[Webstral]

Security of the routes is the chief obstacle, I believe. A train attracts attention. The hungry locals and marauders alike will conclude that the train probably has things they need--things worth transporting. Track is vulnerable, and trains are restricted to track. Long-distance transportation by rail is going to be very difficult if it moves through areas that are not secure--which is to say very large swaths of the country in 2000 and 2001.

Barge traffic, on the other hand, has a somewhat more secure line of traffic. For this reason, I think one of the main efforts of Milgov in 2001 will be securing the coastal waterways of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, plus the navigable portions of the Mississippi watershed and the rivers east of the Appalachians. Knocking out or co-opting the Sea Lord of Jacksonville will be an important step. Controlling marauders along the principal river routes will be another.

The French maintained a riverine force in Indochina during their war, and the US 9th Infantry was a riverine force operating in the Mekong Delta. I wonder if a large portion of the Omegamen might not be turned into brown water Marines.

The GDW folks already thought of the powerful potential of the inland navigation system. (See attachment) An armored brigade holds the hub in southern Illinois, while strenuous efforts have been made to ensure that "the Father of Waters flows unvexed to the sea" (Abraham Lincoln). So long as traffic can move along the waterways unimpeded, the hinterland beyond the banks can wait. By the same token, a riverine force can move large tonnages of men and equipment in a very fuel-efficient fashion. Such a force can land anywhere their ships can reach. Imagine the effect on local marauders and warlords if a properly-equipped and supplied infantry brigade is brought ashore with little warning. Throw in a couple of assault guns and some folks to train the locals to form their own militia, and you've got yourself a brick in the edifice of Operation Manifest Destiny.