Why Are There Stones Along Railway Tracks?

The crushed stones that line railroad tracks are collectively called track ballast. More specifically, the track ballast constitutes the trackbed upon which sleepers or railroad ties are laid. As you may have seen, these stones are packed below, between and around the railroad ties. The thickness of the track ballast usually ranges between 25-30 cm, and varies depending on certain conditions pertaining to the geographical location of the railway track.
Track ballast usually consists of crushed rocks or stone, but in some cases, less suitable alternatives, like burnt clay, are also used. However, it’s important to understand that you can’t just throw a bunch of rocks on a railroad and be done with it. As mentioned, the stones in the track ballast have a characteristic shape, size and texture. Their surface is not smooth and their edges are jagged, and for good reason. These rocks interlock with each other and therefore stay in place. If you replace them with circular or smooth rocks, they would slide over each other and compromise the strength of the track ballast. As you might imagine, this can have catastrophic results.
#science #animation #trackballast #track #ballast
Intro - 0:00
What is track ballast? - 0:37
7 reasons behind why there are stones on railway tracks - 2:03
Maintenance of track ballast - 4:47
References
www.nap.edu/read/22800/chapter/6
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/...
uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewco...
railtec.illinois.edu/wp/wp-co...
Original Article Link: www.scienceabc.com/pure-scien...
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[@Scienceabc]

Hello Everyone, we are aware of the fact that we have made the mistake of using the word dampening instead of damping. Unfortunately, KZbin does not allow you to make corrections. So please bear with us.

[@luca4k484]

🐻

[@mallikagvgs1983]

Don’t worry I didn’t even notice as your video is such good to watch

[@patrickkenney2259]

Bare*?

[@Apelles42069]

This was a badass video, thank you so much.

[@tosehoed123]

@Programming, software & computers Thanl you, little voice of reason

[@renakunisaki]

Can't believe the amount of genius engineering that went into a pile of rocks.

[@pierrecurie]

He forgot to mention that it's cheap too (compared to other options that do the same things)

[@xephyre6955]

I mean our technology today is because of rocks anyways.

[@GusOfTheDorks]

To be fair, half this stuff isnt intended effects but happy coincidence. Originally they probably just wanted a way to keep the sleepers in place and keep the tracks from getting wet. Finding out it did all the extra stuff was just a bonus so they didnt have to invent more stuff.

[@havefuntazarasu5367]

In indonesia people constantly stealing the stones and in more severe case the rail itself

[@Dexuz]

This is the best comment

[@timfagan816]

I used to work in a quarry, making track ballast. The rocks we were getting out of the ground was called blue stone. It's very hard. There was a lot of science that went into making it, we was only allowed to have 4 broken faces on the rocks, so they locked into each other. But the faces of the rocks were only allowed to have 3% chipping damage. Else it made the rocks weak and they wouldn't do their job properly. And when your stacking it off the end of a conveyer belt, then it goes into the loader bucket then into the truck, it's very hard to keep this 3%. But we managed to do it. Also, little fact seen as alot of people don't know this, rocks can die. They become useless and have zero strength in them. It's called Saprolite. And is caused by the elements decomposing the rock, and they lose mineral structural strength. You can pretty much crush it into a gritty powder in your hand! Also just to kind of give you an idea, how how well that stuff locks together, Sand has an angel of repose of 32⁰ in a conical shape, when falling off a conveyer belt from height, before it collapses on its self and starts making a cone again. And 35⁰ when wet. Railway Ballast has an angle of repose, in a conical cone. Of 38.7⁰ from its weight alone, so it shows how well that stuff locks together, and is used for railway tracks! Incredible science!

[@jasonjamrs7413]

God someone better tell I'm a rock I'm island song about this r.i.p. rocks we will miss you

[@BigBrother-fm2tx]

Many thanks for such a valuable contributions!

[@craigdavis9035]

This is an incredibly underrated comment! Fascinating! Thank you for sharing!

