International Brain Machines - IBM - A Steam Valley Inventor.

 Way back in 2015 I started a new VSF project called Steam Valley.  Steam Valley background

It consisted of a number of inventors or companies' proposed military inventions, all suitably Victorian Science Fictiony. Click the Steam Valley label to the left to see them all. The one I never got around to completing was International Brain Machines (aka IBM) but a late 2025 purchase of 10 Necron Warriors for $17 allows me to finish them off. (I am way to cheap to purchase a new box of Necron Warriors that would cost $87 from GW.)

International Brain Machines

IBM is a consortium of investors from the United States of America who have developed a way of integrating human brains with machinery and using the brains as a control mechanism. They have been supported by project money supplied by the US Army's DARPA division (Daring And Revolutionary Proposals  Agency) in their attempt to ensure that future American armies will not have the same casualties as were incurred in the civil war.

IBM has opened a laboratory in Steam Valley to be closer to suppliers of specialised equipment but primarily  for the location's renown tolerance for the weird and wonderful, including human experimentation, that seems to cause other societies to reach for their pitchforks and torches.

IBM have developed three different automated weapons for the US Army who have sent along Major Arthur MacArthur Jr to monitor their investment.

A Steam Powered Vehicle with a three Brain control unit - Major MacArthur to the right. 
One brain is the commander, the second the gunner, and the third the driver. IBM found that trying to use less than three brains in the turret was inefficient. 

Heavy Assault Automatons.

Assault team.

Regular Automatons for the army. Useful for defence and also as follow-up for attacks by the assault teams. Powered by the new Curie Radium Atom Plants it gives them a healthy green glow.

All teams come with support personnel with extra brain liquid to keep them functioning at 100%

Well the lucky purchase of the Necron warriors helped me to complete the figure portion of this project. While building the rest of the factions 10 years ago I had made all the terrain so now I am finally in a position to actually fight the battles between each of the factions. I had purchased the GASLIGHT rules for this so I will use them for the games.

Hopefully I will get around to this soon or at least this year.

Steam Valley Chapter 6 - Reverend Darkwin

Reverend Darkwin was fascinated by the theory of evolution and decided to put it into practice.

A resident of Essex the Reverend moved to Steam Valley to avoid the trouble that his types of forced genetic evolutionary experiments tend to generate. Luckily he was able to secure an old church for his base so he felt right at home.

The Reverend has already provided some income to his backers.

 His first experiments were concerned with breeding flying monkeys. These have been a great success and teams of flying monkeys are now delivering telegrams in many of the major cities of Europe. In London, they have thrived in the densely populated metropolis and living off pigeons are now a welcome sight as they flap and glide across the sky. Many large homes now have a landing area specifically for the monkeys.

Flying Monkeys on their landing platform.

His other experiments have also been successful but have raised many worrying concerns. The Reverend has expanded the brains of his captive gorillas and made a small army. The gorillas are armed with specially modified guns that are suitable for their large hands. The Reverend has suggested that they be used as light infantry and therefore their uniform is the same colour as the English Rifle units from the Napoleonic wars. The Reverend anticipates that they will fight in the same way, moving through the bush and woods, attacking the enemy where they least expect it and then disappearing into the terrain when the battle is done.

Gorilla Light Infantry

To assist them he has also evolved a very large silver back gorilla that carries the squad’s artillery piece, especially designed for use by the gorillas. With a monkey spotter perched on his shoulder and an assistant gorilla to load the artillery rounds, they make a valuable addition to the fire power of the unit.

Gorilla Artillery Team

They are led by their unit commander “Caesar” who has a penchant for cigars.
The British army, can see the usefulness of the unit, when teamed with a steady unit of red coats of course, in dealing with the pesky natives in the various jungle ridden parts of the Empire.

The Reverend and his daughter, plus Ceasar and at the back Mr Charles Darlost - an early failed experiment

Steam Valley Chapter 5 - The Professor and Rex

Professor Oscar Brockwurst of Hamburg in Germany found a cryptic chart in an old manuscript. After spending many days deciphering it he was eventually able to do so with the help of his nephew Axle Rosey.

