Chapter 353: The Switchback System (3)
The switchback system.
A technique that allows trains to overcome steep terrains.
The principle behind it wasn’t complex.
The train would move forward, then slightly change its path to move backward, then slightly change its path again to move forward, repeating this process.
In other words, it moved in a zigzag pattern along the slope, effectively reducing the steepness of the railroad the train was traveling on.
‘It’s similar to how roads work. Like those old winding mountain roads at places like Chupungnyeong. Or those incredibly twisty roads in Hongcheon, Pyeongchang, and Inje in Gangwon-do. The more the road winds along the mountainside, the gentler the slope for the cars.’
It was the same principle.
Even in South Korea, there were examples of this switchback system.
A prime example was the section from Heungjeon Station to Nahanjeong Station on the Yeongdong Line in Samcheok, Gangwon-do, which used to operate at one time.
Other examples included the Seonghyeon Pass 8-fold switchback on the Gyeongbu Line and the Chukhak Line (formerly known as the Juwin Line), a freight-only line in Incheon.
‘Of course, there are even more examples abroad. Not just the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India, but also the Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan, the 5-fold switchback between Cusco and Machu Picchu in Peru, and many in Germany and the United States. This system is very cost-effective.’
The switchback system built here was no less impressive.
No, it was actually a bit more elaborate.
‘8-fold? 5-fold? This one has 21 folds!’
A total of 21 back-and-forth movements.
It was the only way to cross this gorge pass.
‘Still, the fact that we can cross at all is something. Yongyong pushed down two peaks, and we widened the gorge. Without those efforts, even a 210-fold switchback wouldn’t have worked.’
It was the result of considerable effort to minimize the switchback sections.
Lloyd looked at the result with satisfaction.
“Sandmen!”
Lloyd shouted.
“Aerobic start!”
As soon as he shouted, the two sandmen seated outside the train put down their sandbags.
Recalling Lloyd’s prior instructions before the test run, they stood up and ran outside the train.
They headed for a large lever.
When they pushed the lever, a small change occurred in the tracks the test train had passed.
Clank, clunk!
The direction of part of the track changed.
The track the train had just come up on was now disconnected.
Instead, the track ahead was connected.
The way forward was now open.
The two sandmen, having completed this crucial task of track switching, quickly returned to the train, giving a thumbs-up.
“Switch complete, squeak!”
“Good.”
Now it was their turn.
Lloyd confirmed the track switch was complete and pulled the lever next to the train’s braking system.
It was a primitive and simple forward-reverse gear mechanism.
Clank!
With a heavy metallic sound, the reverse gear was engaged.
Lloyd shouted.
“Go!”
At his command, the four orc power workers began pumping energetically.
The heavy lever moved vigorously, transmitting power through the cogs and chains.
The transmitted power moved the wheels along the drive shaft.
But now the direction of the wheel’s rotation had changed.
It was thanks to the reverse gear mechanism.
Clank… Clank… Clank…
First slowly.
Then steadily.
Finally, at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour.
The large train began moving backward.
A joyful smile appeared on Lloyd’s face.
‘Good. It’s working well.’
He suddenly recalled when he had asked Master Cogidus to make the test mule train.
The structure of the train was actually quite simple.
It was essentially a modified carriage with steel wheels.
But there was one complicated part.
‘The forward-reverse gear mechanism.’
To properly utilize the switchback system?
The train needed to be able to switch between forward and reverse repeatedly.
But Lloyd had little knowledge about gear mechanisms.
‘But I believed Master Cogidus could handle it. He’s a master in device manufacturing. His skills are among the top five on this continent.’
As long as it wasn’t too complicated.
If it was just switching between forward and reverse.
As long as he explained the general purpose of the device clearly.
He believed Master Cogidus could figure it out and make the gear.
Please, work hard.
He had firmly believed so.
And Master Cogidus responded 300% to that belief.
‘Ha ha ha. This is just about changing the direction of power transmission according to the control lever’s movement. Did you really think I couldn’t make something this simple?’
…was his straightforward response.
Of course, the variable track that the sandmen operated was also his work.
Thanks to him, the true value of the switchback system began to shine.
Clank… Clank!
The test mule train smoothly passed the variable track section as it moved in reverse.
It entered a new slope, steadily climbing the mountainside.
After a while of moving backward.
The train entered the second switchback section.
The process was the same as the first.
The train entered the dead-end track of the switchback section and stopped.
Lloyd shouted.
“Sandmen! Aerobic time!”
The sandmen ran to operate the variable track leading further up.
Once the track switch was confirmed, Lloyd changed the gear to forward.
“Go!”
Now, at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, it moved forward.
Clank, clank, smoothly passing the variable track section.
It climbed further up the slope, steadily progressing.
Then it entered the third switchback section.
Literally, a massive zigzag of 21 folds.
The train crossed back and forth across the gorge, steadily conquering the steep slope.
Javier, watching this, couldn’t help but be amazed.
‘What is this?’
The silver-haired knight couldn’t hide his admiration.
He had roughly expected it by looking at the shape of the tracks.
But seeing the switchback system in operation firsthand while riding the test train?
He realized anew how far ahead Lloyd’s plans were.
“Did you really plan this from the beginning?”
“From the beginning? This? The switchback?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded.
He continued with his question.
“Literally from the beginning.”