[@timfagan816]

@@BigBrother-fm2tx you are welcome :)

[@timfagan816]

@@craigdavis9035 thanks Craig! Another interesting bit of information if you want it. You can also use a rock called load stone, which is naturally magnetic, and sticks to its self. So is a great stone to use as ballast also, cos once it compresses, over years of settling from gravity and vibration. It is a very solid rock that locks into place incredibly well! Makes for great ballast. It's just harder to process, so it drives the cost per/ton up. So bluestone is the better alternative!!

[@heroninja1125]

This video absolutely rocks

[@michaelscott4909]

Ain't that the stone cold truth.

[@joemarsden68]

Underrated comment

[@RedstoneMiner18]

REDSTONEMINER

[@gamesmoney1025]

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were much bigger stars than I originally thought and that's saying something

[@X0verXDriveX]

It's incredible how many things we take for granted. When you stop and think about pretty much anything, everything is pretty complexe, in reality. It just blows my mind. Fascinating video.

[@TheAlison1456]

Nothing is simple, we live in a "gunky" universe which we simplify in our heads.

[@brianegendorf2023]

As an IT guy, I can confirm that often, event the simplest seeming processes or mechanisms have multiple parts, and things that "just do that just push the paper forward or just click there, or show us an image on a screen" are much more complex than we realize.

[@Hitned01]

@@brianegendorf2023 100%

[@superstarr310]

Nah we don’t. Our taxes paid tremendously for this infrastructure. The engineers and contractors involved are paid handsomely

[@wootle]

@@superstarr310 He meant the TECHNICAL aspect of it. Its this that we take for granted. In fact we take everything around us for granted. You use your phone, get on a plane, drive a car, use a microwave, use GPS without a second thought about how it all works or the process that was needed to make it all happen. Those engineers deserve all that high pay.

[@SB-qm5wg]

Another reason is sparks... the steel rusts and the train's rims kick sparks off the lines creating fires. The rocks stop vegetation. I've seen several rail line fires in dry months

[@steelionx9255]

How the heck could they leave out an important reason?

[@AlexanderOsias]

Number 5 mentions stopping vegetation. It just doesn’t mention sparks in conjunction with it.

[@samuelluria4744]

I thought this was going to be the NUMBER ONE REASON!! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@yamajammer76]

Preventing fires is a huge reason for it. I'm surprised they didn't mention it.

[@michaelostertag2839]

I've been working for the railroad for over 30 years and have never see the wheels make sparks from being on the rails. Most fires are caused by carbon buildup in the exhaust and subsequently released into the air and landing on dry vegetation. The only way the wheels make sparks is if the train is stalled and the wheels are spinning and train is not moving.

[@michaelvd2467]

As a train driver myself, I love seeing so many people in the comments that are interested to learn more about how these things work. Thank you for creating this informative video, it's very useful for educational purposes!

[@hiitsrudd8567]

Who would've thunk it?

[@chrisjoyce6889]

How do you get a job on the railway system?

[@michaelvd2467]

@@chrisjoyce6889 I guess it varies per country, I live in the Netherlands where you can apply for the job at the railway company directly, if you want to become a train driver you will have to go through medical and psychological exams. If you get through those your study will start which can take about a year depending on the company, which ends with a bunch of written exams, a driving test in a simulator and a driving test in real life. Most companies require some experience in the field or something comparable, and a college diploma or equivalent. But ofcourse there are a lot of different jobs on and around the railways.

[@recompile]

I wanted to learn to drive trains, but I just couldn't stay on track.

[@michaelvd2467]

@@recompile it isn't easy, you do have to keep track of every single detail

[@vishnumarichi3493]

1. 2:21 Holds the sleepers in place. 2. 2:34 Load distribution 3. 2:52 Vibration Damping 4. 3:14 Drainage 5. 3:37 Prevents vegetation on the tracks 6. 4:02 Noise Absorption 7. 4:24 Minimizes Thermal Expansion

[@wotizit]

Yo ty

[@jibjibam]

And how does it minimize temperature xpansion?