The professor took his expedition to the place in Iceland and it led through a series of vents in the Earth’s crust to a mysterious world deep underground. Here the Professor and his team found reptiles from the age of the dinosaurs.

After many adventures the professor and the expedition managed to escape through a volcano that erupted in Sicily. On the way the professor had raided some nests of the dinosaurs and escaped with a number of eggs that he managed to keep intact throughout the rest of his journey. He carried one large one while the rest of the team carried the ten smaller ones.

Part of their adventures were caused by these raids and the professor was very lucky to escape from the eggs’ mothers.

When they returned to the surface the professor kept the eggs warm and they eventually hatched after much tender care. The professor used his experience of raising ducklings as a boy to get the new hatchlings to see him as their mother.

After a few misadventures at his home in Germany, where his new pets had ravaged various flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, the Professor and his team moved to the more accepting environment of Steam Valley. Backed by the Prussian government and a Hamburg consortium (who, to be honest, were more interested in getting him far away than making money) he was able finance his move and buy a small farm to house his growing livestock.

The Professor, Prussian Army Liaison, Apple and Sauce and Rex in front of their new home.

The largest of the eggs has grown into Rex, a relatively tame (when the professor is around) Tyrannosaurus Rex. Rex is very lonely and to keep him occupied the professor has got his army troops to dress in little T-Rex costumes so that Rex has someone to play with and doesn’t get lonely or grumpy. The soldiers also provide security for the team.

Rex and his friends

The smaller eggs were Raptor eggs. Having several of each sex the professor has been able to establish a viable breeding group and now is successfully selling males. The professor has kept all the females so that he can keep his monopoly as long as possible.

The raptors race after their leader while the Professor waves them on.

The Raptor races around the sewers of London have been very popular. So much so that there is even talk of the Grand National switching from horses to Raptors.

To protect his monopoly, the professor employs a cunning security team of Herr Apple and Herr Sauce to guard the farm he has rented. Apple and Sauce are cunningly disguised as a Diplodocus dinosaur and they patrol the area for thieves and spies.

Apple and Sauce discuss operations with the Professor

Many of the local boys get jobs riding the Raptors to keep them fit and energetic. Often from the steam trains the passengers can look out the windows and see the Raptors racing alongside.

Their speed and terrifying teeth are opening up opportunities in the military world as well. There have been a few enquiries about raising a light cavalry force of junior cadets to carry out reconnaissance as well as foraging for food for the main army.

Steam Valley Chapter 4 - Mr Stevens and Sons

Mr Stevens and his two sons have established an outpost in Steam Valley. Coming from Birmingham to Steam Valley to take advantage of the networking opportunities and all the specialist services available.

Mr Stevens on the right and one son on the left.

Her Majesty’s British Army has taken a keen interest in Mr Stevens’ plans and provided a number of soldiers to assist him in his work. Barings Bank has lent the money to Mr Stevens and is looking forward to excessive returns once the equipment is ready for sale.

Mr Stevens has concentrated his experiments on extending the use of steam as a motive force. Combining Madam Curious’ Radium power source with high pressure boilers Mr Stevens has produced a trio of new products.

First up is his steam powered tank, armoured in steel and armed with a large cannon it has a range of over 15 miles and a top speed of nearly 5 miles per hour.

Son number two is giving the Steam Tank a last minute top up of oil.

Next is his armoured suits – to make what he calls – “Steel Men”. These suits are armoured with high grade steel and have motors that assist the men inside to move them. The energy generated by the back pack steam engine provides enough power for the soldiers to move the suits at a run as well as powering their rifles, steam burners or machine guns.

Steel men in the British Army colours - ready for parade.

Finally is his greatest invention. Flying suits with large wings that can carry a man great distances at heights of up to 250 feet. The flying back packs are powered by pressurised steam that flaps the wings on the pilot’s command. The “Red Devils” are the elite unit of the force and have already made a name for themselves in the valley with their displays of daring and co-ordinated flights.

