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Description

Even with ULAF in operation, construction continued in the Radiant City on a grand scale. ULAF was still expanding, new residential districts were constantly going up and several new factory complexes were being built. There were also a large number of projects which were simply not finished. Even with tens of thousands of construction workers, thousands of Technicians, hundreds of Engineers and their apprentices working around the clock with a lot of mechanical assistance it was still a massive undertaking. A lot of which happened underground. There were basements, foundations, the municipal water system, electricity and gas lines.

Fourteen meters below the surface, Dhori Nolfrikson stood at the controls of his machine and watched as a minecart was pushed into position by a pair of strong men and a small pony until it clicked into place against the bumpers and the couplings clicked into place.

"Good, beginning fill." He said clearly and with that he pulled a lever and a belt to his side and the conveyor sprung into motion, pouring a steady stream of clay and pebbles into the cart. "Engaging cutter-head" He said a few seconds latter, engaging the main mechanism of his machine. He watched as beyond it's main bulk the four arms of the mechanism's main array began to rotating in front of him, their small buckets grinding away at solid face ahead, each revolution shaving off more more spoil. Slowly he brought it up to speed and it advanced along the rails. As far as actual movement went was slower than a snail, but by the standards of something digging a three meter wide tunnel it was moving at a remarkable pace. Six minutes latter the mechanism (affectionately known as Krota) had advanced twenty five centimetres and the cart was full. "Alright, disengaging" Dhori said as he turned off the machine and released the coupling.

"Got it." Said the leader of the cart crew. "Come Kapusta." He said to the animal as they pulled the load ahead down the pathway. The full cart would travel down the line for about two hundred meters until the tunnel widened and it would be shunted onto a small train on the down line for disposal while a fresh empty cart would be brought down. If everything went well, Krota and her sister Suslika (which dug a parallel tunnel 10 meters behind and 80 meters to a side from Krota) could dig 1.25 meters in a hour, though they'd have to stop after advancing 3 meters and back up so new props and temporary supports could be put in before the mid section was cleared out, install temporary structural supports of canvas, wire mesh and timber and extend the rails. On a good day the tunnel might advance nine meters on his shift and work continued round the clock. The two tunnels would be combined into a single tunnel nearly seven meters across and there were plans down the line to dig out the bottom.

For someone who'd spent most of his life in a small Dwarfhold, this operation was an odd mix of the sophisticated and the slapdash. The electric boring machines and lighting were all top notch stuff no doubt about it. He'd volunteered for special equipment training two years ago and things like Krota were the reason. Other things such as ventilation and the were also well handled. As was the iron and brickwork which lined the finished combined tunnels. Even so, the rough work done to secure the two pilot tunnel irked him. "If you do something do it right" was a a key Dwarven value and while digging pilot holes were fast and more permanent work was being treated seriously and they were not super deep underground did mitigate things, but building structural elements for the tunnel that would only be up for a few days or at most weeks as things proceed before being replaced irked him. There were other ways of doing this, though they'd be slower.

He'd voiced his concerns to the foreman a few times and there were other Dwarves who'd had similar concerns. Even so, the pay was very good, the machinery itself was a marvel and a privilege to operate and they were part of something huge. The small mine carts operating underground moving spoil were impressive enough, but they were just a taste of what was to come.

From the Beginning...
Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety Three
Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety Five

Description

Even with ULAF in operation, construction continued in the Radiant City on a grand scale. ULAF was still expanding, new residential districts were constantly going up and several new factory complexes were being built. There were also a large number of projects which were simply not finished. Even with tens of thousands of construction workers, thousands of Technicians, hundreds of Engineers and their apprentices working around the clock with a lot of mechanical assistance it was still a massive undertaking. A lot of which happened underground. There were basements, foundations, the municipal water system, electricity and gas lines.

Fourteen meters below the surface, Dhori Nolfrikson stood at the controls of his machine and watched as a minecart was pushed into position by a pair of strong men and a small pony until it clicked into place against the bumpers and the couplings clicked into place.

"Good, beginning fill." He said clearly and with that he pulled a lever and a belt to his side and the conveyor sprung into motion, pouring a steady stream of clay and pebbles into the cart. "Engaging cutter-head" He said a few seconds latter, engaging the main mechanism of his machine. He watched as beyond it's main bulk the four arms of the mechanism's main array began to rotating in front of him, their small buckets grinding away at solid face ahead, each revolution shaving off more more spoil. Slowly he brought it up to speed and it advanced along the rails. As far as actual movement went was slower than a snail, but by the standards of something digging a three meter wide tunnel it was moving at a remarkable pace. Six minutes latter the mechanism (affectionately known as Krota) had advanced twenty five centimetres and the cart was full. "Alright, disengaging" Dhori said as he turned off the machine and released the coupling.

"Got it." Said the leader of the cart crew. "Come Kapusta." He said to the animal as they pulled the load ahead down the pathway. The full cart would travel down the line for about two hundred meters until the tunnel widened and it would be shunted onto a small train on the down line for disposal while a fresh empty cart would be brought down. If everything went well, Krota and her sister Suslika (which dug a parallel tunnel 10 meters behind and 80 meters to a side from Krota) could dig 1.25 meters in a hour, though they'd have to stop after advancing 3 meters and back up so new props and temporary supports could be put in before the mid section was cleared out, install temporary structural supports of canvas, wire mesh and timber and extend the rails. On a good day the tunnel might advance nine meters on his shift and work continued round the clock. The two tunnels would be combined into a single tunnel nearly seven meters across and there were plans down the line to dig out the bottom.

For someone who'd spent most of his life in a small Dwarfhold, this operation was an odd mix of the sophisticated and the slapdash. The electric boring machines and lighting were all top notch stuff no doubt about it. He'd volunteered for special equipment training two years ago and things like Krota were the reason. Other things such as ventilation and the were also well handled. As was the iron and brickwork which lined the finished combined tunnels. Even so, the rough work done to secure the two pilot tunnel irked him. "If you do something do it right" was a a key Dwarven value and while digging pilot holes were fast and more permanent work was being treated seriously and they were not super deep underground did mitigate things, but building structural elements for the tunnel that would only be up for a few days or at most weeks as things proceed before being replaced irked him. There were other ways of doing this, though they'd be slower.

He'd voiced his concerns to the foreman a few times and there were other Dwarves who'd had similar concerns. Even so, the pay was very good, the machinery itself was a marvel and a privilege to operate and they were part of something huge. The small mine carts operating underground moving spoil were impressive enough, but they were just a taste of what was to come.

From the Beginning...
Previous: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety Three
Next: Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Ninety Five