"Your Majesty, what is this?" Ma Zhou asked curiously, pointing to the steel laid on the ground and extending from the huge workshop, and then twisted around a beautiful and standard oval rail.

The steel rails protruding from the workshop form a ring with a total length of five miles on this open space, which is an experimental depot.

Under these rails, sleepers made of cement are used to support the rails, and under the sleepers, there are countless piles of gravel ballast, just like the railroad seen in later generations, with the sleepers and these gravels to reduce the vibration of the train.

"It's called a rail, uh, no, it should be called a rail, it's a product made by the Smelting Research Institute at the beginning of last year, the length is about ten meters, each rail, the weight is fifty kilograms per meter, and one rail, the important thing is five hundred kilograms. The rails are used as test tracks for test steam locomotives, which will be used to drive steam locomotives in the future. ”

"Is it the kind of strange machinery that you said that you don't need horses or manpower to pull, but only rely on water and coal?" Han Shige patted the sturdy steel rail, then clapped his hands and asked.

"Yes, but it's not called a strange machine, it's called a steam locomotive."

"Your Majesty, this is where the steam engine was developed. Your Majesty, please ......" The head of the institute stepped inside, and in this empty workshop, only dozens of technicians and workers were busy, and they were walking around, three strange machines. Next to it, there are several machines, but they are all just placed there.

Three tall pipes protrude from above the machine, emitting smoke and water vapor. And the steel arms, as thick as children's arms, are moving back and forth with the sprayed mist.

The sound of steam, the movement of machinery, and the chatter and shouts of people are endless. And those of us who are all blown away by these machines.

The tallest of them, more than three and a half meters tall and more than twenty meters long, was parked on the steel rails laid from outside the workshop, only to see clouds of steam coming out of the front of the locomotive from time to time, forming a dense white mist in the air, and then gradually dissipating.

"Obediently, it's so huge" Li Xuanba couldn't help but widen his eyes, and said with a look of disbelief. "Your Majesty, is this what you call a steam engine?

"This is one of the steam engines, which I named a steam locomotive." I am very proud to look at this steam locomotive that is very similar to the locomotive of later generations, and in a few years, I believe that this thing will be able to run freely on the land of China.

The busy technicians and workers had all gathered to pay their respects, and after some comfort, I personally went closer to admire them.

"This is the earliest model of steam engine, this is Huaxia steam engine No. 1, this is Huaxia steam engine No. 2 and No. 3, this is Huaxia steam locomotive test No. 1, because it is an experimental locomotive, so it is relatively small" The person in charge of the research institute stood in front of us and introduced these machines that were placed aside and had no power to me and the ministers.

"And the three units that are being tested here, this is the No. 3 vertical steam engine, and its power is extremely amazing, according to our calculations, its power is enough to reach ten water-powered spinning machines. This is the No. 4, which has been improved and installed with some soundproofing devices, making it nearly one-third less noisy than the No. 3, and nearly two-thirds more powerful than the No. 3......"

"As for the steam locomotive here, it's Test Four. With a horizontal boiler, the heat transfer area is larger and the steam generation is faster...... It is extremely powerful and stable compared to locomotives 2 and 3 of the same weight. In the 19th real vehicle track test at the end of spring this year, 25 tons of goods were pulled and ran on the test track outside for half an hour, making a total of 80 miles of detour. ”

"Wait, you mean to say that this thing has traveled eighty miles in half an hour on this iron rod?" Luo Shixin grabbed the person in charge and asked loudly in surprise.

"That's right......" The person in charge was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously. This was true, of course, and we followed it four more times, each time at speeds between 80 and 85 miles in half an hour. The longest test run lasted three hours, and it was enough to run 492 miles. ”

Hiss...... A group of important ministers of the court and the pillars of the country, all of them are grinning here, and the corners of Wei Yunqi's eyes are already a little crooked, no matter how you look at it, you feel like you are tilting your head to admire Pan Jinlian's Ximen Qing who has just splashed passers-by and is closing the window in a panic.

"God, three hours is more than 490 miles, so in this way, one hour is 160 miles, and twelve hours is ...... 1,920 miles? This, this old man, I'm not mistaken, right? The uncle's voice suddenly rose an octave.

