Double-track construction

"My lord Marquis, construction of the second track for railway Line One is progressing very smoothly. As you can see, we've followed the original design, using the major stations as staging points and building alongside the existing single track. Construction is moving even faster than expected."

Victor stood on a small hillside beside the station in Riverside Town, looking down at the station, which had become an enormous construction site. Beside him stood Bob, who was briefing him on the progress of the double-tracking project for railway Line One.

Before Victor, over a thousand railway construction workers in dark gray uniforms had split into two crews, working westward and eastward respectively, laying new rails and sleepers on the completed track bed.

Chanting work songs, the workers used crowbars and log rollers to maneuver sleepers and rails weighing hundreds of pounds precisely into their designated positions.

To ensure the sleepers and rails were level, carpenters took measurements with surveying levels and taut hemp cords while directing the laborers to adjust their positions.

Then the fastening crew locked them firmly in place with enormous iron bolts and wedges. The air was thick with crushed-stone dust, the smell of rust, and the sweat of the crowd.

Meanwhile, construction had not halted operations on the original single-track railway. A train loaded with rails was pulling away from the platform, slowly picking up speed as it headed west, presumably carrying building materials to several other construction sites.

Bob continued, "Since construction is moving faster than expected, we negotiated with the Steelworks to keep the crews working steadily without having to stop for lack of materials. For now, all the production capacity of the blast furnaces and rolling mills has been diverted to railway construction. Ramsay has already organized the Steelworks to run at full capacity."