On December 19, 1986, the White House announced that U.S. President Ronald Reagan had given approval to a plan for the development of a railroad-based system for basing part of the planned LGM-118 Peacekeeper - originally referred to as "M-X" - intercontinental ballistic missile force.

Intended to increase the survivability of the force in the event of a counterforce nuclear attack by the Soviet Union, the 50 train-based missile launchers, fitted two to each of twenty-five trains, would supplement a force of 50 silo-based missiles that would replace existing Minuteman missiles.

Each train was planned to consist of two locomotives, two cars for housing security forces, two launchers each holding a single missile, a launch control car, a fuel car, and a maintenance car.

Each launching car would carry one missile in a tube that, upon the receipt of an authenticated firing command, would elevate to fire the missile from the bed of the car.

The launch cars were 87 feet long, and when loaded with a missile weighed over 550,000 pounds or 275 short tons. 80-foot roof panels were designed to fall off when the missile was erected.

The deployment plan called for the trains to be permanently based in shelters that would be constructed on Strategic Air Command bases throughout the United States, with the missile crews on continuous alert. 


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