#1176: Assembline

Today’s invention is a flexible factory for countries in which land is at a premium.

The factory is modular in design. Each unit is carried into position by a train and dropped so as to straddle the track. A series of these modules is connected to house the equipment needed to produce whatever the factory makes.

Special trains (or individual, autonomous wagons) with roof hatches transport material to the required tunnel module which then takes it up rapidly via ports in the floor (without even causing the delivery train to slow, in some cases).

Individual factory modules can be moved to new locations as required and even assembled into different factories from time to time.

When modules are joined, they can also communicate information and part-processed material longitudinally between each other via secondary tracks running on their rooves.