Railroads

No public railroads existed in 1820 By 1900, however, every large country was building them.  People could travel faster and goods were carried more cheaply.

TRAINS FROM A LORD’S VIEW

July 23, 1856

Lord Guachner

Written by: Will 

                        Dear Queen and Great Empress of India*1,

I have been thoroughly monitoring the railroads of your empire throughout India and the rest of the world that you control. The progress throughout all of your empire is absolutely awesome. This sudden desire for railroads is because of their superior transportation comfort ability and speed. These trains are just so much better than stagecoaches or any other form of transportation. I will give you a full report. George Stephenson*2 has done a wonderful job building his speedy 19 M.P.H. Stephenson Rocket. We are nearing 15,000 miles of rail. That is a marvel in itself! I would also like to report that these recent achievements have greatly enlarged the rail systems. The main branches are complete and the tangents*6 make up most of the railway. These trains and the tracks that they run on are all great achievements for the greatest Queen in the entire world, you. We have used well over 2 million tons of iron and will spare no expense to make your railways the best!

The prices of freight *3 are falling, food prices are falling, trains are getting faster, and so the milk and meat will be much fresher. The health and apparatus of the upper class*4 should improve greatly, the overall increase will improve the upper class health level up by 19%. The roads are not so great; therefore more will travel by train (the upper class, that is). In 1832 they had a marvel of a stagecoach, 4 years ago we got the coal fired steam train; which My Queen is much, much, better for you and the rest of your country.  

The train has 3 ways to travel- luxurious, comfortable, or in the logging car. The three classes (first, second, and third) are all divided. The first class members are seated and comfortably served and waited on. The second class is loaded onto a car of high standard, yet it has smaller seats and more passengers than the first class; there is a little bit of people rushing to the car, but nothing else. The third class had a mad rush to hop onto the logging car; all who could manage to hop aboard could go. This is life in the train business, havoc. These differences in class are because of money. The higher in a class you are, then the more money you have. The higher class you are then the better off you are all-together.

 The trains in general have an average reliability, but the new Iron Duke*5 (steam engine) has a high speed of 78 M.P.H. and an above average reliability with good acceleration. The oddest train out there is the Trevithick*7. It has a max speed of 6 M.P.H. and a poor reliability rating. They experts agree that the Iron Duke is your best bet of quick, safe, and effective transportation.

 The Grand Census Committee is saying that the health of the middle and lower class is slowly going down because of the ever dropping pay of companies to workers, but these awesome trains are said to improve health to even the lower class, if they can afford the ever-dropping prices of meat and bread goods. Our economy is getting so much better all of the time that in no time at all poor will be rich, middle class will be richer, and the upper class will be rich, rich, rich. All that is left now is to become the best train systems in the world. That will only come of age my Queen, only of age.

Sincerely Yours Forever,

Lord Gauchner