Chapter 1374
Li Aiguo Breaks World Record, Senior Chicken Family Engineer, Depressed Little Notebook
On the road, the foreign trade department staff looked in the direction of the sound, paused for a moment, and then understood.
"Mr. Louis, are you referring to the trains on that circular track?"
That must be our locomotive depot conducting tests on the new electric train.
"Electric train?"
"The thing is, our Beijing subway is about to be completed, but we have been struggling to find suitable subway trains."
And so, the locomotive depot's workshop rose to the challenge and independently developed a new type of electric train.
Officer Wang explained with a smile.
If there are no suitable subway trains, should we develop a new model ourselves?
Louis felt as if the young Eastern comrade before him was in Versailles.
However, when he heard the words "Front Gate Locomotive Depot Workshop," his eyes lit up instantly.
"You mean... the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop led by Comrade Li Aiguo?"
"Sir, you also know Comrade Li Aiguo?" Officer Wang visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Louis is an old-fashioned man with a bad temper and strict requirements; the foreign affairs personnel in France have already reminded them of this.
"Comrade Li Aiguo's name is widely known in our Gallic family!"
Not to mention the railway signaling system he developed.
The fact that he spearheaded the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic in our area alone is enough for me to pay him the highest respect.
Louis sighed.
As he spoke, Mr. Louis pointed to his legs.
"I went to the battlefield back then, and my knees suffered severe frostbite in the trenches."
For many years, I have suffered from unbearable pain on rainy days, and despite seeing many famous doctors, I have never been able to find relief.
"I feel so much better now, after using your amazing acupuncture treatment!"
Upon hearing these words, Officer Wang finally relaxed completely.
After the traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture clinic went overseas, it quickly became popular in the local area.
In just a few months, the French opened over a hundred branches, becoming a veritable symbol of the East.
However, Louis's main focus was on the electric train.
He posed several technical questions in succession, but unfortunately, Wang, the clerk, knew very little about the technical aspects and could only shake his head helplessly.
Not getting the answer he wanted, Louis was itching to ask, "Comrade Wang, may I visit the electric train experiment later?"
"Well... I need to report to my superiors and ask for instructions first."
Wang, the clerk, was surprised that Louis would make such a request and did not dare to agree.
Who knows if the visit might lead to a leak of confidential information?
Louis nodded understandingly: "Then I'll trouble you to make the trip."
At this moment, Li Aiguo, who was at the testing site, was unaware of these things, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
Because the speed of subway trains has now soared to 60 kilometers per hour.
Keep in mind that in those days, even the top speed of locomotives running on main lines in China was no more than that.
What's more, they are currently on a circular railway track used for testing.
Even the slightest mistake could lead to an accident.
The technicians nearby were checking the instruments, and they were all on tenterhooks.
Leader Teng, however, appeared calm and collected, chatting casually with Li Aiguo while looking ahead.
"Comrade Patriot, what's the top speed of our train?"
"Reporting to the leader! According to the theoretical design parameters, its top speed can reach 350 kilometers per hour!"
However, for safety reasons, we will be implementing speed limits later.
In actual operation inside a subway tunnel, the fastest speed will not exceed 80 kilometers per hour.
The average operating speed can be maintained at approximately 60 kilometers per hour.
Upon hearing this data, Leader Teng was slightly taken aback.
It's important to understand that subway lines are different from regular railways; they have a dense network of stations and countless curves.
Frequent starts and stops make it extremely difficult for subway trains to accelerate.
Take, for example, the subway trains that the Big Brother is so proud of.
Their thing has a top speed of no more than 50 kilometers per hour, and an average speed of only 30 kilometers per hour.
This is actually the advantage of VVVF technology.
The motor has high output power and fast acceleration. Combined with the braking system, it can fully meet the needs of overspeeding.
“Great! As long as the test is successful, I think this new type of electric train can be mass-produced immediately,” Leader Teng said on the spot.
Of course, the prerequisite for all of this is that the test must succeed.
As they were talking, the train smoothly passed a large curve, and ahead lay a straight track.
Li Aiguo started speeding up again.
"60 km/h!"
"70 km/h!"
……
"90 km/h!"
……
Inside the driver's cab, all the technicians were on edge, their eyes glued to the instruments.
"Reporting to the driver! The current is stable!"
