Chapter 246: The New Gunpowder Plan

What was the hallmark of the Industrial Age? The steam engine that powered the railway was the first thing that occurred to Roland.

For Roland, his first acquaintance of beauty was the steam engine. Rather than the modern mechanical systems of his time whose structure hid in a shell, used high-precision processing to reduce shaking and had sound-proofing. He felt that the greasy cast iron cylinder, the sturdy crankshaft, the huge iron wheels, as well as the rhythmic noise, the shaking, and the shrill whistle of the steam engine, undoubtedly showed the industrial beauty and strength in a more intuitive way.

He wanted to instruct workers to lay railway lines everywhere in his domain so that a train could carry the cargo and passengers to the Western Region. Although this was a good idea, it would not be easy to make it a reality. The large amount of steel needed for such an undertaking far exceeded the capacity of iron ingots which North Slope Mine Kiln could produce.