Ley-Line Carts

Introduction

Bellfort's citizens have a unique way of traversing the city. The engineers of the Second Age invented carts charged with Ley-Line energy that follow tracks set into the ground. Powered by magical energy, they do not require horses to draw them. These carts run at all hours of the day and are set to stop at platforms erected specifically for this purpose. They move at roughly 6 miles per hour.

Design

Each Cart is 25 feet long, 20 feet broad, and can comfortably fit up to fifteen people. They contain two benches for sitting down. The remaining space can be used for either goods or standing passengers. The Carts are built from treated wood, and the two side panels can be slid open and closed to either keep the cold out in the winter or to make the heat more bearable in the summer. The front and back wall each have a glass pane inserted in them.

Utility

The Carts connect the different districts of the city. They significantly reduce the time required to traverse the city, making it easier to transport goods. They also make the city more accessible for the old and disabled. They are especially popular with travelers, children, and drunken people. Although it is strictly forbidden, the latter of the two occasionally like to make a game out of entering or exiting a moving Cart.

Manufacturing

Each Cart requires one Ley-Line Crystal per wheel. The Crystals are spelled to continuously absorb Ley-Line energy from the atmosphere, causing them to heat up. They are placed in a tank of water, evaporating it as they heat up. The pressure from the steam moves a piston connected to the wheel. The cooling water is then reintroduced into its respective tank via a small pipeline.
Because this is a closed system, little to no maintenance is required. Due to the aforementioned closed system, stopping the Carts is a bit more complicated. The platforms where the Carts stop are connected to a pressure plate that gets triggered by the approaching Cart. This lifts a ramp out of the ground, stopping the wheels' traction on the ground, causing them to spin in the air and the Cart to stop. The Cart will remain in this position for roughly two minutes until the weight of the Cart has pushed the mechanism back down and its wheels gain traction again.
Extra weight can be added to the pressure plate mechanism to stop the Cart for an extended period of time, allowing for the maintenance of either the Cart or the tracks. This was also used when the track network of the city was expanded to reach the newer parts of the city.

Access & Availability

These Carts can only be found in Bellfort. Anyone can use them free of charge as the maintenance is paid for with taxes.