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Description

On a warm morning in Velnariath a train rolled across the red landscape past a field of Vyankaillin gathering the day's sunlight. In most respects it was a fairly modest affair set to a narrow gauge* with twenty small ore wagons that were pulled along at a modest 27 kph by a small 0-4-2 Valcas-type numbered J-211. Over the last decade, House Valcas had build hundreds of Locomotives for various jobs for buyers in Valnothron and beyond and for the most part J-211 was a fairly normal for one of their small mine units. It's marine engine derived piston assembly was a bit of an anachronism nowadays as Valcas' steamworks had stopped putting them on mainline locomotives seven years ago though they still put them on the lighter units. It's cabin was open with just a simple cloth awning for shade, but this was a concession to climate. But the thing that most people noticed as odd about it was it's lack of a smokestack.

Eventually the vehicle began to slow. As it did so it's Drow operator let out a sigh, he'd hoped that he'd have enough power left to make it to his next stop but that was not likely. He'd cut the steam and applied the breaks gradually bringing the train to a complete stop as per protocol. In truth he'd figured that he could do it on the move but the Governor had been firm on not taking risks. Once the vehicle was still, he opened up a set of clamps and extracted a metal cylinder banded with runic steel and full of glass. He set the heavy thing aside as he opened up a small steel box and produced another identical Cylinder save a Green Glow from it's runes. He put the spent cylinder in the box and with care hefted the fresh one into place facing into what would be the Firebox on most locomotives and fiddled with a nob on it's back and it's rear rune ring to engage it. Soon afterwards the steam pressure began to rise again and he was back under way. With a smile on his face, the driver set his vehicle back into motion

Torthirn zi'Valcas had been taken by House Valcas as a ward thirteen years ago. He was sent to the Ironworks and after some basic instruction was tasked with keeping the cannon foundry's boring engines in working order during the Escort War. Soon after he was poached by Weitas ti'Halsath for her locomotive and after two years of that he was shunted overseas to work on the locomotives of the the Zharhys line to help operate the machines he'd built. Then two years ago he'd been transferred again to the far side of the world to man this short line. Eleven miles from the minehead to the colony's Ironworks and back again three to five times a day. Bringing over overseers, food, water, tools, various other supplies and bringing back a vast amount of metal, with drop offs for crews working the solar collectors.

Velnariath was still a rough and tumble mining colony in the desert, but despite that Torthirn liked his job. It was fairly easy but still stimulating, much better than any prospect he had back in Valnothron, especially as there were plans for a proper full sized railway. Beyond that the land had a stark beauty to it and the wildlife was strange and wonderful. A couple months ago he'd met Breijeth, a shopkeeper with a beautiful smile and the right sense of humour who found him handsome. He could see the two of them building a nice house by the river with a couple of domestics to keep it nice and tend to the children while they our out taming this frontier and building a key part in achieving the Divine Destiny of global Drow Domination. More than most, he had firsthand experience of this. Using a six vaul Sun Flask, J-211 could go down the line thrice with a bit to spare before it needed to be swapped out. No need to carry a tender full of coal, nor ash and smut getting everywhere and once they were spent, they could be put back in the Vyankaill for recharging.

He'd heard that the Coldlanders went around the world for Stone Oil that they distilled into fuel, as far as Torthirn was concerned they could keep it.

*Three drow feet, or 93cm

From the Beginning...

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Eighty Eight
Next:Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety

Description

On a warm morning in Velnariath a train rolled across the red landscape past a field of Vyankaillin gathering the day's sunlight. In most respects it was a fairly modest affair set to a narrow gauge* with twenty small ore wagons that were pulled along at a modest 27 kph by a small 0-4-2 Valcas-type numbered J-211. Over the last decade, House Valcas had build hundreds of Locomotives for various jobs for buyers in Valnothron and beyond and for the most part J-211 was a fairly normal for one of their small mine units. It's marine engine derived piston assembly was a bit of an anachronism nowadays as Valcas' steamworks had stopped putting them on mainline locomotives seven years ago though they still put them on the lighter units. It's cabin was open with just a simple cloth awning for shade, but this was a concession to climate. But the thing that most people noticed as odd about it was it's lack of a smokestack.

Eventually the vehicle began to slow. As it did so it's Drow operator let out a sigh, he'd hoped that he'd have enough power left to make it to his next stop but that was not likely. He'd cut the steam and applied the breaks gradually bringing the train to a complete stop as per protocol. In truth he'd figured that he could do it on the move but the Governor had been firm on not taking risks. Once the vehicle was still, he opened up a set of clamps and extracted a metal cylinder banded with runic steel and full of glass. He set the heavy thing aside as he opened up a small steel box and produced another identical Cylinder save a Green Glow from it's runes. He put the spent cylinder in the box and with care hefted the fresh one into place facing into what would be the Firebox on most locomotives and fiddled with a nob on it's back and it's rear rune ring to engage it. Soon afterwards the steam pressure began to rise again and he was back under way. With a smile on his face, the driver set his vehicle back into motion

Torthirn zi'Valcas had been taken by House Valcas as a ward thirteen years ago. He was sent to the Ironworks and after some basic instruction was tasked with keeping the cannon foundry's boring engines in working order during the Escort War. Soon after he was poached by Weitas ti'Halsath for her locomotive and after two years of that he was shunted overseas to work on the locomotives of the the Zharhys line to help operate the machines he'd built. Then two years ago he'd been transferred again to the far side of the world to man this short line. Eleven miles from the minehead to the colony's Ironworks and back again three to five times a day. Bringing over overseers, food, water, tools, various other supplies and bringing back a vast amount of metal, with drop offs for crews working the solar collectors.

Velnariath was still a rough and tumble mining colony in the desert, but despite that Torthirn liked his job. It was fairly easy but still stimulating, much better than any prospect he had back in Valnothron, especially as there were plans for a proper full sized railway. Beyond that the land had a stark beauty to it and the wildlife was strange and wonderful. A couple months ago he'd met Breijeth, a shopkeeper with a beautiful smile and the right sense of humour who found him handsome. He could see the two of them building a nice house by the river with a couple of domestics to keep it nice and tend to the children while they our out taming this frontier and building a key part in achieving the Divine Destiny of global Drow Domination. More than most, he had firsthand experience of this. Using a six vaul Sun Flask, J-211 could go down the line thrice with a bit to spare before it needed to be swapped out. No need to carry a tender full of coal, nor ash and smut getting everywhere and once they were spent, they could be put back in the Vyankaill for recharging.

He'd heard that the Coldlanders went around the world for Stone Oil that they distilled into fuel, as far as Torthirn was concerned they could keep it.

*Three drow feet, or 93cm

From the Beginning...

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Eighty Eight
Next:Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety