The Arren Deposit & Trust had solved the financial logistics, but the physical reality of moving mountains of steel and grain was now the biggest constraint on the Arren Industrial Syndicate's growth. The Efficiency Carts were superior, but they still required animal power and were limited by volume.
"We are selling 10,000 pike heads, Hemlock," Alex explained, pacing his study. "That's dozens of carts, hundreds of oxen, and weeks of travel time. To secure the next contract, we need to move ten times that volume in one-tenth the time."
The solution was obvious, but terrifyingly complex in this medieval environment: the railroad.
Alex knew the key to the railway was eliminating the massive rolling resistance of loose earth and traditional carts. He called in Garth, the Master Steelworker, and presented the idea of a fixed track.
"Garth, we are going to use our lowest-grade pig iron to forge thousands of L-shaped rails," Alex instructed, drawing a cross-section.
"These rails must be perfectly uniform and laid on a foundation of crushed stone to eliminate mud and prevent shifting."
Garth stared at the drawing. "My Lord, you want to cover the ground with metal? It is a colossal waste of iron! Why not just pave the road?"
"Paving is inefficient, Garth. Paving is for random traffic," Alex countered. "The fixed rail eliminates directional waste. It allows us to pull a single, massive train of carts, instead of dozens of individual carts."
The farmers were initially skeptical, calling the rails "metal snakes." Alex paid his certified Foremen bonuses to supervise the construction, ensuring the rails were laid straight, level, and standardized to a fixed gauge (a width he calculated to maximize stability and minimize material use).
***
The Syndicate started by laying a short, two-mile track connecting the riverside Blast Furnace directly to the Refining Forge at the manor. For the hauling power, Alex chose the most readily available brute force: oxen.
He designed new wagons specifically for the rails. They featured cast iron wheels with a flange—a lip that kept the wheels from slipping off the track. The wheels were, of course, built to the same standardized gauge as the rails.
When the first "train" was ready, they used a single, large ox to pull five of the new wagons, coupled together with strong steel links. The load was concentrated: the ox easily pulled a weight that would have required ten oxen on the standard, rutted road.
The labor savings were staggering. The throughput of pig iron from the furnace to the forge jumped by 800%. The Arren Fief was suddenly drowning in semi-finished steel.
**
The true genius of the railway, however, lay in its political application.
Alex needed to extend the line beyond his borders, straight to the trade hub of Silverstream. This required crossing Baron Tarsus's land—the same Baron who had already granted him a simple road easement.
Alex didn't ask Tarsus to contribute to the cost. He simply offered to extend the line, free of charge, to Tarsus's main gate.
Baron Tarsus was hesitant. "It's ugly, Viscount! And why would I want your noisy carts cutting across my hunting lands?"
"Because, Baron, I will be transporting 100 tons of steel and grain a day," Alex said, presenting a new contract. "The railway will be the most valuable asset in the region. I will charge a small fee—a tariff—to any merchant who uses my rail line to transport goods across your land. We can split that tariff 50/50, simply for the privilege of the rail crossing your territory."
Tarsus saw the opportunity: passive income generated by someone else's infrastructure, simply for sitting on his land. He signed the contract.
The moment the Arren rail line reached Silverstream, bypassing the old merchant routes and docking directly into the market district, the Merchant Guilds knew they were truly defeated. Alex had not only beaten them on price and finance, but he had rendered their very logistics model obsolete.
The Arren Industrial Syndicate controlled the fastest, cheapest method of moving goods in the entire kingdom.
Next priority: The railway and the Syndicate's massive expansion have attracted the attention of the Royal Court again. This time, the Duke won't send an auditor; he'll send a lawmaker to control this new technology.