[@kreyzgr5167]

​@@jibjibamwasn't explained

[@KeksEsser-sg5ey]

Point 5 is in Reality Not True because if the Tracks arent used for lets say 2-3 weeks theres still gonna grow something so i trink this fact is just made up for the Video cause everyone of u at least one Time in ur life u saw vegetation through concrete sooo yeah

[@cloudbase7799]

@@jibjibam by absorbing heat from the track...? What I understood from the video is that it helps keep temperature expansion within safe levels.

[@Randy.E.R]

This is one of those things I never thought to ask, but am glad I learned the answer. I was born and raised in a railroad town in the beautiful Southern California desert. The town of 3000 people existed because of the railroad, NOT the two highways as so many people believe. There was a time in the early 1900s when the town had a few hundred people, four saloons, and some hotels across the street from the railroad. I have pictures from that era. Imagine the stories that could be told from those days. Growing up there in the 1970s and 1980s I can remember the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads screaming through town. It never got old. When we were kids we would wait for the caboose to pass by and holler for water. The would often toss cartons of ice cold water out the window to us. Most would bust when they hit the ground, but a few would survive. I wish I had saved one. When I moved away in the 1990s, I moved to a town with no trains. It was hard to sleep at night without the sound of trains. Its unbelievable that the sound of trains were what put me to sleep at night. Especially the whistling of the turbochargers on an idling engine. There was something soothing about it. What does my comment have to do with rail ballast? Nothing; I am getting old and love to tell stories 😹

[@mateuszmattias]

You don't have to out yourself, but would that small southern California town be Barstow by any chance?

[@Randy.E.R]

@@mateuszmattias oh I don’t mind saying where; its Mojave. I know that Barstow is also a railroad town with that switching yard off of 1st street.

[@thefusion637]

Lovely story!

[@dwaynejones1555]

I can relate. Went to Puerto Rico & the 🐸 🐸 serenaded me to sleep.

[@shazzshank6393]

@@dwaynejones1555i love this sound ❤

[@johnarmstrong5953]

I have an 80+ year old friend that once told me about how his father used to make a living constantly replacing railroad rocks for the railways. Apparently it was a big industry in certain backwoods areas. When they came up with this new rock, it completely ended the need and they all had to find new jobs.

[@thatguy5233]

you mean back then it was still rocks, but not crashed?

[@johnarmstrong5953]

@@thatguy5233 yeah

[@-AxisA-]

​@@thatguy5233Yea for the a time the regular smooth rocks will do the job, but that's why they replaced them often and it was a big business.

[@thatguy5233]

@@-AxisA- i get it, i'm just not fully confident in my comprehension skills lol

[@kingslushie1018]

What was the new Rock? This is intriguing!

[@DataSmithy]

One benefit that you may have missed: due to the good drainage a railroad beds they act as floating foundations, preventing heaving during freezing weather. This is sort of the same feature as your benefit number 4, good drainage, but applies during freezing weather.

[@killz0ne215]

On top of that they missed the simlpe thing in drainage.... if the track just sat on wet dirt the ground underneath would quickly turn to mud thus compromising the integrity of the track.

[@getonthecrossanddontlookba5004]

Repent to Jesus Christ “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NIV

[@seekhimwithallyourheartand3358]

Repent to Jesus Christ “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬ U

[@peetsnort]

Yup frost heave is very noticeable in the Canadian grand prix when the cars bounce. I think it happened last month in Abu Dhabi

[@MrObliviousegg]

Yeah, reduces the effects of seasonal shrink-swell to prevent fluctuations in settlement so that the line stays at a gradient which is even and does not stress the steel or dislodge the sleepers.

[@HeathBlythe]

That ending conversation between the 2 rocks was so wholesome.

