Still working on it.
What is really needed?
Game oriented rules for simple game play
or
ultra detailed rules for all-season designers?
I have three sets of rules
- Simple single scenario rules
- Moderate size rules
- Highly detail rules for Reality.
What is the need?
Also counters?
How detailed and complete do they need to be?
Large complete train like the Destroyer ship in LFT's StN?
Individual counters so designers/players can make up their own trains?
SS
As so often - it depends.
If Armored Trains / Cars (whatever) feature in a single scenario, go for simple, single rules that can deal with the gear in the form of SSR.
In general, moderate size rules should be the choice.
When I am looking at a scenario which looks promising but features Panjis, I carefully weigh if the time needed to go through the Panji-rules is worth the added excitement they generate for a scenario. The balance might be negative... These kind of rules should be avoided.
For CGs in which they play a role or some very large scale scenario which regularly come with more 'chrome', you might give it to the players. Otherwise, better abstain from making things too complicated.
As for counters:
Yes, seems to make sense to me. There is not much attraction to armored trains or trains in general if they can't move (blow the bridge, unload stuff 'just in time', have the train pass securely, ambush the train, withstand air attack)
Some counters might be generic, like improvised armored cars, a flatcar with sandbags to protect the engine from mines, an 'unarmored' and 'armored' engine (maybe a single counter with an armored/unarmored side. Similar handling like the bulldozers).
Add to that (as need be for particular products) specific counters of historical armored trains/cars. Maybe very few of these can be added to the 'basic' rules.
To create entire trains, probably, I'd make these partly generic. One has to keep in mind, that armored trains usually were not that long but one hex in ASL is the equivalent of 40 meters across.
So one introduce a stacking limit for cars/engines per hex (1 or 2, max 3), that could consist of a combination of specific counters or generic ones with cargo (vehilces, personnel, AA-assets - these would/could be in 'regular' counter-form).
von Marwitz