261: Chapter 261 Steam Train Road Test

Winter had passed, and by March, much of the snow on Yangshan Mountain had melted.

The railway from Yangshan Mountain to the Qinglan Grassland had been constructed using a massive amount of civilian labor.

The first-generation train was also ready for its trial run.

Zhao Fusu decided to board the train and personally head to the Qinglan Grassland to take a look.

Elder Mo stopped Zhao Fusu from joining the trial run; their first-generation train was still unstable, and any accident would pose a threat to Zhao Fusu's personal safety.

Elder Mo suggested that he should wait until the first-generation train had undergone road testing for a period of time before riding it.

If you don't listen to your elders, you will suffer before your eyes.

Zhao Fusu trusted the judgment of the development team leader.

It wouldn't be a good thing if this first-generation train exploded or broke down halfway.

After the first-generation train began its road test, although Zhao Fusu did not board, he still went to the train station to watch the excitement.

Among those who followed were Meng Tian, Wang Xia, and Jin Xishan, who had come to Yangshan Mountain to learn simplified chinese characters and Modern Mandarin.

The overall construction of this Steam Locomotive was relatively simple; it could pull five carriages, carry ten tons of coal, and had a speed of five to six kilometers per hour.

Although this freight speed was not fast, it was nonetheless a massive step forward.

Once the technology improved, they would be able to build Steam Locomotives that could pull more and travel faster.

Whether it was Meng Tian, Wang Xia, or Jin Xishan, they all curiously sized up the world's first steam train.

"Woo woo, woo woo..."

After the Steam Locomotive started, it slowly dragged the five carriages forward.

Its speed gradually increased.

Because it was pulling empty carriages and traveling on a fixed track, its empty speed could reach twenty kilometers per hour.

Once it carried people and cargo, its speed dropped.

This was still due to insufficient horsepower.

Its size was only about one-third the size of the steam trains seen in movies and television shows.

Zhao Fusu had Elder Mo build a small one first because the craftsmanship for a smaller one was relatively simple and the construction time was shorter.

Once they had the foundation for building trains, they would then build large-scale steam trains.

With the experience of building Steam Engines multiple times, although there were some minor issues, generally speaking, the Steam Locomotive was very stable.

"Woo woo, woo woo..."

The steam train continuously traversed the land of the Southern Desert.

Some herders saw the steam train and chased it on horseback, their eyes filled with curiosity.

When the steam train arrived at the Qinglan Grassland train station, Jin Tu, Qing Ying, and Lie Yun, who had received the news, all ran over to watch.

Lu Jia and Tian Ju also came to the train station to see the steam train.

"Woo woo, woo woo..."

The whistle sounded, and a large amount of black smoke billowed from the train's chimney.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

As the steam train's wheels turned, they made a rhythmic sound.

The entire ground vibrated as if a small earthquake were occurring.

"How magnificent!"

They couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Simply incredible!"

Even though Jin Tu had been prepared, when he saw a vehicle that could run on its own without being pulled by horses, he still found it hard to believe.

"His Majesty the Head of State's wisdom is higher than the white clouds!"

"More than that, I think His Majesty the Head of State is a god descended to earth!"

Lie Yun sighed with emotion.

"My tribe wants to offer worship to His Majesty the Head of State."

"Then my tribe will also offer worship to His Majesty the Head of State!"

...

The Tuan Tribe, Qinglan Tribe, and Liefeng Tribe all wanted to erect statues of Zhao Fusu to become their object of faith.

"I have a question."

As Qing Ying watched the train enter the station, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Everyone's gaze couldn't help but turn toward Qing Ying.

"Lord Lu,"

Qing Ying said, "This steam train travels within this track. When there is only one train, it can pass through normally."

"But in the future, if there are more trains and multiple trains are crowded onto one track, wouldn't they crash into each other?"

"That's right!"

Hearing the question raised by Qing Ying, the others all nodded in agreement; this was indeed a major issue.

If they crashed together, it would certainly cause a major accident.

Lu Jia smiled.

He said, "Regarding this point, Ziming also had doubts and asked the Lord about it."

"After the Lord's explanation, I finally understood some of the methods involved."

"Oh!"

Seeing that Lu Jia had received guidance from His Majesty the Head of State and knew the methods, their gazes all fell upon Lu Jia, waiting for him to explain it to them.

Lu Jia didn't keep them in suspense; he pointed at the track and said, "Have you noticed that most of the railways are double tracks, which means two or more tracks running in parallel?"

"Trains going in different directions travel on different tracks, thereby ensuring they won't collide head-on."

"To put it simply, the way to prevent rear-end collisions is to ensure through various means that only one train exists on the same section of railway at any given time."

"To go a bit deeper, when a train is running between two stops, there will be many small stations that don't stop. The line between every two small stations is called a block section."

"When a train passes these small stations, the station workers will give the driver a road ticket. Only after receiving the ticket can the driver enter this section. At the same time, the station closes the line, and all subsequent trains must wait in the station until the next station reports that the previous train has passed; only then will the station release the next train."

"So that's how it is!"

Jin Tu, Qing Ying, and Lie Yun understood. So it was about ensuring only one train was running on dozens of kilometers of track; this would prevent trains from colliding!

When this steam train on its road test was about to make the return trip, in order to specifically test its cargo-pulling capacity, it also pulled five carriages of wool.

"It can hold so much!"

Qing Ying exclaimed.

"Doesn't it!"

Jin Tu, Lie Yun, and Ling Yu watched, clicking their tongues in secret amazement.

This train could pull several tons of wool, which was equivalent to the transport capacity of three to four hundred people.

Yet the people operating inside the Steam Locomotive were only a few.

This was simply incredible!

Both Tian Ju and Lu Jia knew that this train was a divine tool for transporting goods.

With the train, the connection between the Qinglan Grassland and the Great Qin could also become closer.

After the road test ended, Zhao Fusu personally boarded the steam train and headed to the Qinglan Grassland.

The riding experience was not good; after the five carriages were filled with people, the speed was also very slow—at this speed, one could jump onto the train with just a few quick steps.

After Zhao Fusu arrived at the Qinglan Grassland, he was immediately greeted by a large number of herders.

However, Zhao Fusu's guard detail did not let the herders get too close, lest someone attempt an attack.

Zhao Fusu personally inspected the Qinglan Grassland and asked Lu Jia about the progress of the treatment for lungworm disease in the Qinglan Grassland.

After being in the Qinglan Grassland for over half a year, Lu Jia's appearance had changed quite a bit.

Previously, he had the appearance of an elegant gentleman, but now he had become tanned, his skin had grown rough, and he looked much more capable and experienced.