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MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware

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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by lyonheart   » Thu May 10, 2012 2:20 am

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Hi PeterZ,

We have textev that steam engines are being constructed, RFC has told us they will be put in ships etc, but we have yet to see the first unveiled.

Will we see it unveiled or have it mentioned only in passing?

How do you think it will be presented?

L


PeterZ wrote:That might work or that way may be to hilly. Of course, now they can simply build a railroad. I imagine that would be cheaper to do. The Telesberg to Whitechurch line, first RR on Safehold. All Aboard!

AClone wrote:
FriarBob wrote:
In theory it's a good idea.

In reality, there's a little problem. It's called "one hell of a lot of VERY big mountains in the way".

There may be a way to go around them.

Yes. It's called "going south of them". Due west of Tellesburg (and for some distance northward), there are no mountains. Take another look at your map. [G]
Any snippet or post from RFC is good if not great!
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by PeterZ   » Thu May 10, 2012 9:18 am

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I think RFC will let out his tech geek shortly with the steam engine description. Water tube boilers are interesting bits of machinery after all.

I hope that Seamount will be inspecting it as it is being installed into the River class Ironclad. I further hope that we will be introduced to his new wunderkind at the same time. RFC may tease us with some tidbits about his more ambitious plans for an ocean going steamer.

It may be introduced at Housmyn's, but that doesn't seem right. What we will see there is a discussion on steam locomotives or some other labor saving device, I think.

lyonheart wrote:Hi PeterZ,

We have textev that steam engines are being constructed, RFC has told us they will be put in ships etc, but we have yet to see the first unveiled.

Will we see it unveiled or have it mentioned only in passing?

How do you think it will be presented?

L
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by Alistair   » Fri May 11, 2012 3:06 am

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How good will the steel armour be?

Any guesses?

Will it be impervous to shell fire or just very,very resistant?
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by kbus888   » Fri May 11, 2012 8:36 am

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My vote is for Very Resistant.

R

Alistair wrote:How good will the steel armour be?

Any guesses?

Will it be impervous to shell fire or just very,very resistant?
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by PeterZ   » Fri May 11, 2012 9:58 am

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I recall in a previous post RFC discussed the relative strength of the different grades of steel. He mentioned that only 60% of face hardened steel (Harvery Armour?) was needed to provide the same protection as a given thickness of iron.

Three inches of face hardened nickle-steel equates to ~7.65" of iron armor. Although face hardening takes time, it does provide a very nice protection to weight ratio for both the retrofits and the River class boats. So, my guess is that they go for the face hardened armor for all their ships.

Alistair wrote:How good will the steel armour be?

Any guesses?

Will it be impervous to shell fire or just very,very resistant?
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by Captain Igloo   » Fri May 11, 2012 3:28 pm

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Hmmmmm - additional Cory process? Krupp cemented nickel-steel? Nickel-Chrome steel?

Corey (a process named for W.E. Corey, superintendent of the Amior Plate Department) strengthened a plate by subjecting it to a second forging after it bad been face-hardened by the Harvey process. Although frequently referred to as the Corey process, reforging was probably developed simultaneously at the Bethlehem and Homestead steel works. The cementite formed during the Harvey process is not only hard, but also brittle. This brittleness actually weakens the armor plate's ballistic resistance. The Corey process uses the forging press to break up the cementite crystals into smaller grains with a more uniform distribution. When combined with additional heat treatments such as tempering, reforging yielded a substantially stronger and less brittle face composed of tempered martensite. Developed around 1894, IIRC.
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by Alistair   » Fri May 11, 2012 11:09 pm

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The reason I ask is that it is possible that the ships will be asked to go deep into enemy territory to disrupt the TL army logistics.

If that is the case I could see hundreds of guns positioned along the canals pummeling the ironclads into submission- that is of course if armour is vulnerable to heavy direct fire.
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by Dutch46   » Fri May 11, 2012 11:59 pm

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Alistair wrote:The reason I ask is that it is possible that the ships will be asked to go deep into enemy territory to disrupt the TL army logistics.

If that is the case I could see hundreds of guns positioned along the canals pummeling the ironclads into submission- that is of course if armour is vulnerable to heavy direct fire.


Every ship is vulnerable to some type of attack. If these ironclads are indeed going to be used in canals in which there is little or no room for evasive maneuvers I can see the CoGA going the Swiss route. As the ship goes by what looks like a farmers barn close to the canal, the doors swing open and reveal a large artillery piece that is in the process of being fired. The hit may or may not sink the ship outright but it will surely put a crimp in their day.
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by AClone   » Sat May 12, 2012 5:59 pm

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Has RFC mentioned the dimensions of Safeholdian canals? Not to underestimate the ingenuity of their engineers, but just out of curiosity, I looked up the Erie Canal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal

The original canal was 363 miles (584 km) long, from Albany on the Hudson to Buffalo on Lake Erie. The channel was a cut 40 feet (12 m) wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, with removed soil piled on the downhill side to form a walkway called the towpath. Canal boats, up to 3.5 feet (1.1 m) in draft, were pulled by horses and mules on the towpath.

runsforcelery wrote:
“River-class” Ironclads)

Displacement: 1,200 tons (normal); 1,992 tons (max load)

Dimensions: 140'x40'x6' (normal draft); 140'x40'x10' (draft w/max designed fuel); Freeboard = 11.5 feet at design displacement.



The substantial disparity in draft suggests to me that these really are river gunboats, not intended for canals. Not least considering how many rivers there are--and how few gunboats have been made. Shoot, for a canal, just stick a couple of cannon on a barge, Same effect.
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Re: MASSIVE SPOILER about next book hardware
Post by jeremyr   » Sat May 12, 2012 6:02 pm

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It would be easier to just fill in the canal several miles ahead, then when the ships go by, fill it in behind. Then they could probably even drain it to strand the boat. I think ships operating with the army in canals would be very vulnerable if they got too far away from ground forces.
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