A group of four-wheeled light carriages galloped on the road from Tongzhou to the capital. There were hundreds of cavalry guards around.
Yang Fan's modern materials are all delivered to the new city from the modern transmission point. In order to build the railway, it is necessary to transfer construction materials and supplies from the warehouse in the new city to the Changxindian goods yard on the west bank of the Yongding River in the western suburbs of the capital.
This period of summer can be solved by water transportation. After all, there are now steam ships that can tow canals. However, in winter, the canal is frozen and cannot be used. And the construction of the railway cannot be stopped.
Therefore, Xiao Niangpi decided to spend 150,000 taels of silver to build this road from Xincheng to Jizhou and Tongzhou, and then bypassed the north wall of the capital, Jishuitan, and ended at Changxindian.
This road was paved with steel-making waste soil, with four lanes in both directions. It was compacted repeatedly with steam rollers, making it very strong and flat. It is the best and highest-standard road of this era.
Because there is insufficient asphalt, cement and steel slag are mixed and compacted as materials. Steel slag is particularly suitable for road construction.
The particle size of steel slag is small and it is not easy to block drainage pipes, which can effectively prevent poor drainage. Steel slag has good compression resistance, which can effectively resist the pressure of vehicles and extend the service life of the road surface. Steel slag has good anti-skid properties, which can effectively prevent
The vehicle slides to improve driving safety.
The Hongqiao on the Chaobai River is a four-lane cement stone bridge. It is an important bridge connecting this road. It was also one of the main battlefields during the rebellion in Ji Town this year.
Xiao Niangpi, Lin Yueru, Chen Xi and others took the management team of Xincheng and the heads of various departments of Yang Fan's system to Changxindian Town to participate in the first departure ceremony of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway.
"Why don't you put the starting point in Xincheng? Besides, there is no station in the capital. The station closest to the capital is actually located in Changxindian Town, west of the Yongding River. I don't know what you think." Xiao Niangpi
He held his snow cheeks with his little hands and looked at the map spread on the small table in the car.
"I also find it strange that this railway is actually built on the west side of the Yongding River. This is true from Tianjin to Zhangjiakou." Lin Yueru also frowned and said.
Chen Xi thought for a moment and said, "Are you afraid that building in the capital will attract too much attention and cause trouble?"
There is a super mini train with a gauge of 15 inches (381 mm) from Changxindian to Jishuitan, which is used as a line to recycle materials transported by water. If people in the capital want to take a train, they must first go to Jishuitan and take this small train line to Changxin
Only in Xindian can you take the train from Tanggu to Zhangjiakou.
"It would be great if it were built from Xincheng. We could sit in a luxury box, get on the train from Xincheng, inspect along the way, and go directly to Zhangjiakou." Xiao Niangpi said.
"I guess the master is worried about the outside world. Isn't there intelligence all the time that the Jiannu slaves may join the invaders this winter?" Lin Yueru said. "We have invested millions of taels of silver in the railway, so there must be no room for error."
Xiao Niangpi also sighed: "It is too expensive to build roads with iron. Every time I see the payment request documents sent by the Finance Department, I get scared. Finally, this section was completed, and by the end of the year, the entire line
Once it is opened to traffic, next year’s finances will be relieved.”
Chen Xi said: "Madam, the master said that it will not be finished at Guihua City. The master will continue to go west through the Alxa area and reach Hami and Yinli Valley."
"Ah! It's still repairing. How much does it cost? It's like a gold-eating beast." Xiao Niangpi said, covering her chest. It felt really bad to see money flowing out every day.
"No, many places in Alxa are deserts. It's impossible to build a railway there." Xiao Niangpi discovered the problem immediately. The map clearly showed that Linhe City, which was not far away when I got out of my coat, was
Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert and Ulan Buh Desert.
Chen Xi smiled bitterly and said: "That's what I told the master. We don't have the technology to build railways in the desert now. But the master said he has his own way."
Lin Yueru said: "The sand dunes there flow under strong winds and will cover the railway tracks. If the sand dunes cannot be fixed, there is no way to build the railway."
Chen Xi said: "I have reported these issues to the master. The master said that the straw in our territory can be planted into the sand with a foot-stepped straw grid machine to form a field grid, which can block the flow of wind and sand.
.”
"There is underground water beneath these deserts. Steam engines can be used to pump water. If there is water, trees can be planted to protect the railways."
Xiao Niangpi said: "I am very familiar with Mongolia. The sandy soil cannot store water and fertilizer. The water will leak out quickly, the water will dry up quickly, and the trees will not survive."
Chen Xi said: "I don't know where I got something from. Mixing it with sand can modify the sand, increase its adhesion, and retain water and fertilizer like soil. I have tested it, and it can be used to grow pasture.
, trees, and even crops. After the straw is returned to the field and rots, after a few years, this sandy land will gradually transform into soil. Finally, it will become real soil after a few decades."
Xiao Niangpi and Lin Yueru almost dropped their jaws in shock. What, our ears heard it correctly, this is okay.
This "sand water-retaining adhesive" was invented by Professor Yi from Chongqing Jiaotong University. Just mix the white powdery adhesive into the sand and add water, and the sand can bond like soil in 2 minutes.
Together, it helps with water retention and planting.
Yang Fan also discovered it while browsing the news. He was surprised to find that with this artifact, he could build a railway through Alxa and go to Yinli in the shortest distance.
Yang Fan does not plan to let the railway go through the Hexi Corridor in Ningxia and Gansu. The main reason is that there are too many coordination points, and the difficulties and constraints are too great. It will also easily attract the attention of the court.
This route near the capital was finally approved by the emperor on the grounds of solving the problem of canal freezes and suspension of operations in winter.
Moreover, Yang Fan promised that grain from the imperial court could be transported to the capital for free.
Going directly through Alxa is the best choice. Alxa in this era is not what it will be in later generations. The desertification of the land in this era is far less severe than in later generations, otherwise the Mongolian Alxa tribe would have been finished long ago.
During this era, the melted ice and snow in the Qilian Mountains merged into more than a dozen rivers flowing into the Alxa wilderness. The largest ones are the Heishui River, Shiyang River, Dang River, Shule River, Beida River, etc. There can be more than a dozen rivers along the railway
The stronghold near the river serves as a water replenishment station.
Moreover, the line passes through the north of the three major deserts. As long as grass grids and sand are used to modify the soil in some areas, and steam engines are used to pump water, it is completely possible to build a green plant isolation belt to prevent wind and sand along both sides of the railway line.
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After passing Hami, it will be much easier to continue heading west. As long as this railway is built, the north of the Great Wall will gradually become Yang Fan's territory.
This chapter has been completed!