[@timeforbeans]

I found this video completely fascinating, and humbling to me personally. Thank you As a 20 year USA railroad worker myself, you hit the Spike on the head. I have always hated ballast! BLAH...it is so big and jagged, tears up my boots. I hate ballast every year I have to buy new boots because of the ballast. But what you said in your video is all true. And I love it! 🤩

[@TheAlison1456]

is railroad academy/university a thing? is it a trade profession? how does that work

[@wearethewearethewearethhe]

Watch out 😵 bean boy 🫦 heugh heaugh heugh 👆👆👆😵‍💫💩💩

[@mildredpierce4506]

It’s fascinating how complex trains and the railroad systems are yet someone came up with all this stuff. Brilliant.

[@jovetj]

It evolved, with some trial and error, over decades, and continues to evolve today. A modern mainline railroad trackbed is much more complex than is depicted in this video. The ballast is just the top that you see. I'm surprised the video didn't cover tamping, either.

[@bronzejourney5784]

@@kurtm.7494 No he means like, one dude just woke up one day and said "Imma make this metal box go choo choo".

[@wearethewearethewearethhe]

I will sell you a eoxa s for 123 microsoftologies per romcks

[@NoxDeadly]

Trial n error over many generations like all technology we have today

[@sachinfulsunge9977]

Some ""one"" ??

[@mec1]

This video has given me a ballast perspective. Thanks.

[@Scienceabc]

Glad you found it useful :).

[@elizdonovan5650]

Clever. 🌲🌝☘️

[@momrazuddin381]

did you have a ballast watching it?

[@kevinmoore2696]

Haha. Damping though. Not dampening...

[@simonsimon325]

May God have mercy on your soul.

[@tainadelcaribe]

The things we take for granted, like some rocks! Love learning how things work and the reasoning behind designs. Awesome, clear, concise video!

[@Scienceabc]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@daveogfans413]

A week ago I asked this exact question while travelling by train and I could kinda figure out what it was meant for. But this video really explained it very well in about 5 minutes or so. I didn't think of noise reduction and increased comfort for passengers yet it makes a lot of sense. It's like when cycling over rugged terrain with or without suspension: You will notice how every shock of every rock is transferred to you - the cyclist.

[@Justin73791]

I gave this a thumbs up for making a video that could have been stretched to 10 minutes, but wasn't and presented all the information clearly. Thank you and very cool to learn about!

[@HughJass-jv2lt]

I gave your comment a *thumbs down* because it could have been _SHORTER._ 😜😜

[@sammygg21]

@@HughJass-jv2lt I gave your comment a thumbs down because it could have been SHORTER. 😜😜

[@HughJass-jv2lt]

@@sammygg21 🤣🤣

[@daveogfans413]

I also subbed to this. It was a genuine question I had and could partially answer myself. But this video condensed everything in 5 minutes. That's the perfect amount of the subject. Not like it's rocket science :)

[@Chagi27]

You can go way more into detail. There is much more to it than just rocks. Atleast here in Germany its a lot more complicated. 2-3 different layers, water drainage systems...

[@wlockuz4467]

I pass by these kind of stone on a rail track at least once a day and never have I stopped to think what thoughts went behind them. What really amazes me is how simple of a solution this is to multiple problems thats are completely of different nature.

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

You really never wonder? I hope you aren't some simpleton product of the government on Facebook and Twitter all day and watching tv all day. I see it as, how could you not wonder. The rocks aren't for decoration purposes.

[@nxt_tim]

@@ImGoingSupersonic ... curiosity is important but too much of it kills the cat. I don't think it's necessary to wonder about every little thing, coming from someone who does wonder about every little thing. There will always be things you don't notice, it's normal. No need to be so passively aggressive

[@garyv2196]

fake news

[@karthik007]

@@ImGoingSupersonic Calm down boy

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

@@karthik007 Mind your business. I didn't @ you.

