The Galaxy Railways [TV]

The story takes place in the future, where trains are capable of interplanetary travel. The fleet of the Galaxy Railways is protected by the Space Defence Force, or SDF, against intergalactic terrorists, meteor storms and malicious alien life.
In the series it seems that the Galaxy Railways serve as both a establishment and government presiding over a large sector of the galaxy.¹ The railways are made up of a series of large rings that create energy shields to protect the trains that move between them, creating the tracks the trains follow. The railways are under the rule of the Supreme Commander, but seem to be more actively guided by a lower ranking official known as the Commander. The Galaxy Railways Headquarters preside over The SDF and the SPG (Space Panzer Grenadiers, an elite defense force) as well as all passenger operations.
In the beginning of the story, the main character, Manabu Y?ki, has always had dreams of joining the SDF, following in the footsteps of his father and brother.¹² Because both his brother and father died while serving in the SDF, his mother tries to stop Manabu from joining the SDF. Despite this, Manabu is determined to join, and boards the train to Destiny Station to join the force. Manabu trains hard and despite conflicts from Captain Bulge, Bruce and other characters, joins the Sirius Platoon that his father used to command.
The Sirius Platoon’s train is headed up by a Steam Locomotive.² The locomotive itself is based on the Union Pacific Big Boy (4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement) that was built by the American Locomotive Co. of Schenectady, New York, and is widely considered to be the most powerful Steam locomotive ever built. The Sirius Platoon is the primary focus of the Galaxy Railways, though the Spica and Vega platoons also make appearances and become more involved towards the end of the series.