"Voltage output is stable!"
"The current collector shoe is making good contact!"
"Spring pressure is normal!"
"Pantograph is working properly!"
Li Aiguo secretly breathed a sigh of relief and manipulated the main controller to continue accelerating.
accelerate!
Speed up!
"150 km/h!"
"180 km/h!"
At this moment, the ministerial leaders and others who were watching the test from a high platform not far away were all stunned by the speed before their eyes.
"My God, that speed is almost 200, right?"
"Incredible! This is the first time in my life I've ever seen a train that fast!"
"Look! It...it's actually accelerating?!"
Although Chief Engineer Liao was very familiar with the parameters of the electric train, he couldn't help but get excited when he saw the electric train's speed increase.
The visual impact was simply indescribable!
"Patriotism has produced something truly remarkable!"
"You guys have come up with something amazing!"
At that moment, on a building in the Changxindian Locomotive Factory, Louis watched the electric train speeding by and wished he could sprout wings and fly over.
As a railway engineer, Louis knew all too well what such high-speed electric trains meant for subways and even rail transport.
"Comrade Wang! How did it go? What was your superior's response?" Louis immediately went up to Wang when he saw him run back and asked impatiently.
"Your superiors have approved your visit to the testing site, but I need to accompany you throughout the visit, and you must remain within my sight during the visit."
"No problem! Absolutely no problem! I understand!"
Louis didn't care about any of that. As long as he could get a close look at the test and see the electric train with its unusually high speed, he was willing to do anything.
This is a passion unique to train enthusiasts.
"Eat like crazy, eat like crazy, eat like crazy. Waaaaah!"
On a straight track.
With the sound of a whistle, the electric train launched its charge.
"210 km/h!"
"220 km/h!"
When Lao Zhang announced these numbers, everyone in the driver's cab was stunned.
At first, the people in the driver's building, including Chief Engineer Zhang, thought Li Aiguo was joking.
I didn't have high hopes for the top speed of 350 km/h.
After all, 350 is just a theoretical figure; the actual operation of an electric train is subject to many objective limitations.
Achieving a speed of over 200 km/h is already a victory.
The train's speed is still increasing.
A thought popped into everyone's mind.
Could it be that they're about to break the world record for the fastest commercial passenger train speed in today's test?!
In this era, the record for the fastest train speed was set by the M-497 "Black Beetle," a jet-powered experimental train from the Mei family.
The top speed is 295.88 km/h.
However, the jet train was only the front of the experimental model.
It's like putting a rocket on a train engine; it's cheating.
There are absolutely no plans to mass-produce and commercialize the Black Beetle.
If we're really talking about world records for mass-produced commercial electric locomotives...
The current holder is actually the prototype of the Shinkansen 1000 from Japan.
On March 30, 1963, the Shinkansen pre-production B-series test train reached a speed of 256 km/h on the Odawara test track.
And now...
As the speedometer needle twitched, everyone's heart was in their throat.
They eagerly hope that this electric train will break the world record.
"255 km/h!"
"257 km/h!"
A cheer erupted from inside the carriage.
"Broken! Broke the world record! We've broken the world record!"
"The world's fastest passenger train has been created by us!"
"Forward, glorious train workers!"
The technicians and engineers cheered excitedly; if the test hadn't been ongoing, they probably would have jumped for joy.
However, the revelry lasted only a few seconds before everyone quickly calmed down and continued to stare at the instruments.
Because... Li Aiguo, sitting in the driver's seat, still hadn't released the accelerator lever!
The train continues to roar!
"260"
"270"
"281"
Seeing that they were about to enter a bend, Li Aiguo felt a pang of regret.
It seems that even the test tracks used for electric trains in those days were still quite different from the Harmony high-speed trains of later generations.
The Harmony high-speed train operates at a commercial speed of 300 kilometers per hour, with a maximum test speed of 487 kilometers per hour.
However, Li Aiguo was not too disappointed.
You have to take things one step at a time.
As they approached the curve, Li Aiguo skillfully applied the brakes, causing the train to slow down rapidly.
Braking is also part of train testing.
Fortunately, this time it went very smoothly, with the speed entering the curve at only fifty kilometers per hour.
"Reporting to the driver! All data are normal!"
"I think we can end the first test now!"
Ring tests of this level often require several consecutive days.
