Our first stop will be on the hill above Castle Constructblunt, just a little north of the entrance. Not far to the west, you should be able to see the Mountainhome Tower, rising above the trees. This tower marks the beginning of the Rapid Transit track and will be where our heroes will go when they wish to travel to one of the Track way-stations on official business to and from the Mountainhome. Far in the distance, you can just see a clearing below the track: That would be the site of "The First Mine", (now an official hamlet of the Realm!) Lets go climb the Tower and follow the tracks to their current terminus, shall we?
Now that we have finally climbed the sturdy spiral ramp, you can finally see the Tower in all its functional majesty. This tower was built to last out of solid wood, with load-bearing ramps specifically treated with a fire and rot retardant fluid. With luck, it will stand just like this for many generations to come, seeing the passage of many a Hero's feet. You'll notice that the track loops around the main pole, but that high friction elements are attached to the rails before they re-connect to the main track: that is a measure designed to allow even the swiftest and heaviest laden of carts to orbit the pole, losing speed with each revolution before coming to a natural stop. This system will hopefully keep our heroes from having to return to Castle Constructblunt at any slower than their best possible speed, ensuring that the rails are Rapid Transit from start to finish. Come, let's take this chance to follow the rails toward The First Mine, while the Carts are still not in use.
As we follow the tracks westward, you'll notice that there is a wood-slatted road at the base of the rails as well, just wide enough to allow a wagon to fit along it. Why have a rail system, when a road system would do just as well?
The answer to this question is two-fold:
1. The wagon road is there to assist caravan wagons from the Mountainhome to find their way safely to the storage depot in the hamlet. You see, trees and other natural hazards of the over-world can sometimes prevent a wagon from being able to reach the storage depot even if the way was clear a year before. That means that less can be transported in and out of it at one time. The cost of a new embark wagon and fresh crew is not cheap: to support this endeavor, the supplies of each new embark team has to be ready and stored in the Mountainhome before it will be sent to the intended site. Those supplies are quite heavy altogether, and would take many, many, many cart-trips to bring out to the Castle, so the road permits those wagons a fresh and ready route leading to the heart of the hamlet.
2. As I said before, sometimes trees and other vegetation will grow up and block a passage that was clear only the year before. Though the track is built high, it's conceivable that one day a tree could grow high enough underneath it to block and even tear apart the rails. To prevent this, the road has been paved underneath the Rails, and to either side, with the south edge wide enough to allow for those supply caravans to get in and back easily. The road prevents saplings from taking root, so there won't be a future tree problem to deal with.
As we travel further west, you'll see the hamlet emerge from the surrounding wilderness like a hidden cluster of gemstones suddenly revealed in an olivine passage.
There are several buildings clustered closely together and looking down at their roofs like this can be a little confusing. Please allow me to enlighten you as to the function of each building and area, so that the miasma of your confusion can be made clear:
You'll no doubt have noticed that the Farmer's workshop, loom and tailor's shop still have some work remaining on their roofs. The First Mine has experienced explosive growth this year, swelling to over forty permanent residents. Shops and bunkhouses (like the one to the west there) have been sprouting up like plump helmets in rich soil as a result. The prosperity of each way-station like this directly affects the prosperity of the Mountainhome as a whole. It does my heart good to see so much purposeful industriousness. You'll notice that the storage depot is built entirely of rhyolite blocks. The cool, dim stones inside are a favorite place for dwarves taking a break to rest and relax, imagining themselves cozy within the mountain again. It's a piece of home for those who are suffering the shock of living primarily upon the surface of the world, rather than down in it. Our own little mountain.
Come, let's walk a bit further west. Can you see those buildings off in the distance? That would be The Quarry.
Below us lies the newest bunkhouse, a building that will be able to comfortably sleep many new dwarves seeking to make their fortune on the rails. Closer still, you should start to be able to make out the peaked wooden roof of the Mechanic's workshop, and the stone-block roof of the Mason's and Gemcutter's shops. We should reach them in a few minutes. Let's continue...
Now the quarry pit should be more easily visible. You'll no doubt notice that the mechanic's roof also needs finishing. There is certainly plenty to do here at The First Mine.
Fun fact: While the Quarry has only been in operation for a couple years, it has already produced a couple handfuls of milkstone gems hidden in the rhyolite.
As we continue westward along the track, you'll notice that its end is steadily getting nearer. The inhabitants of The First Mine are all chipping in to pay for the next wagon of trail-blazers, who will be building, maintaining and supporting the next section of track.
Now, as we return along the track back to our beloved deep homes, let's reflect on what you have just seen today. While it doesn't yet claim as much land as some of our villages, what land that is claimed will not go to waste. This short length of track and the hamlet that built and tends it, is but the first step in an Historic Endeavor, and now you also are a part of its history.