Chapter 143: standard system

Before the big railway was built, there was another issue before the Austrian government, the standard gauge of the railway.
This standard cannot be set arbitrarily, whether a wide-gauge railway or a narrow-gauge railway is better depends on actual needs.
From the narrowest railway gauge 610mm, to the widest railway gauge 2141mm, are all options. Of course, if the reality requires, you can continue to reduce or enlarge the gauge.
The advantage of a wide-gauge railway is that the stability of the train is improved, and it is not easy to roll over, which can improve the smoothness and comfort of the train. The disadvantage is that the turning radius is too large and the construction cost increases.
Of course, as the track becomes wider, the carriages can also become wider, and the load capacity will increase accordingly. The prerequisite is that the railway can carry a larger load capacity. This requires comprehensive consideration, not just the optical gauge.
In general, the load capacity of wide-gauge railways is larger, and due to other factors, the load capacity may not increase.
In terms of passenger transportation, the wide-gauge railway is obviously more dominant, with more space and a more comfortable experience.
The things that change track technology are so tall that they do not need to be considered in this era, including the high-performance trains of later generations, which cannot be produced in this era either.
Perhaps later generations of narrow-gauge railways can also run trains that are more than three meters wide, which was obviously impossible in this era. If there are not many problems in the plain area, once you go uphill or downhill, you will have to roll over in minutes.
In addition, political and military factors must be considered. For the sake of national defense security, the purpose of constructing railways of different standards from those of neighboring countries is to prevent the enemy from using their railways quickly during the war.
...
"Your Majesty, why do we have to unify the gauges of all railways? Let's change to a fixed station, shall we?
In this way, we can build railways according to different needs and minimize construction costs. Railway Minister Stein asked in doubt
Franz explained: "We have to be efficient. Think about unloading the cargo on one train and reloading it on another train. How long does it take and how much labor do you need?
Stein thought about it and said, "Your Majesty, this time is nothing, the speed of train transportation is much faster than traditional transportation.
Compared with the cost of railway construction, the increased labor costs are not worth mentioning. Our funds are limited and there is no need to waste here. "
Franz rubbed his forehead, and he finally knew what happened to the railway chaos in various countries in this era.
Limited by the times, people in this era are different from later generations in ideology and cognition.
People have not yet entered the era of fast-paced life, and everyone does not think how precious time is. The labor cost is even lower, and the value of labor is not felt.
However, Franz still has to find a way to convince them. Don't think that the Germans are stubborn. In fact, the Austrians are not bad, especially the engineers with low emotional intelligence.
As senior talents of this era, they have their own persistence. If not convinced, Franz can only force them to execute.
Obviously, this is not what he wants. If these people are not allowed to do their utmost to work, a little passive work on the railway design will cause tens of millions of losses.
In order to avoid being pitted, the core designers of the Austrian Railway are a group of technical homes in their country, even if the external technical staff are from the German region, all of them are "three correct" masters.
Franz replied: "The need for future national development is related to the country's next strategy. Are there any questions?"
"No, Your Majesty," Stein replied.
The difference in thought and cognition was unclear for a while, and Franz was too lazy to explain it, and directly found a reason to confuse it.
Anyway, the flickering technical staff is much easier than the flickering politicians. He also has to hold the design basis given by the Ministry of Railways to convince the government to think about it, which is a headache.
There is no way here for the Austrian Empire. Although the imperial power is high, the ministers also have a high status. If the emperor does too much, it will make them unhappy, and people will directly print it.
Is substitution easy?
It's really easy. People who want to be officials are everywhere.
However, it is difficult to find a minister who is capable and loyal, and who has enough prestige.
If you want to, you can keep it for a long time. All that is left is a group of horseskins. The emperor's order is the imperial edict and unconditional support.
No one knows if it can be carried out. Franz knew about 80% of the world's good policies, and then he changed his taste.
Without strong government oversight, bureaucrats would interpret it based on their own interests, and in the end would be completely different.
No one likes subordinates who adhere to principles. Such people often hurt the leadership's face. Since the emperor took the lead, they naturally follow suit. In the end, the rest of the government are smooth.
