Steam Age

Steam Train station.

The Imperial Treasury Department was willing to spend money. The station was built decently, and it was also protected by patrols from Imperial Security.

The first appearance of the Steam Train also signified the Star Ancient Empire entering an entirely new era. Its significance was tremendous.

With an escort, Yang Yu also arrived at the Steam Train station.

The cabinet ministers, including the president and vice president of the Engineering Academy, as well as the engineers, had likewise come to witness history.

"Your Majesty, the entire railway construction cost a total of 156 million."

"If the Engineering Academy's project funding is included, the total cost comes to 157 million."

"The railway is 75 kilometers long in total and reaches Mountain Gorge Pass. It passes through two counties, both of which have stopping points. Each stop lasts for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and the 75 kilometers will take approximately three hours."

The Minister of Finance, Long Wen, walked half a step behind His Majesty and reported the situation.

There was a smug look in his eyes.

Hmph, you want to fleece me for money?

No chance.

You asked for 200 million.

But I completed it with only 157 million.

In other words.

I saved 43 million.

Isn't that money?

"Thirty kilometers per hour?"

Upon hearing this.

Yang Yu turned toward the president of the Engineering Academy and asked in surprise.

After so many years.

He had long since forgotten how many kilometers per hour the Steam Train of the first industrial age of modern civilization had reached when it first appeared.

But after hearing the Minister of Finance's words.

After making a preliminary calculation, it was approximately 30 kilometers per hour.

Moreover, it would stop at two points along the way for the time it took to brew a cup of tea.

A cup of tea took roughly fifteen minutes.

It was expected to stop for thirty minutes in total, while starting up and accelerating would also take time.

So, calculated this way.

The average speed would be approximately 30 kilometers per hour.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Our calculations show that it can reach a speed of approximately 30 kilometers per hour."

"Traveling a hundred li in a day has already been surpassed by us."

The president of the Engineering Academy immediately answered His Majesty's question.

Travel a hundred li in a day?

That was nothing.

It was a historical record that would eventually be surpassed.

"Good, good, good."

Yang Yu nodded in satisfaction.

With the others accompanying him, he came to the railway and looked at the steam locomotive, the three carriages, and the tracks laid on the ground, spaced a little over a meter apart.

The Steam Train's Chief Engineer, Zhang Peng, whose hair was white and who looked extremely old, stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the section at the very front is the locomotive. It is powered by burning coal. The three sections behind it are carriages..."

"The carriages are separate. We connect them using a certain method, allowing the locomotive to pull them forward..."

Everyone listened carefully to Chief Engineer Zhang Peng and did not interrupt him.

After he finished explaining the general details of the Steam Train.

Yang Yu asked, "Little Zhang, will the connections between the carriages suddenly come apart while the train is running?"

"Your Majesty, they will not."

Zhang Peng shook his head and said, "Our designers at the Engineering Academy have conducted numerous experiments and completely solved the problem of the train carriages derailing and disconnecting. We have also carried out multiple tests."

"The connection method we use is similar to bending the fingers of both hands and locking them together. Even if there is some shifting, they will not come apart."

He even demonstrated it with both hands.

The knuckles of his left and right hands bent together and rubbed back and forth.

"This is the best connection method we arrived at after numerous tests."

Watching Zhang Peng's demonstration, Yang Yu recalled the trains and high-speed railways of later generations. They seemed to use this method as well.

It seemed to be called some kind of Janney coupler.

He had never expected that.

In this era, the Imperial Academy of Engineering had actually developed it ahead of time.

A talent. An absolute talent.

"What about these tracks?"

Yang Yu was quite satisfied and pointed at the tracks on the ground.

There were stone slabs nearly ten centimeters thick, piled with gravel, with two iron rails laid on top.

"Your Majesty, these two rails are the key to allowing the Steam Train to travel unhindered."

"The stone slabs beneath the tracks are laid approximately every fifty centimeters. Their main purpose is to prevent the rails from being crushed by the Steam Train..."

"The gravel prevents the ground from collapsing and causing one side to be higher than the other."

"If one side is higher than the other, the Steam Train could overturn."

Zhang Peng patiently explained the technical knowledge to His Majesty.

The cabinet ministers all listened attentively.

Just then.

Yang Yu raised another question. "What if the train is climbing a slope and the steam locomotive at the front cannot pull the carriages behind it? What should we do then? Could we put another steam locomotive at the back of the carriages, with one pulling from the front and one pushing from behind? Wouldn't that make it faster?"

In an instant, a single sentence left Zhang Peng and the others speechless.

They seemed to have genuinely forgotten about the problem of climbing slopes.

"Take it slowly."

Seeing everyone's silence, Yang Yu patted Zhang Peng on the shoulder and stepped onto the Steam Train.

The cabinet ministers and the others followed him onto this enormous machine.

After entering the carriage.

Zhang Peng continued, "Your Majesty, the carriages are used to transport resources or people."

"One carriage can hold approximately 52 people."

"For every seat, we have prepared a safety belt. It is this inconspicuous rope."

"It is meant to prevent the discomfort caused to people when the train starts, as well as falls and injuries."

"When necessary, the seats can also be removed to transport supplies, troops, and so on."

Listening to Zhang Peng's explanation, even the Minister of Finance, Long Wen, who had wanted to find fault, showed satisfaction in his eyes.

This left him with nothing to criticize.

They had considered not only casualties among the personnel but also the transportation of troops and supplies.

What else could he say?

"Not bad, not bad."

Year 459.

The Star Ancient Empire's first Steam Train stepped onto the stage of imperial history.

It represented the Star Ancient Empire reaching the peak of the first industrial age.

At the beginning of Year 460.

After deliberation and a decision by the cabinet.

Taken from the people and used for the people.

The first Steam Train in the history of the empire officially began operating for the public in early summer of Year 460. Imperial Security officers and train service personnel were also assigned aboard the train.

The Steam Train's fares were not expensive either. They were set according to the average income of the empire's people.

After all, the distance was not very far.

It was only a hundred or so kilometers, so there was no need to set a high price.

As the Steam Train officially began operating, it also represented the Star Ancient Empire entering the fast lane of modern development.

The operation of the trains was also handed over to a company established by the Imperial Treasury, managed by the Imperial Treasury and personally supervised by Imperial Security.

Year 463.

With steam engine technology reaching maturity, the Imperial Academy of Engineering also developed the world's first steam automobile.