The train

Table of Contents

The English may have invented the locomotives, but they were too hesitant and frightful to make use of it. We were not so timorous and immediately saw the advantage in having train lines covering the kingdom and transporting our troops to the border as soon as they are needed! We are the world leaders in the development of trains and the English and Austrian keeping bombing our lines is not going to change that!

— Sergeant

The lines

The building of the first railway on the European continent was started during King Napoléon's reign. It was stopped shortly for the 1814 and the 1815 wars but was able to continue afterwards under King Louis XVIII since the kingdom managed to avoid having to pay reparations. It was finally achieved and opened in 1817.
This first line joins the cities of Lyon and Saint-Étienne. For the occasion, the first train station of Lyon, the gare du Bourbonnais, was built. The first trains were dragged by horses and were used to transport coal from its place of production (Saint-Étienne) to Lyon to be used and sold.
Similar train lines were built in mining regions such as the North of France, especially after the Southern Netherlands and the city of Lille were conquered by France, making Lille-Paris one of the most important lines in the kingdom. Another important line is the Paris-Lyon-Marseille, which was the occasion to build a new train station in Lyon, the gare Perrache.
Beyond the transport of goods, trains also transport passengers and, in an era of constant wars between France and its neighbours, they have been essential in quickly bringing troops to the border in answer to yet another invasion attempt.
The second goal of the train was moralistic and political by linking "backward region" to the capital and bringing them by force into modernity. Thus, the lines having been developed have been those linking Paris to regional capitals and border towns, as well as linked borders towns together.

The first trains in Lyon (passengers, goods, coal with horses or with locomotive) by Wikimedia Commons

Gare Bourbonnais by Wikimedia Commons

Louis XVIII and Charles X were really bad leaders, frightened of modernity and hoping to relive the glory of the Ancient Regime. It is a miracle that we manage to force them to continue building the lines that were started under King Napoléon! Thankfully, when King Lucien came into power in 1830, he took the matters in his own hands and greatly accelerated the building of new lines.

— Sergeant

Development of train lines in France by modified from Ulamm

The power

Trains are towed by locomotives with a steam engine in which coal gives both a mechanical and magical source of power (see The new French steam battleships: the Napoléon-class ships-of-the-line for the engine and Flame-retardant technology for the magical working). The mechanical power is obtained by the steam triggering the movement of pistons, which is transmitted to its wheels.
The magical power is directed towards the outside walls of the train which are covered in runes that glow while working. These runes power wards whose main aim is to reduce the air resistance of the train so as to increase its speed, as well as to provide some protection in case of collision or derailment. What magic is left is then redirected towards the comfort of the passengers, mostly through temperature control, but also to lessen noise and smell.

And we can all be thankful for those wards, because the noise of those great beasts is absolutely terrible! Having last minute war meeting inside of them is stressful as it, no need to make conversation inaudible as well!

— Sergeant

The carriages

Passenger trains are made of different types of carriages. Second-class carriages are made of one long carriage filled with rows of benches on the left and right, with an allay separating them. The left and right walls are covered with windows opening on the outside by lowering the upper part of the windows, and there is a door to the outside in the middle of the left side.
Benches are made of wood. Two benches are fixed to the ground with their back against each other and another bench facing them with only a small space between them. This results in an uncomfortable travel, as passengers have their knees against another person. In addition, they are squeezed against each other with each jolt of the train. Luggage is placed below each bench and kept from moving around the whole carriage by hitting passengers' legs.
First-class carriages are also entered through a door in the middle of the left wall, although it gives into a narrow corridor running the length of the carriage. On the side opposite the entrance is a series of doors, each leading into individual compartments.
Compartments are furnished with two benches opposing each other. Those seats are a lot more comfortable as in second-class as the benches are covered with velvet cushions. Opposing the entrance of the compartments are windows under which a small table is fixed against the wall.
While second-class tickets are cheap and affordable for exceptional travel for most of the population of the kingdom, first-class tickets are extremely expensive and so only bought by members of the nobility and bourgeoisie. During troop transport, most soldier go in second-class carriages while superior officers use first-class carriage.

First-class train compartment

A train carriage by Fibo.cdn

Second-class train carriage

Corridor of a first-class train compartment

This is one of those times when you can appreciate social strata and the benefit of having wasted your youth with studies. All those little idiots in the rank and files are less of a smart-ass now!

— Sergeant