Chapter 921: The Age of Trains (Part 1)

Neverwinter City, North Slope Mining Area.

A new road connecting the ore stockyard to the kiln area is undergoing final cleaning.

It is different from those iron-clad wooden rails in the mine. Not only are the intervals larger, but the bearing surface is also much wider. In particular, the two rails are made of all steel, and you can imagine how heavy it is just by looking at it. If you were any other lord, you would definitely be amazed at the waste—how many sets of armor and swords should be made with so much iron? Even with a conservative estimate, it is enough to arm a large knight order. But now it is buried in the ground and left to be blown by the wind and rain, rusted and dusted, it is simply the practice of a prodigal son.

When Roland led the participants into the yard, there was a commotion in the crowd. Not every department is aware of the ins and outs of the new roads, especially the officials from Changge District, who opened their mouths in surprise, and their eyes can no longer move away from the lined up tracks—it is inherently uniform The railway track can always give people a kind of silent power, even if you don't understand its function, you will be convinced by this power.

After years of "shock training", they would not think that their king would be a black sheep, but doing so still made most of the attendees shudder. Laying the cast steel bars on the ground is no different from paving the road with golden dragons at first glance.

That is the best material, as long as it is shipped out, it can be exchanged for a lot of coins in any city.

In fact, only Neverwinter could afford such consumption.

Since blast furnace ironmaking and converter steelmaking were put into formal production, iron and steel smelting, the cornerstone of all industries, has finally been "de-witched" to a certain extent. Although the latter needs Anna to "ignite" to start, but compared with the original "Steel Star", this production process has been called a miracle in this era.

In addition, the transformation of the North Slope Mine has further improved the smelting industry. With the bold planning of the Ministry of Construction and the cooperation of Lian, several blasting operations blasted the dome of the shallow mine, turning some mining areas into open-pit mine veins, and the iron mine is the largest mining area.

It was from the previous year that Neverwinter's steel production had achieved a breakthrough. The steel produced in one month was more than the total amount of other cities in Graycastle combined.

It's just that in Roland's view, this is all a matter of course - if industrialized production can't crush the "steel" that has been tempered by blacksmiths, there is no point in tossing about these things.

As for the track in front of me, it was part of the experimental railway that was originally designed to connect the mining area, smelting area, and wharf.

Since there is no significant difference between wide-gauge and narrow-gauge in terms of consumables and load-carrying capacity, he deliberately adopted 1.5 meters as the railway spacing standard. The number is easy to remember, and the width of the two tracks plus the roadbed is basically within the range of Lian's ability. Inside. The sleepers are cut from logs, and the ballast is taken from the slag after mine blasting. If you don't look at the vehicles, these rails are exactly the same as modern rails.

However, with the start of the unification war, the construction work was temporarily suspended. After all, what he wants to make is still in the experimental stage, and it is impossible to build a factory and produce it before it is finalized. Therefore, whether it is rail processing or installation, it is all done by Anna. Without the black fire, there is no way to talk about the second half of the road.

Of course, these new roads alone could not satisfy everyone's curiosity. Under Roland's instructions, the workers unveiled a canvas shed at the end of the track. When the canvas covered with dust and fallen leaves fell to the ground, a dark steel car appeared in front of everyone.

"Your Majesty, this is... a steam wheeler?" Pei Luo, the governor of Changge District, asked in surprise.

No wonder he thought so. As the main part of the vehicle, the barrel-shaped steam engine erected on the steel beam immediately attracted everyone's attention. As more and more steam engines are put into use in Neverwinter, the officials have gradually become familiar with this seemingly clumsy but infinitely powerful machine. Even in some traditional fields that require a lot of manpower to complete, they Will also actively consider the use of steam engines to achieve goals - such as farmland irrigation, dock unloading and so on.

It can be said that in the beginning, the manufacturing factories of steam engines and related supporting equipment only received production orders from Roland, and now they occasionally produce special machines for the needs of the city hall. Even with the same gear, bracket and transmission rod, a little combination can get completely different effects.

This is a very good omen, it means that people start to change from passive production to active creation.

For Paero, if a cement boat driven by a steam engine in the river is called a steam paddle steamer, then it is very reasonable for the vehicle to be called a steam wheeler.

Roland naturally didn't want to sit back and watch the naming rights go to others.

You know, this is an epoch-making means of transportation.

Since the day it was born, the world has ushered in a drastic change. Although the speed of the prototype is not as fast as that of a horse-drawn carriage, although it has been changed into various strange appearances, and even the power source has been replaced several times, but initially His name is still deeply engraved in the history of human development.

"The train," Roland corrected, "it is the key to solving the transportation problem."

"You want to build a track like this on the prairie, and then use it for... trains?" Barov said this coined word, "What if the devil attacks the workers and hinders the laying of the track?"

"First of all, there must be at least two rail tracks, so that people can come and go smoothly at the same time. Secondly, I don't plan to cross the grassland, but start from the Misty Forest to the nearest position to the Taquila ruins, and then push eastward." Roland will The plan drawn up in his mind said, "In this way, even if the evil moon comes, the leaves can protect the orbit from being destroyed by evil beasts. As for the devil... This is a contest between spear and shield in itself. There is not only one position, but Wherever the railway is built, the artillery will go. Even if they can destroy the railway under the fire of the artillery, as long as we build it faster."

He had discussed this point with the staff before returning to Neverwinter. The hidden forest route seemed to be farther than the grassland route, but the construction speed would be much faster. There is basically no surface removal, which is a headache for most development projects - weeds and vines will automatically get out of the way and form a natural hydrophobic slope. The forest under the command of the leaves can also actively carry construction materials, which can greatly reduce the burden on hummingbirds.

After that, Lian will level the roadbed, the Ministry of Construction will lay the ballast, sleepers and rails, and Anna will be responsible for the seamless welding. If the three processes are carried out alternately, the rails can be repaired to the predetermined position before the end of winter. At that time, the entire Taquila ruins will be within the strike range of the fortress artillery.