[@thattimestampguy]

0:40 Track Ballist 1:25 Jagged, Interlocked Rocks to hold strong 1:57 To protect the railway track 🚃 to hold it in place 2:37 Jagged Interlock to make for even distribution 3:16 3:37 4:04 Absorbs noise 4:24 Minimizes heat expansion 5:07 requires maintenance and cleaning 🧼

[@Ironlacka]

Ballast*

[@reckszkingzactivitiesrkat.4134]

I love content like this because you learn so much about different things around you that you overlook everyday 👏🏾.

[@johnnehrich9601]

In the days of wooden ships, empty ships returning home were too light and therefore not too stable. So they used rocks to weigh them down. From the term "bare load" we get the term "ballast."

[@hippiehillape]

The cobblestone streets of most harbor towns of the time are ballast stone. Some in new Orleans are documented which ship the stone came from

[@johnnehrich9601]

@@hippiehillape Yes and many streets, at least in old parts of the US are paved with technically are Belgian Paving Blocks - but generically called cobblestone. (BPB are shaped like larger bricks, rectangular, and provide a much smoother walking surface. True cobblestones, which tend to be round, are ghastly to walk on.)

[@carlkolthoff5402]

For those not familiar with the Nordic languages, it may be difficult to see how "bare load" can become "ballast". In Swedish (and probably Norwegian and Danish too): Bare = bar, load = last. And we love to put words together up here, so bare load = barlast.

[@nigelwylie01]

@@carlkolthoff5402 vital extra information! Thanks Karl.

[@jgdooley2003]

The red brick housing of inner city Dublin were made from bricks brought in from Britain during the age of sail when a cheap weight was needed to keep the tall sailing ships upright on their journies from Britain to Ireland. Ireland was primarily an agricultural country at that time and it exported huge amounts of Grain, animals and dairy produce to Britain. Being a very poor country there was no return cargo except coal and bricks, the cheapest weight the ships could carry. As a result of this large surplus of bricks coming into the country they were the cheapest option for building although Ireland had a very large amount of the finest limestone for building.Most ports in Ireland such as Dublin.Cork and Limerick have a lot of red-brick housing as a result of this sailing ship practice.

[@crupert23225]

Back in elementary school 50 years ago, I asked this question of a speaker we had in class who worked for the railroad. He didn't know, and laughed at me. Thank you for finally informing me!

[@Scienceabc]

Interesting! Glad you found the video useful.

[@mangeshdevalapurkar5283]

A simple stone can be so much effective. Unbelievable! The Engineer who did this is a great person.

[@BlackKnightsCommander]

I always knew about the vegetation, vibration and drainage benefits but I never thought about the others. This was very informative

[@fahimahmedbhuiyan2252]

I have thoroughly researched tons of videos on KZbin, just to figure out the "real" engineering reasons behind placing railway track ballasts. This is the best video I've ever found. Though seems like children's animation at the first look, it honestly far exceeds the quality of many hardcore engineering videos for adult engineering students. No compromise with the quality! You've just got one more subscriber! Go on!

[@blusafe1]

"Children's animation" style is proven to stick better for all ages. Take a look at medical school videos...haha

[@kiranbandari3008]

Never use KZbin to research. Even this video misses to mention the main reason

[@kevintse2870]

@@kiranbandari3008 which is? Cost effectiveness?

[@anuronguha0898]

@@kiranbandari3008 whats the main reason

[@kiranbandari3008]

@@anuronguha0898 Soil erosion between the tracks by the moving train. Without the ballasts it will form a big hole between the tracks.

[@robertedwards7695]

Great educational video.Hope the people in power watch this! In my area there is vegetation sprouting up all along the track on every route. Thanking you Robbbert from Melbourne Australia. 😊.

[@darkspeed62]

hahahah I love the animation, giving the faces to the ballast and the sleepers and track!

[@d3vilman69]

I didn't know there is so much science involved in the railway track. And I thought the train itself is already complex.

[@rickyanthony]

It's a lot of science but also pure genius at how the parts of the system are usually very simple but solve so many problems. One of the wonders of human invention.

