Wagon-Ways

Have I got an investment for you? An all new transportation system that will revolutionize how goods are brought to market. Now I know what you are saying. Those are just wagons. We see them trudging along every country lane from the Highlands to the Fens. But take another look right here at the wheels. These here are flanged wheels and no sir they don't dig into the road surface because these wagons don't drive on the road. No, Sir. They ride on rails.

You see, my good man, the biggest challenge for getting goods anywhere these days is the roads themselves. Demand for goods such as peat has been rising. So much so, that producers are filling their wagons with heavier loads. That additional weight is creating huge divots during the dry months and impassible morasses of mud in the wet ones. King Osian has limited wagons to 1000 lbs in the White Fens. That's barely more than a decent wagon weighs. And Emperor Bouchard has considered a similar, though less restrictive, ban in the Forest Sovereignty.

This is where rails are a game changer. These square strips of wood six to ten foot long are laid end to end in the direction of travel. Parallel to them are laid a second set with four feet between them. They are nailed to boards placed underneath perpendicular to prevent the rails from shifting apart. Finally, dirt, rock, or any other material is pilled underneath to provide stability to the rails.

The flanges on these wagon wheels keep the carts on the track even when going around curves. Even better, with larger teams of horses or a mix of horses and oxen, you can pull several wagons at a time without worry of them getting mired, missing a turn or running off the road. What's more, since the rails are privately owned, no monarch can make weight laws for the "public good."

And while we are discussing investment potential, peat is a single market. But it doesn't have to be the only one. These wagon-ways could bring iron down from the spine mountains or exotic fabrics through the mud of the Gap. And I think you could even create people carrying wagons. Just imagine this cart with rows of benches bolted down. Instead of citizens walking for free on the king's many byways, wagons like these could take them there in relative comfort for a modest fee. And the man who invested in it would make a handsome profit.

So are you, Sir, smart enough to invest in my wagon-way? Do you have the keen intellect to see a transportation revolution in the making? How many shares would you like to buy?