dognovel Chapter 622 Steam Tank
Chapter 622 Steam Tank
An open-top steam car was spewing white steam and moving forward with difficulty in the field.
The huge cast iron plow it dragged behind it was like a steel giant. The sharp plow blade cut through the dark soil, rolling up wet mud waves and leaving two half-foot deep grooves on the ground.
"Add more coal! This wreck won't move again!"
The operator in the cockpit yelled at the top of his lungs. He was covered in coal dust, with beads of sweat on his forehead rolling down his cheeks and hitting his greasy work clothes.
I saw him fiddling with the densely packed copper rods in front of him with his hands, sometimes pulling the lever that controlled the steam valve, sometimes turning the knob that adjusted the transmission gear, but the steam car was still like a tired old ox, its wheels slipping in the mud, and it refused to move forward.
"I'm coming!"
At the back of the steam locomotive, a strong man picked up a shovel, scooped up a shovel full of black coal, raised his arm high, and with a loud shout, the coal poured into the steaming furnace at the rear of the steam locomotive with a "crash", and sparks splashed out with a "crackling" sound.
A thicker white mist instantly rose from the furnace mouth, accompanied by a muffled "rumbling" sound. The steam car seemed to be injected with a shot of cardiac stimulant. The body of the car trembled violently, and finally moved forward a few inches with a "click".
Not far away, John and the Minister of Casting Stephen, along with a group of scientific researchers and engineers, were watching from the sidelines.
"Your Majesty, according to your idea, we have placed the steam engine behind the steam car."
Stephen stepped forward and pointed at the steam car and introduced it. He was wearing a blue work suit and had an excited look on his face.
"Also, a steam locomotive can be equipped with different accessories at the front and rear to meet different needs. For example, it's currently towing a heavy plow for tilling the land. If it were to transport goods, it could be replaced with a flatbed carriage. And if it were to transport people, it could even be equipped with a carriage with seats."
"But the power output of this steam engine is still not very stable."
Stephen changed the subject.
"From what we've seen so far, the furnace's coal combustion efficiency isn't high enough, causing the steam pressure to fluctuate. Furthermore, the transmission gears are clearly wearing out. If this continues, the vehicle's service life will be greatly reduced."
The pilot in the cockpit heard John's words and leaned out and shouted:
"Minister Stephen, you're right! This stove takes too much effort to burn. I have to keep an eye on the lever all the time. If I'm not careful, the car will stall. Besides, the wheels keep slipping in the mud and I can't use any power at all!"
John nodded and said to Stephen:
"Steven, arrange for someone to improve the furnace design and increase the coal's combustion efficiency. Consider adding an air preheater to heat the air entering the furnace so the coal burns more fully. Also, strengthen the transmission gears with more wear-resistant materials or improve the gear tooth profile to reduce wear."
After observing the steam train, John asked again:
"Stephen, how is the current progress of your steam tank research?"
"Your Majesty, please follow me."
Stephen brought John and others to another open space used for research. Apart from the wall, there were only a few warehouse-like buildings left.
"His Majesty!"
The soldiers guarding the warehouses immediately saluted when they saw His Majesty visiting, and then Stephen and several scientific researchers used keys to open the doors of each warehouse.
I saw that each warehouse was filled with various steam cars, but unlike the previous one, these steam cars had tracks instead of wheels, and most of them had roofs.
"Your Majesty, please take a look. This is a steam tank I designed based on a steam carriage, equipped with various supporting weapons. In addition to meeting the main functions you requested, I have also made some modifications."
As he spoke, Stephen ordered people to operate the steam tanks. After a while, accompanied by the roar of steam engines, five steam tanks drove out of the warehouse one after another and stopped on the open space.
"All steam tanks are divided into three main sections: the operating room, the storage room, and the weapons storage room."
Stephen pointed to the first tank and introduced it:
"This is a mortar-type steam tank. As you can see, I modified the top of part of the operating room to be removable in order to allow the mortar to fire..."
Next, Stephen introduced various steam tanks, including the organ cannon type, rocket type, and Greek fire type.
After introducing each tank, he would invite scientific researchers to demonstrate its operation so that John and others could understand the performance of the tank more intuitively.
Finally, John came to the last steam tank. The steam tank in front of him was not only larger than the previous ones, but also had a large-caliber gun barrel on top.
"This is a cannon-type steam tank, the largest steam tank our institute has ever designed. To ensure its power, we had to add an additional turret to accommodate the 24-pound cannon."
Stephen said proudly.
"Also, considering the issue of reloading, we designed a breech-loaded gun. The projectile and propellant are loaded into the barrel separately. After loading, the breech locks the barrel, forming a closed space. Finally, the propellant is ignited by pulling the firing tube, and the gas propels the projectile out at high speed."
"Regarding close-quarters defense, in addition to thickening the armor and adding more firing holes, we've also added a ramming angle to the front section. This can be used as a siege cone to ram the city gate or knock down any obstructions in front if necessary."
Stephen added.
No, you have already developed the breech-loading cannon?
After listening to Stephen's explanation, John only partially understood some of it, but he still recognized some important terms.
"How's your development of the breech-loading rifle going?"
John asked.
"The breech-loading rifle is nearing completion. It won't be long before the first finished product appears. However, even then, it will require several improvements to increase durability before mass production, including for breech-loading cannons."
"This technology is not yet mature. There are still issues to be solved regarding the airtightness, heat dissipation, and impact resistance of the locking mechanism. Furthermore, the metal used to cast the artillery and the structure of the artillery require further research."
"At present, it will take at least one or two years to put steam tanks into actual combat."
Stephen answered truthfully.
"It doesn't matter. Just do your best. I can't let my army use weapons and equipment that haven't been fully verified."
John waved it off.
John then left the institute and boarded a carriage to St. John's City. He mainly came to see the abnormal situation that occurred in St. John's Cathedral.
Because there was no prior notice, when John arrived at St. John's Cathedral, Pros had still gone home early after praying. Only a few priests, deacons and some monks remained there.
"I saw it, a miracle happened!"
At this moment, John saw an old man kneeling in front of the statue of St. John and crying bitterly near the pulpit of the church. Some people were supporting him. After all, it would be a big trouble if he died of excitement in the church.
"I've been on pilgrimage since I was twenty years old. For over thirty years, I've visited holy sites in various countries, but I haven't seen any miracles. Today, I finally saw one!"
The old man was so excited that his voice was shaking and he kept gesturing with his hands.
"Okay, Dad, let's go back to the hotel and rest."
A younger man nearby advised, reaching out to help the old man up.
"no!"
The old man got angry at that time, and suddenly shook his hands and broke free from his son's support.
"You think it doesn't matter because you didn't see it. That means you don't have a pious heart. Not only did I see a miracle, I also saw an angel!"
Following the old man's gaze, John saw the statue of St. John in the distance emitting a soft light. The light was like warm sunshine, shining on the floor and walls of the church. Around the statue was a group of glowing little people with wings.