"Yes, uncle, you are indeed not wrong, you can travel 1,920 miles in one day." I'm proud, I'm proud that I designed the steam engine, that I told these researchers how it works, that I told them how to do it. At least in terms of guidance and originality, this son can account for at least 70% of the credit, of course, the rest of the credit is these technicians and workers, we are a generous and kind emperor, naturally will not erase the credit of his subordinates.

"You just said you could carry twenty-five tons?" Yang Gongren's face, which was originally very gentle, also changed shape at the moment, and it was very twisted, like a cottage leader seeing a passing dart car.

"Yes, twenty-five tons is equivalent to 50,000 catties of goods." The person in charge replied very neatly, well, his expression was very superior, just like explaining the high-tech of smart computers to a group of old farmers in the countryside who had just crawled out of the countryside and had never seen the world, and had never even watched TV.

"How many people do I need to do this?" Du Ruhui asked, propping his neck.

"Three people are enough, at least four hours can last, of course, after four hours, you still need someone to change shifts." The person in charge smiled and replied proudly.

"Nineteen hundred and twenty miles, by the way, Your Majesty, what is the fastest carriage for us?" Because he was too excited, Wei Zheng, who has always been good at mental arithmetic, asked me after wrenching his fingers for a long time.

"Twelve hours of galloping, and changing good horses every hour, can reach up to more than seven hundred miles." I gave the answer after a little recollection.

Over there, the samurai's eyes widened, too. "Well, that is to say, this thing is twelve hundred miles faster than the fastest carriage. That is to say, it is only 600 miles from Chang'an to Yan'an County, and the carriage takes almost a day, and this train only takes less than four hours, which is three times higher.

"The important thing is that twenty-five tons, this number, is more than ten times the number of goods that our long-distance carriages can carry. It's really, it's amazing. Another minister let out an exclamation of disbelief.

"Your Majesty, I wonder if you can let us give it a try and feel it?" After Li Xuanba and Luo Shixin glanced at each other, they came to me and said.

"Yes, Your Majesty, and let the ministers give it a try and see if it is as fast as he said." Han Shige also rushed over and shouted loudly. Seeing these ministers of civil and military affairs is like seeing a child who has seen a novelty toy.

I just nodded and asked the person in charge. "Do you have a coach here?"

"Back to Your Majesty, there is a carriage, but it is also an experimental carriage, which can only carry eighty people." The person in charge thought for a moment and whispered to me. "The new car has not yet arrived."

"It's okay, just sit down, by the way, how many tons of cargo can we hold in a freight car?" I nodded.

"It can carry 10 to 15 tons, but nowadays it is usually only 10 tons." The person in charge replied again.

"Okay, hang a fully loaded wagon car behind the front of the car, and then hang it on the passenger car, that should be fine, right?"

"Naturally, it's no problem, but it takes a little longer." The person in charge replied confidently. "It probably took nearly a quarter of an hour to do it."

"It's okay, go get it now, I and all the ministers are waiting." I glanced at the ministers of civil and military affairs who looked expectant, waved their hands, and said very expectantly.

I've been here several times before, but when I came to test the locomotive or the carrying capacity, I didn't have the opportunity to take this passenger car to experience the train of this era.

Two quarters of an hour was a long time, but the problem was that the people didn't stay in it and wait, but they scurried back and forth with the ticket worker in front of them, and soon the warehouse where the wagons and coaches were placed was opened. Then, with the command of the command flag.

The driver who had already climbed onto the steam locomotive sounded the whistle, and the sharp and loud sound made those of us who came to watch the ceremony unconsciously cover our ears. I don't, because I've heard it several times.

Then, the lever on the wheel under the steam locomotive slowly bounced with the metal wheels with the steam spitting out, and the locomotive weighed nearly five tons, such a behemoth was indeed very shocking when it moved.

Gradually, he galloped out of the workshop along the railroad tracks, and then began to slowly reverse the car to the car warehouse not far away. At this time, Li Xuanba was very curious and asked the person in charge, so why didn't he let people push the carriage out.

The person in charge looked at the first fierce general of the Chinese Empire with a kind of look at the mentally ill. "General, it's not that the subordinate doesn't want to do this, but that thing is too heavy, if you use someone to drag it, I'm afraid it will take at least one or two hundred people to get it."

"Besides, with the steam locomotive here, why bother to find so many people?"