Galt looked at the flames in the furnace, turned around and spoke briefly to Rhodes.
"I'm studying the hardest metal in the world." Galt continued. "Iron has good hardness, but it corrodes and rusts easily. If it is exposed to the air or soaked in water, it will be easily damaged over time.
Corrosion. Copper has good corrosion resistance, but its texture is too soft and is not suitable for solid materials. Gold and silver are very good in terms of hardness and corrosion resistance. Unfortunately, the output is too small and the price is expensive. If an alloy can be made,
By integrating the excellent properties of many metals and removing their weaknesses, this alloy will become the best weapon material in the world."
"That's what I was going to tell you."
Rhodes interjected——
"However, it is not only applicable to weapons, but to all aspects of industry."
Galt scratched his chin and looked interested.
"To be precise, I want to create a large-scale transportation tool, not a horse-drawn carriage or an ox-cart pulled by livestock in the traditional sense, but a transportation tool powered by chemical fuel."
"I know this. It's like a steam tank, or a dwarf gunship."
Galt interjected confidently.
"Well, it's similar to a steam tank, except that the large-scale transportation vehicle I envisioned must have continuous endurance and a huge transportation capacity. It's similar to a steam tank, using steam as power, but I need a huge carrying capacity
.Imagine there is such a tool. It has a metal shell and is made up of carriages connected end to end. It travels on the ground like a long snake. It is powered by chemical fuel and can be used for ultra-long-distance transportation. The distance is as long as
Spanning two cities, even two kingdoms."
"Wait, wait, big lord, I don't understand what you mean... You mean, a huge vehicle like a snake, consisting of carriages, which can transport goods and people over long distances. Is it
?"
"Yes, it is such a concept."
Rhodes nodded.
"This is impossible." Galt shook his head and protested, "You know the endurance of a steam tank. It can only operate continuously for one day and one night at most. And the long snake-shaped transportation vehicle you mentioned is equivalent to
The tanks of steam tanks are strung together and run at high speed for several days? This is absolutely impossible. Even if the fuel is improved, it is impossible."
"Have you ever seen the rail car in the dwarven mines?"
Rhodes asked with a smile.
The mage nodded.
"I've seen that thing once. It's very small and can only accommodate three or five miners. Wait, what do you mean?"
Galt reacted quickly. His eyes moved, as if he saw another picture in an instant.
"Yes, using the dwarf's orbital minecart as the frame, and then using a power system like a steam tank, the two are combined to create a large transportation vehicle. I named it 'train'. The carriage is where the dwarves ride.
It’s a simple box that doesn’t need to be too complicated. The key is the track, fuel and body materials.”
Rhodes' words made Galt's eyes light up. He briefly imagined it and suddenly felt that this plan seemed feasible. But then, his brows tightened again.
"As far as I know, the dwarves' mine tracks are made of steel. If you want to build such a track between the two cities of Kislev, you will need a huge amount of iron. With the current steel output of Kislev, it is simply not enough.
arrive."
"This is indeed a thorny issue, but I have reached an agreement with the dwarves of Dulong City and the dwarves of Red Eye Mountain to trade food, wood and fur for the iron ore they mine. The agreement lasts for ten years
During this period, as long as there is no large-scale war, the iron ore mined by the dwarves will be continuously transported to Kislev. The iron smelting plants across the country will be operating at full capacity, and large-scale steelmaking will also meet the needs of this great project.
"
Rhodes said.
Galt was once again shocked by this crazy man. Among the people he had come into contact with, no one had ever had such a crazy idea and put it into practice. Rhodes was using the whole nation to do something. Of course.
, in recent years, this madman seems to have done a lot of things with the efforts of the whole country...
For a moment, Galt felt that his blood was boiling all over again. He seemed to be no longer as simple as a metal researcher. He seemed to be carrying the mission of revitalizing a country and even leading all mankind to achieve great progress.
Galt was deeply shocked by the scene described by Rhodes. He imagined it, but could not imagine the full picture at that time.
A series of steel roads connect all parts of the kingdom, and long steel snakes that are dozens of times larger than steam tanks will move forward on these tracks, making a harsh roar. This scene is simply magnificent. It is quite spectacular.
In comparison, the industry of Imperial Nunn is simply a younger brother.
"So, what do you need me to do?"
Galt asked in a daze.
"I will find a way to solve the orbit and fuel issues. I need you to do me a favor. That is the research you are doing now and the field you are good at - alloys."
Rhodes said with a smile.
"The lighter the train, the less fuel is required, and the space saved can carry more people and goods. It is different from a steam tank, which is a front-line weapon in war and requires extremely strong defense, so the outer shell
It must be fixed with a strong steel plate. There is no other metal that can replace it, at least for the time being. The train is different. It is a means of transportation and does not require strong protection. The key is to be light. Only when the entire train is light can it truly achieve long distances.
Transporting large-scale cargo.”
"I hope you can develop a material that is lightweight and not too fragile to use as the outer shell of the train. I think alloy should be the best choice. You are good at this and have succeeded in practice, right?
?”
After Rhodes finished speaking, he patted Galt on the shoulder. There was a slightly embarrassed look on the young wizard's face. Obviously, this job was a bit difficult for him. But facing the expectations of the great lord, it was difficult to refuse directly.
"According to your request, it is a bit difficult..."
Galt thought for a while, twitched his chin, and said——
"However, I thought of a metal that might be the best material for a train car."
"aluminum."
Galt answered seriously.
Rhodes clapped his hands in encouragement.
"Indeed, aluminum metal is light in weight and has good ductility. Although it is not as hard as iron, as a train carriage, its shortcomings can be completely ignored. However, there is another problem, which is also very troublesome, and that is
The production of aluminum is too low. It is even rarer than gold and silver."
Rhodes frowned and said. In my impression, Rhodes knew that electrolysis was needed to achieve large-scale production of aluminum. But he had no choice but to learn from a scumbag and did not understand the entire process of the chemical reaction. Therefore,
I can't give guidance to the genius alchemist in front of me. I can only give him suggestions and let him figure out his own solution.
"Indeed... this is a difficult problem... First we must find a way to produce aluminum on a large scale... Oh, damn, this task is almost impossible..."
Galt shook his head, expressing his helplessness.
Of course, Rhodes does not expect the mage to achieve any breakthrough research results in a short time. Building trains is a national policy that has lasted for more than ten years and cannot be completed overnight. Just like building the Great Wall, this
It is a great project that requires the efforts of an entire generation to complete.