What will happen, Franz dare not think. Anyway, as long as the upper layer is rotten, the degradation rate of the lower layer will exceed the imagination of ordinary people.
To avoid this situation, you can only formulate a set of rules. As the rule maker, you must also be bound by the rules.
"According to the actual situation in Austria, you calculate an annual economic growth rate of 5%, and consider our transportation needs within 50 years to design a set of standard systems suitable for Austria. Is it a problem?" Franz asked
"No!" Stein answered.
He is still technically confident. As for the issue of the rate of economic growth, it is the government's problem. Whether it can reach 5%, it doesn't matter to him.
Franz seemed to think of something, and added: "Wait a minute, but also consider the connection between the Holy Roman Alliance and the Balkans. We will promote this set of standards to them in the future. Finally, everyone's railway network will be integrated. . "
The ultimate goal of establishing the Holy Roman Alliance is to achieve economic integration, and unifying the railway standards is naturally an indispensable part.
The other parts of the Balkan Peninsula can be omitted, but Belgrade must be won. This is the gateway to the Balkan Peninsula. Mastering it will control the lifeblood of the Balkan Peninsula.
The two principalities of the Danube must also be in their hands. This is related to Hungary's grain exports, and it is also an important import and export channel for Austria. (Principality of Wallachia, Principality of Moldavia)
Before the railway passed, Hungary's grains passed through the Danube River, entered the Black Sea, and were shipped to European countries for sale. The import and export trade in Hungary was also heavily dependent on the Danube.
This is why Austria firmly opposes Russia's occupation of the Black Sea Strait, which threatens Austria's national security.
Professional matters are best left to professionals, and Austria's big railway plan is still in a hurry.
Who made Franz underestimate the investment enthusiasm of the nobles?
Perhaps in many materials, the aristocracy is decaying and backward, but in fact they have a progressive side while being conservative.
Nobles have received the best education since childhood, and have received information that ordinary people cannot reach, which has broadened their horizons.
In this case, how could the next generations be idiots?
They are conservatively opposed to political change. That is determined by their own interests. How can it be possible for those with vested interests to oppose their own interests?
The real idiot had already seen God. The Austrian Revolution of 1848 also saw a big shuffle within the aristocracy. Many aristocrats who had made mistakes in judgment and were blinded by greed had been removed.
At this time, the nobility's ideas also changed, or the reality forced them to change.
In order to quell the rebellion as soon as possible, Franz's push to liberate serfs and land redemption was actually a concession made by the noble class.
The French example told them that if the concessionary revolution did not spread, the final loss would be even greater, so they made concessions and helped the government suppress the rebellion.
Some of them are in the vortex of the revolution. They chose to escape in this change. As a result, when the overall situation has been determined, the land has been forcibly bought.
After losing the pillar of land, these people took the lead in finding new projects for transformation. At this time, the railway appeared, and many people saw the potential of this new mode of transportation.
They need a new industry to keep the family business from falling. Railway is the choice of many people. With the efforts of so many people, the speed of railway construction has been artificially accelerated.
This is the case. The front line has already begun construction preparations, and the standards for railway tracks have not yet been released.
The government has provided basic information on transport requirements. It is not difficult for the railway designers to calculate the capacity requirements, and then the railway standards are determined by the capacity requirements, which is even simpler.
Soon the design standards were placed in front of Franz, and other parameters he couldn't understand, the only thing that caught his attention was the gauge.
The Ministry of Railways has proposed four schemes, namely: 1524mm standard system, 1600mm standard system, 1665mm standard system, and 1712mm standard system.
The main roads that were started in the early stages are all prosperous commercial areas. Both passenger and freight demand is highest.
When setting up a railway standard system, it is natural to consider the requirements of this region. In addition, considering 50 years, this standard has naturally risen a lot.
There is no narrow-gauge railway. This era is limited by train manufacturing technology, and the transportation volume of narrow-gauge railway is limited. Due to insufficient stability and prone to safety accidents, it is rarely used in the construction of main road railways.
The final choice was in the hands of the Austrian government. In theory, the above several options are now feasible, which one has become a problem.
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