Stagecoach
Stagecoach Class Fast Cargo Ship
The Stagecoaches are modified AI-run cargo transports usually used to resupply isolated outposts and smaller colonies.
100% automated, they ship with a crew of one who is mainly responsible for hitting the distress beacon should something go wrong. The ships are effectively a long thin core with engines and mounting points to hold 10 containers of goods. Each container is roughly equivalent to the old containers run by ocean ships on Earth. The ships are surprisingly nimble and thanks to their design are faster than all but the swiftest corvettes once in jumpspace.
These ships are also used by the Fleet Auxiliary as a platform for "at sea" replishment of fuels, gases, ordnance and other logistics needed by naval fleets during their operations. Various maintenance and ordinance drones are used to ferry supplies, or a transporter pad is used. Given the flexibility of the platform, it's high speed, small size and the low crew requirements it is a very useful logistical support ship.
Note that as the cargo containers are not necessarily the Confederacy's AI-driven "pods", the ship only requires one AI and is the easiest useful starship for a colony to build when it is just starting to build ships. The above description is for the 25 or so built in Sol System. Since each colony will build what they think is most useful to them, there are as many variants as there are colonial shipyards.
Central Command has designated the design as AKF for "[Auxiliary] Cargo Ship - Fast".
Ship Designations
- AKF001 - Stagecoach
- AKF002 - Covered Wagon
- AKF003 - Twin Hitch
- AKF004 - Dogsled
- AKF005 - Peterbilt (mentioned in Wayward)
- AKF006 - Conestoga
- AKF007 - Dray
- AKF008 - Diamond T
- AKF009 - Gersix
- AKF010 - Kenworth (mentioned in In Loco Parentis)
- AKF011 - Overland
- AKF012 - Butterfield
- AKF013 - Wells Fargo
- AKF014 - Concord
- AKF021 - Mack (mentioned in Wayward)
- AKF066 - Pink Panther (mentioned in The Beard)
Named in stories but not numbered:
Victoria Per Scientiam has both Golden Arrow destroyed Month 55 and Silver Javelin serving in the Battle of "Jehosephat"
Chosen Frozen has Dogsled delivering two full-sized factory replicators to Thule. This may be too far a stretch for such a small ship, since a standard pod masses 54t while a factory replicator masses 4600t according to this.
Family Letters has Aer Lingus being used as the home base for a squadron of small drone ships looking for a lost ship in the outer reaches of a system.
Suggested Train Names Available
US: Super Chief Empire Builder Coast Starlight Wabash Cannonball Orange Blossom Special
UK: Flying Scotsman Royal Scot Midday Scot Talisman Heart of Midlothian Tees-Tyne Pullman Elizabethan Pines Express Bristolian Master Cutler Robin Hood Caledonian Norfolkman Brighton-Belle Bournemouth Belle Cornish Riveria Express Irish Mail Thames-Clyde Express Cheltenham Flyer Atlantic Coast Express Golden Arrow Cambrian Coast Express South Yorkshireman Coronation Scot Palatine Devonian Scarborough Flyer Waverley
Europe: Orient Express
See Also
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