Steel Dynasty - Chapter 660

[Chapter 659 The First Steam Locomotive]

PS: There is still a chapter, but it will be later.

“Steam Locomotive?”

“What is it? This Lin Wentao is really weird. I don’t know what he has messed up this time.”

“He dared to do it in the court It must be something very important.”

“…”

The officials in the political hall were talking a lot. In their eyes, people like Lin Wentao have always been mysterious, and because these people are not involved in government affairs, they don’t pay much attention to Lin Wentao.

The officials didn’t understand, but Xiao Ming did. After overcoming the problem of steam engines, Lin Wentao shifted his focus to using steam engines.

Xiao Ming has been in Qingzhou during this period. When he was free, he went to Lin Wentao’s workshop to discuss various types of machinery powered by steam engines with him.

The steam locomotive and steamship were naturally the focus of the discussion between the two, but it was difficult to build an ironclad with a steam engine without a modern shipyard, so he focused on the steam locomotive.

After living here for five years, Xiao Ming’s deepest impression is that there is too much traffic in this era.

Both military transportation and material transportation are very slow, and this slow pace seriously restricts the development of industry.

Because of the emergence of the steam engine, Qingzhou’s consumption of industrial materials has now increased by more than one level, while the efficiency of transportation has hardly changed.

Therefore, he personally guided and used technological crystals to teach Lin Wentao. With sufficient industrial capacity, the steam locomotive was successfully manufactured.

“My dear friends, you must not know what a steam locomotive is. Today I will take you to have a look.” Xiao Ming said.

Now Qingzhou’s steam engine and steelmaking technology have completed a leap, which means that Qingzhou can produce all the steel accessories needed for the Western Industrial Revolution.

In this way, the next logical thing is the explosive emergence of various steam machinery, and this is what he wants to do next.

After the fall of King Yan, the north gradually became stable, and his desire to establish a complete industrial system should be realized step by step.

To this end, in addition to handling government affairs, Xiao Ming is prepared to personally participate in the construction of the industrial system, and five years of talent preparation has also given him a group of available people.

“I obey!” said a group of ministers, who were also very interested in steam locomotives.

Nodding, Xiao Ming led the officials and Lin Wentao to the steam engine workshop.

“Your Majesty, this is a steam engine locomotive.” Lin Wentao said excitedly.

At this time, the steam locomotive was parked on a section of 100-meter-long railway track. The moment he saw the front of the locomotive, Xiao Ming suddenly felt a familiar feeling.

This thing was now a modern steam locomotive, commonly known as a bobbin locomotive.

To put it simply, this steam locomotive is a side-lying steam engine fixed on a wheeled car. The connecting rod and crankshaft combined with the reciprocating motion of the flywheel drive the wheels to rotate, allowing the locomotive to move along the rails.

“Your Highness, this steam locomotive has taken us more than half a year.” Lin Wentao sighed in his heart. During this time, they worked day and night on research, production, and assembly.

Now this steam locomotive can finally move forward along the railway track. Although in his opinion the speed is not very fast, the potential in the future is definitely huge.

“Isn’t this just a big iron can?” Fiji squinted.

Pang Yukun also nodded. Xiao Ming and Lin Wentao looked excited, but they were confused.

In contemporary times, the world’s first steam locomotive was invented by Englishman George Stephenson in 1814. If the current standards in the West are followed, this kind of thing will probably appear in forty or fifty years.

But now he is the first person to build a steam locomotive. Although this steam locomotive is still a bit rough and crude, it doesn’t matter if it is ugly, as long as it can run.

Lin Wentao saw that many officials were dismissive, so he said: “This is indeed a big iron can, but it is a big iron can that can move.”

Then he did not explain, but directly said to the two craftsmen who were responsible for driving the steam locomotive. “Now you two operate the locomotive and show it to the emperor.”

The two nodded and climbed onto the steam locomotive. One of the craftsmen picked up a shovel and added coal to the boiler, while the other craftsman stared at the steam pressure gauge.

When Lin Wentao was developing steam engines, he asked craftsmen to make this pressure gauge, and now it can be used on steam locomotives.

In this way, the locomotive operator can judge the pressure in the boiler and adjust the steam pressure.

The rails in the workshop were naturally made by Xiao Ming and Lin Wentao. These rails formed a circle along the wide workshop so that the locomotive could move in this circle.

However, these rails also consumed a lot of his steel, which made him very painful.

But now that he has steam locomotives, it is all worth it, because the next step is that he can build a railway along the mining area, so that coal and iron ore can be continuously transported to Qingzhou.

“Woooooo…”

The steam pressure in the steam locomotive was getting higher and higher. At this time, the craftsman sounded the whistle, and the steam locomotive moved forward slowly along the rails amid a “humming” sound.

This scene immediately frightened the officials. They kept their distance from the steam locomotive, for fear that the steel monster would hurt people.

Lin Wentao finally laughed when he saw the embarrassed look of these officials, who made these officials point fingers at the steam locomotive without knowing anything.

“Hmph, hum…” The connecting rod of the steam locomotive tilted up and down, driving the wheels to rotate through the flywheel and crankshaft. At this time, the heavy wheels finally moved.

As the locomotive started to move, the speed of the locomotive also gradually increased. In the first lap, the locomotive was half as slow as walking, and in the second lap, it was like riding a bicycle.

On the third lap it was already galloping like a horse.

Under such huge power, the expressions on the officials’ faces were very exciting. At this moment, they may have been truly convinced by technology from their hearts, and were no longer just philosophies of sages.

Xiao Ming brought them here this time to let them witness the true power of technology. Otherwise, these officials would cling to Confucian classics and not value technology from their core.

What he wanted was for them to suddenly wake up when they recalled this steel monster in their midnight dreams.

“Your Highness, is this steam locomotive good?” Lin Wentao asked excitedly.

Xiao Ming nodded. When designing this locomotive, they pursued the maximum power that Qingzhou could achieve. After all, the efficiency of the steam engine could not be improved, and the speed of the locomotive could not be improved either.

Now Lin Wentao has only improved the Watt steam engine, making the efficiency of the steam engine slightly higher, so a locomotive of this level can only be compared with the original locomotive, but this is enough for Xiao Ming.

(End of chapter)