Design: "Versailles" Officer Mess Train CarsSomeone once said, "war is hell," but that need not be true. Even far from home, our Officer Corps deserve gentleman-level dining and refreshment. How can we expect our peasant soldiers to respect an officer who eats the same hardtack and stale canteen water as they do?
The "Versailles" Officer mess is a pair or two train cars fitted to provide appropriate pantry, kitchen, and servant quarters to provide appropriate service for our gentry-class officers in the field. While most features of the system are common to what you would find at any estate, the primary technical accomplishment is the refrigerated pantry/wine cellar. A well insulated pantry is kept at near freezing temperatures by the use of a steam-powered Stirling engine refrigerator. The hot-side of the Stirling engine conveniently heats an oven in the attached kitchen. Thus the "Versailles" can bring fresh lobster tail to the front, and bake Lobster Thermidor to perfection.
Naturally, operation of such a dining service is done by an impeccably dressed servant staff, well trained in etiquette. To remind our men what they're fighting for, these servants will be primarily young women and particularly comely. For peak efficiency, these servants will reside in the second non-climate controlled car, tucked into spaces between non-perishable goods and general supplies.
Dining service itself is delivered outside the train, inside an unpacked silk tent well-attended by their servile waitstaff. While our officers dine with well-polished crystal stemware and silverware in hand, a bicycle-powered box fan provides a genteel climate. (Recommend officers provide their own subordinates for bicycle duty, as such a duty seems unseemly for our women servants.) After-dinner service includes drinks and pipe-smoking while our servants sing and dance as entertainment. Given such services occur outside formal Imperial boundaries, fraternization laws should not be applicable or enforced.
Our hard working officer corp should expect no less.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_enginehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applications_of_the_Stirling_engine