly 30 years, these tanks would be retired by the US military during the 1990s with the end of the cold war. Many however would be resold to other countries for continued service with many variants still in service as of 2024. These tanks would generally be loaded in pairs on the DODX’s fleet of Magor heavy duty flatcars and could be seen on the rails all across the USA. 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 gun Developed in the 1950’s by the US Navy to replace outdated WWII era gun mounts, the 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 gun would be used on several classes of USN ships into the 1970s until being replaced with more modern mounts beginning in 1971. First installed on the USS Northampton, these would see use on a range of ships in the fleet including Forestall class aircraft carriers, as well as a number of cruisers, destroyers and Frigates. While most of these ships were phased out in the 1990s by the USN, many would be sold off to other countries for continued service into the 21st century. Other countries including Germany and Japan would also use the Mark 42 on their new ships constructed in the 1960s and 70s. Often these mounts could be seen in transit on Magor HD flats heading to ports for shipment overseas.