Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 11 Armed Train Phase 1

"Don't worry, I won't sell you out. However, resources are limited, everyone on the train needs to work, and anyone boarding from now on will have to get my permission."

Su Huan offered a meaningful reminder.

In his previous life, Qi Xiaoba adopted many orphans from the apocalypse.

He can accept the Eighth Prince and the Holy Mother, but only within the limits permitted by him, to stabilize the team's morale.

He didn't want his perfectly good armed train to turn into a mobile orphanage.

"Alright, let's talk about what we're going to do next." Su Huan clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention.

"We will stay here until tomorrow morning, and then go to the steel mill to get a batch of steel to reinforce the train."

Su Huan turned his gaze to Yu Jing. "I need you to design a preliminary plan for the train's modification. The modification will cover all the carriages, and the goal is to withstand a large zombie horde while also reserving space for the later installation of weapons."

Yu Jing lowered her head in deep thought.

Su Huan frowned. "Can't you do it?"

Yu Yue, standing to the side, looked at her daughter with some nervousness.

"No, I took a look around this morning and I already have a preliminary renovation plan that should meet your goals."

Yu Jing looked directly into Su Huan's eyes, her phoenix eyes sparkling.

Su Huan was secretly delighted, but said calmly, "Tell me about it."

Yu Jing cleared her throat. "The main steel plate of the front of the car is between 15-25mm thick, the front bumper can reach 20-25mm, the side is 15-20mm, and the roof is about 15mm. It seems very thick, but this old-fashioned A3 carbon steel is not very impact resistant."

“Ordinary carbon-based life forms cannot stop a moving train, but since it is the end of the world, we must consider the most extreme scenario. If an elephant appears on the tracks, the current locomotive will inevitably be damaged if it crashes into it. If it crashes into the side steel plate, it may even tear it apart.”

"This morning we welded 30° angled steel plates, which can push aside track obstacles and low-level zombie hordes, but it's far from enough. I think the front of the train should have additional ramming angles."

"It can violently smash through even evolved beasts like Bloodhound!"

Yu Jing clenched her fist and made a charging gesture; the bloodhound this morning had left a deep impression on her.

"Then came the reinforcement of the carriages."

"The old-style green carriages are actually only about 3-5mm thick, including the side walls, most of them are 3mm thick. The rest is the heat insulation and inner lining, which are the parts that need to be strengthened. I suggest using 1.2cm steel plates for welding."

"Then we use a honeycomb buffer layer inside to increase the thickness. Although it will take up a lot of space, the safety of the train is definitely more important than its load-bearing capacity."

"There are too many windows on the carriages. I suggest sealing the storage carriages with steel plates. For some windows that need light, use explosion-proof mesh to make light-transmitting grilles. But all windows should have an additional 10mm steel plate installed inside to ensure that no light source inside the carriage can leak out."

Su Huan imagined Yu Jing's plan in his mind, and many points coincided with his own.

The statement that safety is more important than load capacity resonated deeply with him.

"That's a very good idea. Could you briefly explain your thoughts on the roof and the connecting axle?"

Yu Jing took a sip of cola and continued, "My idea for the carriage roof is to use offense as defense. The carriage body is already very tall. Because of the air conditioning, even the ordinary carriages are 4.8 meters high, comparable to a small city wall."

"I plan to build a bridge on the second carriage, which is the second floor of the sightseeing car, to connect to the roof of the carriages behind it and create a combat platform."

That's the general idea.

Her words were crisp and incisive. There was not a trace of shyness or hesitation; just like in an interview, she showcased her strengths and professionalism to the fullest.

Most importantly, Yu Jing didn't just talk the talk; she also produced a sheet of scratch paper filled with densely written calculations.

The above lists the material dimensions required to arm all the carriages.

Three thousand standard steel plates, each 1.25m x 2.5m in length.

Although it's just a rough estimate, it's still quite impressive.

Su Huan looked at Yu Jing, who seemed confident, and his eyes lit up slightly, his appreciation for her undisguised.

"The overall design is acceptable. I have two points to make. First, in addition to the corners, I would like to add a weeding function. I don't know if you have noticed, but a kind of red mutated plant has already grown on the ground."

"I suspect this plant may become ubiquitous in the future, and if it grows on railway tracks, it will greatly slow down trains."

"Secondly, the roof must be thickened. You have already seen the Bloodhounds today. A height of four or five meters is nothing to evolved beasts. The plan for the rooftop combat platform can be retained, but the strength of the carriages and roof must be increased."

"That concludes the first phase of the Armed Train project. Do you have anything to add?"

Su Huan asked.

Yu Jing said a lot in one breath, and now she doesn't answer, no one seems to be thinking about it.

The boy hesitated for a moment, looked around, and seeing that no one was going to speak, he finally opened his mouth and said, "If it's to stop zombies, why not add some spikes or something on both sides of the train?"

"The spikes are too small and easily break. They have a strong visual effect, but they are not practical for dealing with zombies, which have no sense of pain. However, we can weld some steel bars to prevent them from climbing and also serve as protective bars."

Yu Jing, who seemed to be distracted, immediately gave professional feedback.

Su Huan encouraged, "Xiao Ba's suggestion is very good. By the way, I'm curious about how large an area of ​​metal you can manipulate?"

Upon hearing this question, everyone looked at Qi Xiaoba.

A soup spoon on the wall suddenly floated up into the air without any external force.

"My ability is called metal manipulation. I can influence all metals through the energy within my body, including things like levitation and... flight."

Su Huan raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

Indeed, it is a talent that inspires envy.

In his previous life, Su Huan guessed that Xiao Ba's ability was "metal control," otherwise it would be impossible for him to manipulate metal so skillfully.

He had also seen other "manipulators," but their core traits were simply "metal affinity" and "fire affinity."

While the ability to control metals, a high-level skill, can be developed later through gene-based drugs, the chances are extremely low.

The ladle spun smoothly around the carriage before returning to everyone's view.

“In this mode, the heavier the metal, the more energy it consumes. If you want to change it…” The metal spoon gradually thinned, and the wooden handle automatically detached, being held in place on the table by the metal sheet. “The energy consumed is affected by the strength of the metal. The harder the metal, the more energy is required to change it.”

"Similarly, complex operations also consume a lot of energy, but I have not tried to push my abilities to the limit."

Qi Xiaoba gave a brief summary, giving everyone a clear impression of his abilities.

(End of this chapter)