Li Aiguo knew that haste makes waste, and seeing that today's planned test had been completed, he maneuvered the train to stop at the platform.
As soon as Li Aiguo opened the car door and jumped out, the ministerial leaders and Liu Guozhang and others surrounded him.
"What was the top speed just now? I think it was close to 250 km/h?"
Before Li Aiguo could speak, Leader Teng stepped forward and waved his hand, saying, "Comrades! I now officially announce some exciting news to everyone!"
"Just now! The new electric train developed under the leadership of Comrade Li Aiguo has successfully achieved a top speed of 281 kilometers per hour during the loop test!"
"We have completely broken the world record for the fastest commercial passenger train, previously held by the Japanese!"
Wow.
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
The most excited of them all was Chief Engineer Liao.
"Electric trains are the only option for subway trains. We've wanted to do it for a long time, but we don't have the technology."
So much so that I could only find some information from my older brother's house and try to copy it.
Now that Comrade Li Aiguo's electric train has broken the world record, I believe our electric trains will definitely become a reality.
Seeing Chief Engineer Liao with tears streaming down his face, the technicians and engineers present also had tears in their eyes, deeply moved.
Only by experiencing the despair of having nowhere to turn can one truly appreciate the exhilarating feeling of trampling world records underfoot!
After the crowd quieted down, Leader Teng continued, "As everyone has seen, the electric train developed by Comrade Li Aiguo has undoubtedly reached the forefront of the world in terms of technology."
I think we can continue with the subsequent fatigue tests.
"We immediately organized an expert group to discuss the crucial matters of project approval and mass production!"
It's important to understand that in those days, a new train required a lengthy approval process from research and development, testing to final approval and mass production.
Leader Teng's words were tantamount to giving the green light to this new type of electric train!
No one at the scene objected.
After all, everyone just witnessed that the electric train's speed, braking, and stability are all top-notch.
"Patriotic comrade, have you named this electric train yet?"
"No, there isn't one. There's only an internal code name. Boss, why don't you come up with a name for me?"
Li Aiguo said half-jokingly, "This train may appear in history books in the future. You are making history."
"So, I really can't get up now, haha."
In high spirits, Leader Teng pondered for a moment and said, "The biggest feature of this electric train is its speed. I think we should call it the Extreme Speed Oriental Electric Train."
"Great name!" Everyone present nodded in agreement.
Just then, a voice came from afar.
"Halt! Where are you from?"
"Comrade, don't misunderstand, I'm from the foreign trade department, and this is Mr. Louis from France. We have a pass issued by our superiors."
Everyone turned to look and saw the foreign trade officer leading a blond, blue-eyed foreigner over.
Hearing the commotion, Zhou Ke frowned and led his men over.
He carefully checked the documents handed over by Officer Wang, and after confirming that they were correct, he led the two people toward the testing platform.
"Comrade Patriot, here's what happened," the officer from the external department explained.
Li Aiguo listened and smiled nonchalantly.
Others are coming to visit?
Let's go for a visit!
After all, the true core of the high-speed Eastern-type electric train lies in the electric motor and the pantograph.
Without disassembling them, there's no way to understand their structure.
"Welcome! A warm welcome!"
Upon hearing that the other party was a railway colleague from France, Leader Teng, who was standing nearby, took the initiative to step forward and extend his hand.
"You must be the top leader of the railway here. My name is Louis, and I come from the French state-owned railway company. I currently hold the position of chief engineer."
Hearing this, the others around didn't think it was a big deal.
But Teng's expression immediately became more serious.
Those in the know understand the intricacies; as early as 1938, the Gallic people had already completed the nationalization and integration of the national railway system.
All railways were under the control of this state-owned railway company.
In other words, this company's status in their country is almost equivalent to that of the railway department in China!
"Sir, may I ask Comrade Li Aiguo to show me around this electric train?" Louis asked with a smile.
“Of course, no problem!” Leader Teng turned to look at Li Aiguo.
"Comrade Patriot, then I'll trouble you to be Mr. Louis's guide."
“That’s only right,” Li Aiguo nodded.
Anyway, the first phase of extreme testing has been completed.
The data processing will take a while, and Li Aiguo doesn't have anything else to do right now.
Because they needed to rush back to attend an important summary meeting, Leader Teng and several other ministry leaders left the ring road ahead of time.
