Trundler Operation
Overview
"Might want to start up the Meissner engine." Allarah suggested before directing Gruist to the amenities car. They needed to tend to Laemon.The trundler's engine growled as Morkun called Misha, Em, and Stenem to the primary engine cab. Tskhan passed through on his way to the front railing, and saw them going over the safety checks of the Meissner engine before activating it. "It's potentially been years since this was turned on, let's be delicate about it," Morkun warned.Allarah felt the familiar thrum of the Meissner engine cycling up, a hum that built up as much in bones as in ears before leveling out and quieting down. There was definitely some shakiness to it, but even that died out as Morkun and the Gearhearts equalized the field. The houses began to rush by."Careful on the engines," Narissa ordered ad hoc over the coms. "We're not out of the houses yet and I'd rather not crash into one."
What it is
A Trundler is a series of cars combined in train fashion.
Each compartment is 10 ft. tall inside, 15. ft tall outside and 40 ft long. It is fitted with a radio that can be used to communicate with any other car. The coms can be used to talk directly to any car or all, but in the case of private calls anyone can pick up the handset on their end and listen. They double as short-wave radio and have a 2 hour charge, but aren’t super good.
On the outside of each car there is railing About a meter wide. It can be folded up onto the side of the train.
It has rail connections that allow it to follow the established rails, but it may also lower its treads and take side paths and civilian roads.
Factors
During any journey via Trundler, there are several factors the user will need to manage, including, but not limited to:
Amenities
- Heat
- Power
- Food and Water
Dangers
- Ghosts
- Undead
- Monsters
- Marauders
- Other
Systems
- Battery Arrays
- Meissner Engines
- Meta-Immo Field Generator
- Engine cars
Dangers
Power sources attract ghosts. The more power the more they’re attracted.
The sunlight creates just enough energy that the ghosts are scared off by it.
Energy Gain
Each Trundler generates 4 unit of power per hour of direct sunlight, and has slots for up to 10 energy cells. You start with 52 energy cells and 4 gatherers (i.e. solar panels), 1 gatherer every 2 cars save the caboose and the motor unit. A deployed gatherer adds difficulty to the Trundler’s movement, and can tip it entirely in bad conditions. At dawn, dusk, or in poor weather conditions, gather rate is halved, and drops to 0 in total darkness. Though the gatherers are heavy and may tip the vehicle, each gatherer deployed will raise gather rate. It's recommended to come to a complete halt to charge the batteries of the Trundler when energy is running low.
Energy Use
Driving takes 2 units per car per hour. The Meissner Engine takes 1 unit per car per hour, heating/Electricity costs 1 unit per car per hour, and the ghost deflector takes 2 units per car per hour active.
Meissner Engine
Activating the Meissner Engine costs 1 Unit Per-Car Per-Hour. When on it negates the weight of the cargo and raises the max speed of the Trundler by 30 mph.
Engineering Check: Overclocking the Meissner Engine could cause the Trundler to become too light, which would result in easy tippage, sliding, and other damages.
- Motor Unit
- Somnolent Quarters
- Syndicate Quarters
- Comfort Car
- Hedon Quarters
- Pact Quarters
- Med Car
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