Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 140

Chapter 140: Chapter 27: Standard System

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Before the construction of the great railway, the Austrian government was confronted with the issue of standard railway gauge.

This standard could not be established arbitrarily; whether broad gauge railways were better than narrow gauge railways had to be determined by actual needs.

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From the narrowest railway gauge of 610mm to the broadest railway gauge of 2141mm, all were considered as possible options. Of course, if needed, the gauge could continue to be narrowed or widened.

The advantage of broad-gauge railways is the increased stability of the trains, reducing the likelihood of derailment and enhancing the smoothness and comfort of the ride. Their disadvantage is the excessively large turning radius required, which increases construction costs.

Of course, with wider tracks, the carriages can also be made wider, which would increase the carrying capacity, provided that the railway can support the greater weight. This requires a comprehensive consideration and cannot be determined by gauge alone.

Overall, broad-gauge railways can carry larger loads, but due to other limiting factors, the actual weight capacity might not necessarily increase.

In passenger transport, broad-gauge railways obviously have the advantage, offering more spacious areas and a more comfortable experience.

Complex technologies like gauge changing are not to be considered during this era, including the production of high-performance trains that also could not be achieved.

Perhaps in the future, narrow-gauge railways might be able to run trains that are over three meters wide, but that was clearly impossible at this time. If it was on plain terrain, there might not be many issues, but once it came to going uphill or downhill, there would be a high risk of derailment.

Beyond these considerations, political and military factors had to be taken into account. For the sake of national defense, railways with different standards from neighboring countries would be purposely built so that the enemy could not quickly utilize their railways during wartime.

“Your Majesty, why must we unify all railway gauges? Couldn’t we change trains at fixed stations? This way, we could build railways based on different needs and minimize construction costs,” Railway Minister Stein inquired, puzzled.

Franz explained, “We must consider efficiency. Think about the time required to unload cargo from one train and load it onto another, and how much additional labor this would need.”

After some thought, Stein said, “Your Majesty, this little bit of time isn’t much; the speed of train transport is already much faster than traditional methods. The increased labor cost is insignificant compared to the cost of railway construction. Our funds are limited; there’s no need to waste them here.”

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Franz rubbed his forehead; he finally understood the chaotic state of railways in various countries during his era.

Limited by the times, the thought processes and awareness of people from this era differed from those of future generations.

People had not yet entered the era of fast-paced life; they did not view time as particularly valuable. Labor costs were ludicrously low, and the value of labor was not yet felt.

Nevertheless, Franz still needed to find a way to persuade them. Don’t be mistaken that only the German people were stubborn; in fact, the Austrians were not much different, especially these low-emotion-quotient engineers.

As high-level talents of their time, they had their own convictions. If persuasion failed, Franz would have no choice but to issue a direct order.

Clearly, that was not his desired outcome. If he couldn’t get these individuals to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the railway’s design, any passive resistance or inefficiency on their part could result in losses amounting to tens of millions.

To avoid being cheated, the core designers of the Austrian Railway were a group of local tech enthusiasts, and even the externally hired technicians were all from the Germany Region—individuals whose ideologies were ‘correct’ in every sense.

Franz replied, “It relates to the future developmental needs of the nation, to the next strategic steps of the country. Any more questions?”

“No more questions, Your Majesty,” Stein answered.

With differences in thought and understanding not easy to articulate in a short time, Franz had grown tired of explaining and sought a reason to placate them.

After all, duping these single-minded technicians was far easier than duping politicians. He still had to use the design rationale from the Railway Department to convince the government, a headache-inducing thought.

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There was no choice; this was the Austrian Empire. Though the imperial power was paramount, the ministers below also held significant positions. If the Emperor acted too egregiously, offending them, they could resign their commissions on the spot.

Was replacing them easy?

Indeed, finding people who desired to be officials was easy.

However, finding a minister who was capable, loyal, and sufficiently prestigious was difficult.

If Franz ruled by whim, it wouldn’t be long before he was surrounded by a bunch of sycophants who deemed the Emperor’s commands as imperial edicts, to be upheld unconditionally.

Whether these commands could be implemented was another matter entirely. Franz knew well that 80% of good policies in the world got twisted out of shape once they filtered down through the ranks.

Without vigilant government oversight, bureaucrats would interpret things in their own interests, often resulting in completely altered outcomes.

No one likes a subordinate who sticks to principles, as they often embarrass leadership. Since the Emperor had set an example, it was natural for others to follow suit, and in the end, the government was left with only those who were sly and smooth.