Li Aiguo led Louis to the electric train and gave him a brief introduction to the train.
“Li, from your introduction just now… so you’ve completely mastered VVVF technology?!” Louis’s eyes widened as he listened.
It's worth noting that when the French were building their 25kV AC electrified railway, they also ambitiously considered using VVVF technology.
To this end, they even organized a large number of the country's top engineers to tackle the technical challenges.
But what was the result? A complete mess!
Because the technical barriers were too high, they had no choice but to give up and use resistor voltage regulation instead.
"You could say that, but there's still a lot of room for improvement," Li Aiguo said modestly.
"So just now... during that final straight sprint, what was its top speed?" Louis asked the most crucial question.
“281 kilometers per hour,” Li Aiguo said calmly.
"."
Louis's breathing became rapid.
281 kilometers per hour?!
This has already broken the world record!
What did this kid just say? There's still a lot of room for optimization?!
But upon closer reflection, Louis realized that this guy had accomplished many things that shocked the world, and he understood.
At this point, Louis asked an even more crucial question.
"Li, if I'm not mistaken... your electric train system will probably be exported in the future, right?"
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo was also taken aback.
The French are currently planning an east-west intercity express rail line for the Paris region.
This is a major artery connecting the old city of Saint-Germain in the western suburbs with the city of Vincennes in the eastern suburbs.
A new underground tunnel needs to be excavated in the middle section, traversing the entire core area of Paris and connecting a series of prime locations such as the La Défense district, the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera House, and the Châtelet transport hub.
Because of the long distance and the need to pass through underground tunnels, there are two requirements for electric trains.
One is its speed.
The other is safety.
The high-speed Eastern-type electric train fully meets the demand.
"This requires approval from higher authorities, Mr. Louis. It's a rare opportunity for you to come all this way. Come, let me show you around."
Li Aiguo never expected that the electric train he had just developed would be sought after.
He laughed and led Louis onto the high-speed Oriental-type electric train.
As soon as Louis stepped into the driver's seat, the last vestige of doubt in his mind vanished instantly.
The entire driver's cab was designed as an independent, enclosed, and well-organized cabin with a spacious and square interior, completely devoid of any cramped or oppressive feeling.
The main control panel is located in the center, with the main speed control handle, air brake valve, and power brake adjustment lever arranged in a row according to the operating sequence.
The dashboard is also clearly laid out. The top row contains dedicated power monitoring gauges such as grid voltage, traction current, and motor voltage, while the bottom row contains auxiliary equipment parameters such as wind pressure, total wind pressure, and oil temperature.
These seemingly simple layouts are enough to illustrate an important issue.
This is a real electric train!
The SNCF of the blast furnace is actually a modified internal combustion engine. The space of the driver's cab at both ends is squeezed into a small and cramped area, and the control panel can only be squeezed to one side.
This is similar to electric cars in later generations.
Some are developed from scratch based on pure electric platforms.
Some of these "oil-to-electric" conversions were initiated in an effort to seize market share.
Although they are all called trams, an expert can tell which is superior at a glance!
Although the entire visit was short, Li Aiguo only led Louis on a cursory tour.
But the more Louis looked, the more terrified he became.
What alarmed Louis even more was that this electric train was not only fast, but also equipped with a variety of safety redundancy mechanisms!
In particular, the alarm system developed by Li Aiguo.
If a train experiences a sudden malfunction inside a tunnel, this system can instantly send the fault code and location signal to the external command center!
This is extremely helpful for tunnel rescue.
"Patriotic comrade, someone once told me that your development on electric trains was very slow, but now it seems that was all nonsense."
"This is all thanks to everyone's hard work. Mr. Louis, that concludes our tour for today."
At this moment, Chief Engineer Liao came over with his technicians to report on the inspection. Li Aiguo glanced at the time and smiled as he said, "It's almost time."
"No problem, today has truly been an eye-opening experience for me! Thank you, Li!"
Although Louis was reluctant to leave, he was escorted back to the Friendship Hotel by the foreign trade department staff.
As soon as Louis returned to his room, he picked up the phone.
"Connect me to headquarters in Paris! This is Louis. It's extremely urgent; I need to speak with the general manager immediately!"
"Your Excellency General Manager! I strongly suggest that we must immediately import a batch of their latest high-speed Eastern-type electric trains from the East!"