The Red Devils

Steam Valley Chapter 3 - Professor Springloose

Professor Springloose

Professor Springloose is a native of the Black Forest in the new German Empire. There he grew up watching his family business of building cuckoo clocks. He has been fascinated with the power of springs and their potential as a driving force in the new age. He is determined to show the world the benefits of spring power over that dreadfully messy coal and steam.

After years of searching for support, Professor Springloose’s big break came when he met General Von Milkee at the Berlin Opera. The Professor and the General were discussing their dreams with each other at the bar of the Opera and they missed the second act as they realised that they had each found the perfect companion.

The General’s study of Clausewitz had convinced him that the recipe for a perfect army was to eliminate the “friction of war” by making everything go like clockwork. Together they developed a terrifying new concept:  ClockKreig

They were able to convince the German General Staff and received financial backing from Prussia’s Royal Bank who were looking to make a quick mark or two to cover some bad investments in Berlin bordellos. The German General Staff even came and waved them off from Berlin’s main railway terminus.

The General and the Professor quickly established their laboratory in an old marketplace building, with a lovely clock tower, and it was not long before the Professor’s and the General ideas were taking shape.

The Professor and General survey the dawn of a new age of war!  A Bavarian Clock Winder stands ready at the rear.

PanzerClockKampfWagen             These terrifying wagons are heavily armoured and carry a large 100mm cannon capable of breaking down the strongest fortresses. Close defence from infantry is provided by wicked spikes. Powered by one of Dr Springloose’s most powerful engines, it still needs to be small to minimise its power to weight ratio.

The PanzerClockKampfWagen rolls past the Professor an General

The small PCKW Mark 1 is able to take cover in terrain easily.

PanzerClockKampfAutomatons    Once the PanzerClockKampfWagen has broken down the walls of the enemy’s fortress the PanzerClockKampfAutomatons will enter the fort and slaughter its helpless defenders. These terrifying automatons are extremely tall and carry machine guns in their torsos and have slicing and dicing machines at the ends of their arms. One in each group is equipped with one of Edison’s new wax roller recorders and plays the latest opera music to further dispirit the defenders of any assault.

The PanzerClockKampfAutomatons will be a scary sight on any battlefield.

FliegerClockKorp              One of the drawbacks of spring powered machinery is its low energy output. This restricts the speed of any machines that need to travel over ground. Professor Springloose decided he needed to solve this conundrum by inventing a spring powered flying machine. Flying at the amazing height of 6 feet, the FliegerClockKorp provide a fast moving, well-armed force who can move quickly across the battlefield for either recon or to drive off the enemy’s light forces.

The FliegerClockKorp troops zoom across the battlefield - their symbol is the wings of a Pegasus.

Bavarian Motor Winders               with a long history of clock winding in Bavaria, a recent recession has led some out of work Bavarians to the Professor’s workshop and team. The Bavarians operate on the battlefield providing emergency power by winding up the motors, for any weapon that runs down prematurely. While it is an extremely dangerous job the Bavarians seem to be happy enough, singing their songs and spending their evenings and their earnings in the village hotel.

Steam Valley Chapter 2 - Madame Curious

Madame Curious

Madame Curious is a world renowned scientist from France. An esteemed member of the French Academy of Scientists, she has made important contributions and exciting discoveries regarding the new wonder elements, radium and plutonium. Her skills in refining these elements has given her a powerful source of energy to experiment with.

Madame Curious has developed a new engine to power the creations of the Victorian steam age. Her engines use the power of radium and plutonium to directly create electricity. Madame Curious is financially supported by the French bank Comptoir d’Escompte. Madame has also been assisted by the French Army who has willingly seconded General Camembert to advise her on military equipment and requirements and to organise and fight her battles.

