As the departure time was approaching, the staff began to add coal and water to the train.
All this was done in front of Zuo Mengeng and others. The purpose was to thoroughly demonstrate to the top management how the train worked.
Because of the cheater Zuo Menggeng, the relevant railway construction was basically completed in one step, eliminating a lot of exploration links.
For example, the platform is built directly at a height parallel to the train doors, making it extremely convenient for passengers to get on and off and for cargo loading and unloading.
Right next to the platform, a huge steel arm has been erected.
The top of the long arm is an iron bag.
Workers struggled to shovel the coal into it, and then used long arms to send the coal into the warehouse behind the train.
There is a strong steel cable on the back of the long arm. It only needs to be pulled on the ground to flip the iron bag 90 degrees. In this way, the coal no longer needs to be unloaded manually and can be dropped directly into the train's warehouse.
Of course, all of these machines still require manual operation, but they also greatly save time and labor and improve efficiency.
A group of people stood nearby, watching the train finish adding coal and water, and couldn't help but marvel.
Jiang Wei mentioned a practical issue.
"If another station is built in the future, the passenger platform and the freight platform should be separated. Otherwise, not only will the management be chaotic, but it will also become dirty and messy, affecting each other."
Wei Zihua had already prepared.
"At present, we have developed the track changing technology. When this test is successful and the steam locomotive is built, it can be promoted. In the future, when different types of trains enter the station, they can change lanes and drive to different platforms.
Functional offloading.”
The railway track switch technology does not have a high technical content. Zuo Mengeng only mentioned it a little, and the smart technical workers quickly solved it.
During the warm-up process of the train, Qin Luo and Li Meizhi kept busy, non-stop.
As steam engine developers, they are not only concerned about the operation of the trains, but also must ensure absolute safety.
After all, the people on the train are the emperor, empress and many high-ranking officials of the empire, so there must not be any problems.
At ten o'clock in the morning, Qin Luo walked over covered in dust.
"Your Majesty, preparations for departure have been completed and the driving test can be carried out."
Zuo Mengeng had been impatient for a long time.
"Okay, let's get in the car now and witness history."
The three passenger carriages were all packed to the brim.
The first carriage was filled with heavily armed soldiers, who were responsible for both protection and testing.
Fifty soldiers were seated in one carriage, along with various equipment.
If the test is successful, it means that the current steam train can transport 400 infantrymen to a designated location at one time.
It may seem like a small number, but with the strength of the National Defense Forces, four hundred soldiers are enough to deal with a medium-sized armed conflict.
As long as it can be realized, it will definitely make the central government's confidence in controlling all parts of the world skyrocket.
The people in the second carriage were Zuo Menggeng and others, while the third carriage was filled with businessmen from all over the country.
If trains and railways want to flourish in the world, people must see the huge benefits.
Businessmen are the most sensitive to this.
As long as this experiment is successful, businessmen will definitely donate generously and invest large sums of money into the construction of the railway.
After all, in the era when railways just came out, it was difficult for the state and government alone to roll it out quickly and comprehensively, and private capital had to be used.
This period was different from later generations in that the state did not need to have a complete monopoly on the railways.
As long as you have the ability to control, of course you can let private capital participate and work together to make it bigger and stronger.
After everyone had boarded the car, Qin Luo returned to the cab at the front of the car.
There is no difference between this place and the steam trains of later generations, just as dirty and cramped.
But Qin Luo and Li Meizhi didn't care. They had to keep an eye on the workers' operations in order to respond to any emergencies at any time.
Looking at the countless eager eyes around him, Qin Luo also felt a mighty historical trend.
He took a long breath and shouted loudly: "Let's go!"
The driver was already in position, and after receiving the order, he moved the gate with force and sounded the whistle at the same time.
The fierce steam turned into a sharp whistle that resounded throughout the world. Then the thick steel wheels began to rotate slowly driven by the connecting rod, driving the behemoth to move forward.
From the perspective of a bystander, there was almost no change in the train at first. However, the people in the carriage felt a huge thrust coming out of thin air. Several people staggered without noticing for a moment.
If the people next to me hadn't rushed to hold me up, I might have fallen down.
Regarding this, Zuo Mengeng could only shake his head and smile bitterly.
When trains first came out, we really couldn’t place too high requirements on cushioning and comfort.
As for eating and drinking safely in the carriage like the later generations, don't even think about it. It will definitely become a scene of vegetable leaves and rice flying together, hot water and bowls and chopsticks dancing together.
Fortunately, after the initial shaking, the train slowly picked up speed.
Watching the earth slowly recede, people in the car lay on the windows one after another, feeling the power of the machine in surprise.
The train kept churning for about half an hour, leaving the train station far behind, and began to move smoothly.
Both sides of the railway from Liangshan to Jinan have been heavily guarded. It can be said that there is one post for every five steps and one sentry for every ten steps. The warning has been completed fifteen days ago.
During this period, the railway department conducted five consecutive maintenance operations just in case.
The benefit of such meticulous work is that there were no accidents during the operation of the train.
Zuo Mengeng felt it carefully and knew that the speed of this train was about thirty miles per hour.
In later generations, this kind of speed can only be called a turtle crawling, which is dismissive. However, we must know that the original speed of the world's first train in history was only five to ten miles per hour.
It can only be said that with his help, the empire's scientific researchers have avoided many detours, and the results are very gratifying.
When trains first appeared, the impact on people was very powerful.
No, many people actually suffered from motion sickness.
But even the most miserable people have to admit that the value of trains is unparalleled.
Li Banghua sat in front of Zuo Mengeng and delivered a message.
"Over in Jiangnan, seven business groups plan to jointly fund the construction of a railway from Nandu to Songjiang Prefecture. Once completed, it will include all the best places in Jiangnan, which will be of great benefit to economic development."
When Zuo Mengeng heard this, he couldn't help but sigh.
As expected, the wealth in the world is greatest in Jiangnan.
Even private businessmen can actually undertake the construction of such a major national project.