Use it to replace the MP59s we're currently using!
Across from him, the general manager of the state-owned railway company looked puzzled.
Louis, are you out of your mind?
Just recently, didn't you strongly suggest that we import the Shinkansen Type 1000 locomotive from Japan?
You said that kind of electric train is extremely fast and is currently the most advanced in the world.
I've already sent a special negotiation team to meet with Mr. Nohara of Japan's JNR!
"General Manager! The situation has changed! That was before!"
Louis was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.
"Let me tell you this, just now! Just half an hour ago!"
I personally witnessed their electric train, named 'Extreme Speed East,' reach a world speed record of 281 kilometers per hour on the test track in the East!
"Not only that! Its body structure, VVVF speed control system, and especially its safety redundancy features, are practically tailor-made for our RER project..."
Louis reported everything he had just seen and heard to the general manager without reservation.
I listened for a good ten minutes.
The general manager on the other end of the phone finally fell silent.
After a long silence, he took a deep breath: "Louis, are you sure every word you've said is true?"
I swear in the name of God!
"it is good!"
The general manager made a decisive decision: "You will be fully responsible for handling the specific negotiations regarding the introduction of Dongfang!"
As for the Japanese... I'll immediately recall the negotiating delegation from Tokyo!
****
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Tokyo, at the JNR headquarters building.
Senior Vice President Rin Takahashi's mood at this moment was even brighter than the cherry blossoms outside.
Back then, they faced immense pressure and overcame all opposition to decide to invest heavily in developing the Shinkansen 1000 locomotive.
Now, this seed of hope has finally borne abundant fruit!
It not only earned the title of the world's fastest train, but also attracted the attention of many major clients.
For example, Lucas, who is about to hold a second round of talks, represents the French National SNCF. Once the purchase order is completed, JNR will not only receive a large sum of money, but its reputation will also be fully established.
More importantly, once this deal is finalized, the bigwigs of the Remnant Clan Association will definitely look at him with new respect.
His status within the company will inevitably rise, reaching the pinnacle of power!
As for the negotiations failing?
Sorry, Rin Takahashi never even considered that possibility.
Because in this field, they are currently the undisputed world hegemon!
This time, in order to develop the Shinkansen 1000, JNR coordinated several large machinery and vehicle manufacturers from smaller Japanese companies, including Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kinki Motor Corporation.
The Shinkansen 1000 is the world's most advanced electric train.
"How's the setup for the main reception room going? This is related to a multi-million dollar contract, so we absolutely can't afford to make any mistakes in any detail!"
"Hi! Your Excellency Vice President, everything is ready, and the standards are top-notch!" The secretary bowed respectfully.
"Alright. Judging by the time, Mr. Lucas's car should be arriving soon. We should go down and greet it."
Rin Takahashi took the suit from his secretary and put it on.
Just as I was about to leave the office, a senior executive rushed in.
"No...something terrible has happened! Your Excellency Vice President! Something catastrophic has occurred!"
"Baka! What's the panic? What kind of behavior is this!" Takahashi Rin frowned and scolded sternly.
“Mr. Lucas just called and said… said he’s canceling today’s meeting!”
"What?! Is it a price issue? Tell Mr. Lucas that we are friends with the French, and the price is negotiable." Takahashi Rin's smile instantly froze.
"No, I heard that the East has developed a very fast electric train?"
"How fast is it? It can even surpass our Shinkansen."
Upon hearing the sound of an electric train from the east, Takahashi Rin smiled dismissively.
Those peasants were just their defeated foe.
Even if they've developed in the last two years, so what? Can they really compete with them?!
"No... Your Excellency, intelligence indicates that their top speed... reached 281 kilometers per hour..."
"."
Rin Takahashi, who was laughing wildly just a second ago, suddenly stopped laughing, like an old rooster whose neck had been grabbed.
His face instantly changed from red to white, and then from white to green, a truly spectacular sight.
"281 kilometers?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Rin Takahashi seemed to have completely lost her mind.
This must be fake news!
How could people from the East possibly build such a fast electric train?!
That's absolutely impossible.
Takahashi Rin quickly regained his composure and said to the executive, "Contact the newspaper immediately. I want to expose the Easterners' conspiracy!"
(End of this chapter)