The Fox of France - Chapter 268: The Train

“Ah, indeed. There’s one more matter, Mr. Watt. After this Paris exposition, I’d like to invite you to give a lecture at the University of Paris,” Joseph Fouché remarked.

This, too, was a grand proposal, and Mr. Watt had no reason to decline. He replied, “The University of Paris is one of the most renowned educational institutions in the world. Speaking there would be the culmination of my lifetime dreams—of course, I say this only half-seriously. Even if time is scarce, I will make sure to squeeze some out. After all, what could be more important than this?”

Joseph was delighted. “Mr. Watt, it’s settled then. Oh, by the way, Mr. Watt, now that our official business is concluded, I have some personal matters to discuss with you.”

Mr. Watt perked up. He knew that while their official dealings were crucial, these personal matters might be even more substantial. In a way, Joseph Bonaparte had become an idol in the British scientific community. Countless aspiring scientists looked up to him, not just because he was one of the most brilliant minds of his time but also because he was the most financially successful scientist of his era. Everyone knew that Joseph, as the head of the “military-industrial complex” in France, had amassed a considerable fortune.

Mr. Watt, too, was a scientist skilled at making money, but he believed that Joseph had outshone him in that aspect even more than in scientific research. Given Joseph Bonaparte’s influence in the economic sphere, it was likely that he had played a significant role in the success of the “Paris Exposition.” So, while official business was essential, these personal matters were probably more substantial.

Mr. Watt leaned forward, shifting his posture on the sofa. “Mr. Bonaparte, feel free to share your concerns.”

“Ah, Mr. Watt, I understand that you and your partners operate a company that produces steam engines. Furthermore, your company has extensive collaborations with the Lorraine Steel Company. Well, Mr. Watt, our Lorraine Steel Company is currently facing a bottleneck in steel production.”

“Mr. Watt, if you’ve visited the Lorraine Steel booth today, I’m sure you understand the immense demand for our steel. We hardly ever worry about sales. In fact, our steel orders are often booked months in advance, even with our factories operating at full tilt. So, why not build more steel plants to increase production capacity?” said young Boulton, who was accompanying them.

“Mr. Boulton, the problem isn’t a lack of steel furnaces or mining capacity. The issue lies in our inability to transport enough ore to the steel plants,” Joseph explained. “Whether it’s iron ore or coal, we can’t rely solely on water transport to deliver them directly to the factories. There’s always some distance from the docks to the factories, and not all mines are situated near rivers. Transporting these resources from the mines to the docks involves a significant overland journey.”

“Mr. Boulton, Mr. Watt, you know that the wagons used to transport ore are heavily loaded, requiring numerous draft animals and specialized tracks. The tracks aren’t a problem, but the number of draft animals poses a significant challenge. Rearing a large number of draft animals also demands substantial resources and manpower, making it a costly affair.”

“So, I have an idea. Your company possesses a wealth of valuable expertise in steam power and transmission. We hope to collaborate with your company to develop a steam-powered transportation technology. To be more explicit, we’d like to work with you to create a steam-powered rail transport system that could replace horse-drawn ore wagons.”

“Mr. Watt, steam engines have already found extensive use in propelling ships. In principle, they can be applied to land transportation as well. Even if they are solely used for transporting ore, their value is immense. When it comes to steam power, there’s no more experienced partner in the world than your company. So, we hope to join forces with you to develop such a steam-powered vehicle.”

Mr. Watt had heard similar ideas before. Several years ago, someone had proposed something similar to him. However, at the time, Mr. Watt had expressed opposition to the idea without providing specific reasons, merely stating, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Some believed that Mr. Watt’s resistance was related to negotiations about selling his patent for the crankshaft to John Steed, as developing such a technology would not have been in his interest. Eventually, Mr. Watt’s assistant, William Murdoch, invented a contraption known as planetary gears, bypassing the need for the crankshaft patent.

Since then, the idea had been buried and hadn’t resurfaced until now.

Now, someone had brought up this suggestion once again. However, this time, it wasn’t just some nameless figure making the proposal. Mr. Watt couldn’t brush him off with a simple “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” After some thought, he inquired, “Mr. Bonaparte, to my knowledge, the military-industrial complex has been involved in steam engines, particularly in marine steam engines. If they work on ships, they should be suitable for steam-powered trains as well, don’t you think?”

“Ah, don’t get me started on those folks. They use whatever materials are expensive, whether it’s for warships or vessels carrying highly profitable contraband. Lately, they’ve run into a series of technical difficulties, and it’s cost me two months’ worth of expenses with no progress,” Joseph complained.

Joseph wasn’t exaggerating. Those folks were indeed burning money every day, and they had made almost no progress in over two months. However, Joseph wasn’t as dissatisfied as he appeared because this slow progress was entirely expected. After all, they were currently working on the true form of the steam engine – the steam turbine. As a result, they had encountered a multitude of challenges, which were all part of the plan.

Even if they succeeded in their research, the steam turbine was more suitable for use in ships or power plants rather than in trains.

Of course, Joseph had also considered skipping the steam engine and even the internal combustion engine altogether and jumping directly to electric locomotives. However, there were numerous missing pieces of the puzzle in that direction, not just in terms of technology but also in science.

So, for now, the fastest approach was to collaborate with Mr. Watt, using traditional reciprocating steam engines to develop a steam-powered locomotive with a distinct steam-punk, riveted steel, and multi-carriage appearance. Joseph even envisioned that one day, if the barbarians from Austria invaded the Roman border, Napoleon would command an armored steam-powered train, with multiple carriages and turrets, to plow through their ranks.

“I see,” Mr. Watt pondered and asked, “So, how would our interests be distributed in this research?”

And now it was time for the most crucial part. Joseph immediately focused his attention, negotiating with Mr. Watt regarding the distribution of interests. Mr. Watt initially hoped to use his various patents to exchange for steelmaking or cement production techniques. Still, Joseph swiftly rejected this idea – it was a grossly unequal trade, and he wasn’t about to be fooled.

Though the idea was rejected, Mr. Watt remained unfazed. Being turned down was normal, and if he wasn’t turned down, that would be a win. He then proposed a new suggestion, requesting exclusive agency rights for fortress cement in the UK.

The intense discussions continued throughout the night until the sun rose in the east, and they finally reached a provisional agreement. Mr. Watt and his team obtained exclusive agency rights for fortress cement in the UK and priority purchasing rights for Lorraine Steel. Additionally, for every steam locomotive produced by the military-industrial complex and sold on the market, they would pay Mr. Watt’s team a patent fee of three hundred pounds.

As Joseph left the villa where Mr. Watt’s team had temporarily stayed, he couldn’t help but mutter, “That Mr. Watt, he’s not the most lovable character. Mr. Lavasie is so much better…”

However, even though Mr. Watt was craftier than Mr. Lavasie, Joseph hadn’t come out on the losing end. He had successfully concealed his true goals and acquired a crucial patent at a relatively low cost: the patent for planetary gears.

The significance of planetary gears, as perceived by its owner, Mr. Watt, and the inventor, William Murdoch, was underestimated. They primarily viewed it as a means to bypass the crankshaft patent. However, Joseph knew that this invention was the key to numerous vital variable-speed systems in future machinery.

So, even though he was annoyed that he hadn’t easily taken advantage of Mr. Lavasie, the fact remained that Joseph hadn’t come out on the losing end.