Madame Curious’s latest engine is strong enough to power the latest technology developed by da Vinci Industries, the awesome A.T.A.T. The great A.T.A.T. is designed to conquer any forts and bring enemies quickly to their knees. The A.T.A.T. is powered by da Vinci’s patented compressed air technology allowing it to operate far from the sources of water that are required by steam engines. 

Madame Curious’ new engine's power is able to charge the on board compressor units in no time and give the A.T.A.T enormous operating range. Its size and complexity precludes it from being controlled like an automaton so it is crewed by mechanics and piloted by a concert pianist on an organ that uses a complex system of compressed air machinery to command the A.T.A.T.

The A.T.A.T has a gun deck with two cannons and four machine guns. These are all controlled remotely by the pilot in the head of the A.T.A.T. As well as its gun deck, the A.T.A.T. has room for its crew, some passengers, a small drawing room, and a squad of ten automatons, who can either man the decks or debark and assault the enemy from the ground.

Madame Curious’ smaller engines power her automatons. These automatons were designed by the firm of Mr Renault and chosen by General Camembert as his ideal soldier. These automatons are guided by the latest in analytical Babbage machines that have been programmed by Madame’s great friend The Countess of Lovelace.

ATAT Drawing Room

ATAT Engineer

Exterior of the ATAT Control room and bridge

Interior on the control room

ATAT Automatons deploy down the stairs

Profile of the ATAT

Side view showing the gun deck.

Madame Curious and General Camembert on the Observation deck

Madame and General watch the automatons deploy.

Steam Valley Chapter 1 - Background

Somewhere in a dark corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, far from any major cities but conveniently located on a spur from a major railway line, a valley of small villages, with an accepting population and a few crumbling castles is playing midwife to the birth of a new age.

Steam Valley made a perfect location for a worldwide collection of inventors, desperados, arms traders, villains, and engineers to hide their secret laboratories and with their venture capitalist backers develop their new weapons of war. All to promote Peace of course.

Each company battled the others, sometimes literally, for the funds, equipment and technology to perfect their dream of the perfect weapons systems.

Inventors who were attracted to this valley, or fled there after misunderstandings in their own jurisdictions, include Professor Springloose, Doctor Funcklestein, Mr James Steven and sons and daughters, Madame Curious, International Brain Machines and the Reverend Darkwin. No doubt many others will be seen as the story unfolds.

With the creation of this valley of invention in arms development many existing arms dealers and manufacturers also had a presence. Da Vinci Industries, whose factory was a week’s travel away in Venice was quick to open an office there. They were quickly followed by offices for Krupps, Enfield, Babbage Analytical Machines, Bofors, Renault Automatons, and many others.

Future chapters of this dreadful saga include one on each of the major inventors plus chapters on some of the various ‘incidents’ that occurred between them and the day to day trials and celebrations that happen when living far from home.

Fracas at the Station.                     Mixed up baggage at the station after the morning train arrives, ends in battle as two companies fight for their bags after a long and tiring trip.

Package for Dr Funcklestein.        A packaged brain is on the way to Dr Funcklestein. He has to get it to his laboratory before it is intercepted by his rival, IBM.

User Acceptance Testing.              One company has a buyer and needs to prove their superiority by taking on all comers at the testing fields.

Moonlight Rendezvous                  Rev Darkwin’s daughter has made arrangements for a secret meeting with Dr Funklestein’s assistant Igor. The Rev has to catch his daughter before Funklestein’s Igor carries her off to the railway station.

A nice day for a picnic.                   One sunny summer’s day two companies decide to go to the picnic area for lunch. But there is only one table available. Words are said and a battle ensues.

Steam Valley Race            Once a year all the companies come together for a friendly race around the village. No shooting and may the fastest vehicle or beast win.

Monster on the loose                     Dr Funcklestein’s monster gets loose. Everyone chases it to capture it and to return it to Dr Funcklestein to get the reward.

Dog Fight                            All the companies with a flyer send them chasing after a carrier pigeon carrying a message about a new investor.

I intend to use GASLIGHT for the battles and will add stats for each of the companies.

More to come soon.