“Are you asking if I planned this from when I went to heaven to catch the angel leader?”
“Yes.”
“If that’s what you mean, then yes. Exactly.”
“…”
“It’s true. I had this in mind when I started this construction. I could see it clearly. So I aimed for it. I thought the Magentano royal family and His Majesty would have their biggest itch here. So I thought there was potential.”
“What potential?”
“Well, nothing special. That this construction request would be accepted, that I would succeed using the switchback system here, stuff like that. Of course, plans don’t always go as expected. So I had Plan B and Plan C in mind if things went wrong.”
“…”
That’s not nothing.
The fact that you foresaw and planned all this and made it happen makes you a terrifying person, Lloyd.
Javier held back the urge to say this.
He wondered what kind of mind one must have to execute such tremendous tasks so nonchalantly.
Lloyd seemed like someone who lived with an entirely different level of execution power than himself.
That’s why Javier couldn’t help but ask.
“So, after this test run, you’ll construct the railroad down the other side of the mountain. Do you already have plans for what comes after the completion?”
“Of course. It’s not enough to just complete it.”
Clank!
Lloyd inserted the forward gear powerfully, smiling brightly.
He spoke brazenly, as if there was no backing down from his plans.
“I’m planning to exploit the Kingdom of Veneto on the other side of the mountain.”
♣
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Kingdom of Veneto.
The entire royal castle was frozen.
The walls, floors, and ceilings.
The flags fluttering on the terrace.
The palace staff bustling about.
The Supreme Commander retreating after an audience.
And even King Venetogna himself, sighing as he watched the retreating Supreme Commander.
All were frozen in time, affected by the time-freeze skill.
And now.
After nearly 11 months.
The frozen state began to change.
Clack, crack!
The cold that had frozen time and space began to thaw.
As it thinned, it blurred and dispersed.
The temperature of the world began to rise.
It returned to normal.
The cold disappeared.
Like a paused video where the play button was pressed again.
Everything began to regain vitality and move again.
The flag on the terrace fluttered once more.
The palace staff moved.
The Supreme Commander retreated.
The King’s sigh, which had been frozen, continued.
“…Grant me the strength to overcome this national crisis.”
King Venetogna clung to a small hope, praying earnestly.
Meanwhile, he desperately hoped.
‘The Supreme Commander’s strategy must succeed.’
If not, there was no hope.
Already, the bone dragon had collapsed two peaks of the Pantala Mountains in a show of force.
And the bone dragon belonged to the Kingdom of Magentano.
What did this mean?
It meant that the Kingdom of Magentano’s full-scale invasion was imminent.
‘If we engage in a large-scale battle with Magentano’s elite forces, our troops will be swept away in no time. And a siege is not a wise choice either. Even the strongest gates and walls are useless before the bone dragon.’
So what was the method with even the slightest chance?
A large-scale surprise attack right after Magentano’s army crosses the mountains.
That timing.
It was the only method with
even a slim chance of success.
‘To break their momentum. If the elite troops of Magentano lose their momentum, they will hesitate, and in that gap, we can receive support from neighboring countries. That’s the only way we might protect this land.’
They must break the enemy’s momentum early on.
Of course, the bone dragon would still remain.
It would still be a formidable threat.
‘But we could somehow handle the bone dragon with the combined forces of our country and the allied forces of the neighboring countries. Or so we must.’
So, first, they must break the main force of Magentano crossing the mountains.
That was the first goal.
‘Please.’
O ancestors.
Grant your unworthy descendant strength.
King Venetogna prayed earnestly from the bottom of his heart.
Prayed and prayed again.
Not just to the ancestors, but also to the spirit king of the Pantala Mountains.
‘To the spirit king Pantala, who helped our founding king, I pray. Please punish them with the harshness of the mountains and the blizzards so that the wicked and violent ones cannot set foot in this beautiful land. Please.’
At the same time, King Venetogna firmly believed.
The Pantala Mountains were treacherous.
The hardest mountains to cross in the world.
Even with two peaks collapsed.
It remained a cruel and harsh natural barrier.
He believed, and believed again.
‘There are no proper paths. The people of Magentano will pay the price for underestimating nature.’
He was convinced.
Of course, King Venetogna was completely unaware of his reality.
He had no idea what had happened while he was frozen in time.
He didn’t know that a madman had become the spirit king of the mountains.
He didn’t know that this human had widened the gorge.
He didn’t know that the gorge was now lined with smooth railroad tracks.
He didn’t know that, thanks to the clanking train tracks, crossing the mountains had become easy.
He didn’t even know that the train line had been fully opened a moment ago.
He knew nothing.
Naturally.
All of these events had occurred while time was frozen.
From King Venetogna’s perspective?
The collapse of the Pantala Mountain peaks by the bone dragon was an event that had occurred only a few days ago.
He had no awareness of the time-freeze phenomenon itself.
It was like a patient undergoing surgery.
Instantly put under general anesthesia.
Just closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, and the surgery was over!
It was a similar situation.
Because of this.
There was one more shocking fact that King Venetogna couldn’t even dream of.
At this very moment, while he was praying to his ancestors and the mountain spirits and reviewing his plans.
The person responsible for this whole situation, Lloyd, was brazenly flying towards the capital of the Kingdom of Veneto on the bone dragon.