The Wolverine Line
"That's quite some train you've built us here, Shy! I think we should call it 'The Wolverine Line.'"The Wolverine Line is the name given to the new maglev train line built by the Protectorates of the Woodland Family Alliance to facilitate travel and shipping between them. In a move likely only possible through Literomancy, the Woodlanders chose to run this immense 2300 km maglev track right through the Rocky Mountains, mostly through an extended, arrow-straight, underground tunnel. The world's first successful long distance maglev runs a set of parallel tracks, with both trains able to travel in either direction. The line begins in Jasper in the Lapin Protectorate, and ends in Albuquerque in the Ailurus Protectorate. There are eight stops on the route:
"Why 'Wolverine?'"
"Because most wildlife will go around a mountain. But if a wolverine wants to get to the other side of the mountain, it just goes right over it, and for hundreds of kilometres if it has to. It doesn't give a damn."
Jasper, Banff, and Yellowstone Stations are for passengers only, as they are located in national and provincial parks. The Yellowstone Station was constructed at Cody so that the intensive geothermal activity at Yellowstone Park was undisturbed by the railway's construction. Construction began on Phase 1, the Meles line, in 2023, and expanded to the Lapin Protectorate in 2024 for Phase 2. Phase 3, the final phase in the Ailurus Protectorate, is expected to be completed in October of 2025. As might be expected, this rapid construction schedule, as well as its design deep in solid rock, was only made possible by a combination of literomantic efforts that hinged on the earth magic of House Meles and Ailurus and Lapin engineering. This significantly reduced the expense of such a massive infrastructure project, which is one of the greatest obstacles to maglev availability, and the work of Cheetya Ironfist of House Lapin and Senna Nightshade of House Ailurus overcame many of the technical problems that plague dynamic electromagnetic suspension systems. With safety considerations permitting the Wolverine Line a top speed of 400 km per hour when carrying passengers, once the railway is completed, it will be possible for someone to traverse the entire 2300 km route in about 6 hours. When hauling cargo alone, it would be possible to make the trip in a little under 4 hours. As a result of having taken the lead on practical construction, and as a result of the heart of the railway being located in their territory, House Meles leads the three Protectorates in the railway's stewardship.
Power Generation
Power is generated by a combination of Literomantic Energy Generation, a linear induction motor, and reactive braking. Plans to upgrade the system include incorporation of an Inspiration Engine once it passes the testing phases, with the linear induction motor (LIM) providing backup power generation.
Propulsion
This high-speed maglev line uses electromagnetic suspension with literomantic adaptations for dynamic stabilization of magnetic levitation, along a standard-gauge monorail track, using superconducting magnetic bogies to suspend the train along the rail.
Armor and defense
The primary defense of the Wolverine maglev is its incredible cruising speed, combined with its location deep underground beneath tonnes of solid stone. However, in case of attack by The Undead Horde, each engine carriage is equipped with Queen Sable Aradia's "pulse wards," and each Protectorate's track may be sealed off, with corresponding changes to internally programmed train routes, in case of territorial seizure.
Communication Tools & Systems
It can be difficult to access satellite, cell phone, and radio systems through tonnes of solid rock, so the Wolverine Line incorporates hard-wired fibre optic lines directly along the entire length of the track. Satellite, cell, phone and radio communication systems can then be installed directly on the train carriages themselves, and feed back into the fibre optics, which then carries communication services to the surface at the various maglev stations. This arrangement cost approximately ₰15 million WLT to install.
WIP
Streamer
Missing
Status: Location Unknown
Deceased
Status: Deceased Character
Retired
Status: Retired Character or Article
Designation
HYLEX
Manufacturer
Creation Date
Construction began in early 2023, and is still ongoing
Owning Organization
Price
Estimated cost ₰46 billion WLT
Rarity
Unique
Related Technologies
Width
2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in)
Length
3 carriages per train, each of which is 6 metres (19 ft 8 in) long
Height
3.45 metres (11 ft 4 in)
Weight
19 tonnes (19 long tons; 21 short tons) per carriage
Speed
600 km/h without passengers, but safety standards limit it to 400 km/h with passengers aboard
Complement / Crew
2
Cargo & Passenger Capacity
960 passengers, or 110 tonnes of standardized cargo containers per carriage
The Wolverine Line in Banff Station by Pixabay
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