Franz didn’t dare to think about the consequences. In any case, once the upper echelons of a country rot, the speed at which the lower levels deteriorate can exceed normal expectations.

To avoid this situation, one could only establish a set of rules, and as the creators of these rules, they must also be bound by them.

“Considering the actual situation of the Austrian Empire, if you base it on an annual economic growth rate of five percent, and take into account our transportation needs over the next fifty years, could you design a set of standards that suit Austria?” Franz asked.

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“No problem!” Stein answered.

Stein was confident in technical matters, as for the issue of economic growth rate, that was the government’s problem. Whether it could reach five percent was not his concern.

Franz seemed to think of something else and added, “Wait, we must also consider connecting to the Holy Roman Alliance and the Balkan region. In the future, we will promote this set of standards to them, and eventually, everyone’s railway networks will become interconnected.”

The ultimate goal of establishing the Holy Roman Alliance was to achieve economic integration, and unifying railway standards was naturally an indispensable part of that.

It doesn’t matter if other regions of the Balkan Peninsula were overlooked, but Belgrade must be taken. It is the gateway to the Balkan Peninsula, and controlling it means controlling the lifeline of the Balkans.

The two principalities in the Danube Basin must also be controlled, as this is related to Hungary’s grain exports, and it is also an important import and export trade route for Austria. (Wallachia Principality, Moldavian Principality)

Before the railway networks were connected, Hungary’s grain was transported through the Danube Basin into the Black Sea and then sold to countries across Europe; the import and export trade of the Hungarian Region also heavily relied on the Danube.

This is also why Austria firmly opposed Russia occupying the Black Sea Strait, which threatened Austrian national security.

Professional matters are still best left to professionals. Austria’s big railway plan was still somewhat hasty.

Who would have thought that Franz had underestimated the investment enthusiasm of the Nobility?

Perhaps in many records, the Nobility are portrayed as decayed and backward, but in reality, while being conservative, they also have a progressive side.

The Nobility receive the best education from a young age, they have access to information that ordinary people cannot reach, which broadens their horizons.

In such a situation, how could the next generation they cultivate all be fools and idiots?

They conservatively oppose political change because it is determined by their own interests. How could those with vested interests oppose their benefits?

True fools have long been meeting God. During the Grand Revolution in Austria in 1848, there was also a major reshuffling within the Aristocratic Group, and many nobles who were mistaken in their judgments and blinded by greed were expelled.

The concepts of the Nobility also changed during this period, or rather, reality forced them to change.

In order to quell the rebellion quickly, Franz’s promotion of the emancipation of serfs and land redemption was in fact a concession made by the Nobility.

The example of the French told them that if they did not compromise and the revolution spread, the eventual losses would be even greater, so they made concessions while also helping the government suppress the rebellion.

A part of the unfortunate ones caught in the whirlwind of revolution chose to escape during these upheavals. By the time the overall situation was settled, their lands had already been forcibly redeemed.

After losing the pillar of land, these individuals were the first to start looking for new projects to transition into. At this point, railways emerged, and many saw the potential of this new mode of transport.

They needed a new industry to maintain their family businesses and not fall into decline. Railways were the choice of many, and with so many people working hard, the construction of railways was artificially accelerated.

This resulted in a situation where front-line construction had already begun, yet the standard for railway tracks had not been established.

The basic data for transportation requirements had already been provided by the government. It wasn’t difficult for the railway designers to calculate the transportation capacity needed, and from there, deciding on the railway standards was even simpler.

Soon the design standards were presented to Franz. He couldn’t understand the various other parameters as a layman, but the only thing that caught his attention was the gauge.

The Railway Department proposed four options: 1524mm standard system, 1600mm standard system, 1676mm standard system, and 1712mm standard system.

The main trunk lines that started construction in the early stage were all in the bustling commercial areas. Whether it was passenger or freight demand, both were the highest.

When establishing the railway standard system, the requirements of this region were naturally a key consideration. Plus, with a fifty-year projection, these standards naturally increased quite a bit.

There were no narrow-gauge railways. In this era, limited by train manufacturing technology, the transport capacity of narrow-gauge railways was restricted, and due to insufficient stability, they were prone to safety accidents and were rarely used in the construction of main railway lines.

Finally, the choice was back in the hands of the Austrian Government. Theoretically, all of the aforementioned proposals were feasible, but choosing which one became a dilemma.