Part 11: 1917-1920: Trains of Steel
1917-1920: Trains of SteelLocomotion Soundtrack - Get Me To Gladstone Bay
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I forgot to mention this little guy in the last update - he's the first train to run steel from the Huntly Coalfields.
That scrap rail we left lying around during the first update turns out to be useful.
Once the Waikato/Otaua Station is finished, if can take 6 trains before spilling into the main line.
Have I mentioned that you guys are all class?
We look at replacing some of the aging trams.
Both type of good piling up at the new station.
We prep the steel mill station to allow a steel train to wait for deliveries. (Note the mistake that will be discovered when the next iron train gets trapped in the station for a month or two.)
The ships are aging too.
Of course they break down right when they're about to cough up their last payload. Still better than nursing a 1% reliability train to a depot in the original games. The Campbell Newman gets an upgrade to a steam ferry.
The Enterprise remains as a slightly faster clipper for now due to the length of the route out to Waiheke Island.
With that done, the focus returns to double tracking the mainline.
While traffic is still low, many of the original wooden bridges are upgraded to steel structures with a speed limit above 24km/h.
Upgrading the capacity of a double line is much simpler and often just involves putting in more signals.
March 1918 and something important happens - A new song comes on! Thank goodness!
With some more double track North of Papakura, there are only a couple of sections still single track - Ramarama to Papakura, and Manukau to Papatoetoe.
The factory at Weymouth receives a tight but efficient loading dock.
New Steel train.
Tuakau constantly resounds with the pops of engine failures, so the Grain trucks get their replacement time.
The station is further refined. The trucks just don't seem to want to use more than one approach to the cargo bays.
Of course while that's happening, the trains have a minor snarl up. This end of the line still can't really handle much traffic and one extra train screws things up.
I think we're doing pretty well to handle this much cargo with our primitive trucks. The yellow rating you can see on the tab indicates that a good portion of the cargo is successfully transported.
The Glenbrook steel mill is fixed to further raise capacity.
Another minor snarl at Papakura, probably caused by the works at Weymouth.
And now it's time for the News!
Just a fluctuation as a house nearby is rebuilt.
This is the farm near the steel mill.
The far off war ended, flying machines come available!
This is the Weymouth Factory.
Burgundy transport is
See, told you so.
Another option opens for us!
And another engine. This one is faster than the 5/6, but not as powerful. It's also smaller, which could be useful at our crowded stations.