[@nsh1980gmail]

I have found everywhere I looked closely that my understanding of everything is surface level and absolutely everything is far more complex than I would have guessed

[@julianmcmillan2867]

Yeah it is amazing. When installing rail switching systems, or points machines, which allow tracks to change directions, there are certain measurements one needs to take into account when installing these things. In these sections where rails switch, there is an extra blade-like beam that is installed and this is used to guide the direction the axols will take. You can imagine that if the gap between the stock rail and the blade is off, the axle can either fall into this gap or be pushed off the rail. When considering these measurements, we also have to consider different temperatures as in the winter, due to contraction, these gaps can get as much as 1cm smaller and can expand by as much in the summer if not regularly adjusted and tested. Just that 1cm difference can have catastrophic results. So after we would do our installations, testing and validation, we'd have to perform inspections every few weeks to a month in order to ensure that these gaps remain within their specified safety ranges. When I first started on the rail, I never could've imagined how interesting it would be all the engineering that goes into the tiniest of details.

[@handsomejustin]

If you lived in countries other than that 3rd world dictator terrorist shithole USA, and move to countries like China, you will be blown away by their high speed train which is close to the speed of an aircraft. But it's understandable for people living under a rock in the USA to be impressed by 200 year old techs.

[@TheKeksadler]

There's a surprising lot of engineering behind modern track design. I mean the rails are even used as giant electric circuits for a variety of purposes like occupancy checking.

[@spelunkerd]

Great summary. In the broad context, standing water and freeze/thaw cycles are what destroys roadways everywhere, they are the number one cause of potholes. By choosing a raised porous rock to support the track, water trickles away when liquid, and can't shift supporting structures when ice expands.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Do you suggest there are fewer potholes in ice-free climates?

[@nb2008nc]

@@eljanrimsa5843 Uh, yes?

[@nickbisson8243]

@@eljanrimsa5843 absolutely! Less damage from salts n de-icers too. Now as far as maintenance and upkeep on southern roads....that can vary and all that plays a roll too.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

@@nickbisson8243 Ah, now I understand! In the North potholes are formed by the unforgiving harshness of nature. In the South, potholes are formed by lazy Southerners sleeping all day.

[@stevenbasher5363]

@@eljanrimsa5843 Yeah, just go to any of the interstates in Georgia and notice how smooth they all are. Not sure what the heck they do maintenence speaking in the south, but the extreme expansion thaw / freeze cycle leads to really bad potholes in the north. There's a lot of factors that go into potholes, high amounts of rain water such as during hurricanes can erode roadways to a lesser but not insignificant amount as well. Materials / construction, upkeep, and climate are the three biggest factors determining potholes. In the south, they can often get away with cheaper materials and less engineering as the conditions are less demanding on the roads

[@CornyBum]

Great video that piqued my curiosity with its title, then satisfied it. I cracked up at the cute animated components at 2:18.

[@kevinblatter2369]

I live near a Diabase gravel quarry and they explained to me once what makes good railroad ballast. Your video goes considerably more into detail. Thank you.

[@Scienceabc]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@kennichdendenn]

The ballast also allows the tracks to be moved and re-aligned more easily - if you rattle it enough, it becomes possible to do adjustments.

[@madkrakatoa]

The train I used to take didn't vibrate, it was more like a fairground game...it will push you right and left, up and down non stop... till the company decided to get the ballasts cleaners ...what a difference.

[@hatednyc]

3:05 that dance was worth it for me

[@requinremembers]

There's an active track right behind my house. I've always sort of wondered about those rocks. This is cool. Now I know what one of those strange loud machines are that I hear and see out there sometimes..it's cleaning the 'track ballast'. Knowledge is power! lol. Thanks.

[@walnutsandbeastiality866]

As Tai Lopez (the annoying Lamborghini/bookcase guy) exclaimed: ,,NAWLEDGE!!!"

[@mescko]

They are Tamping machines.

[@OHYEAHGAMEVIDEOS]

Massive respect to rail workers. It very hard work. I can remember shovelling and packing tons of ballast every night

[@garcalej]

Did you know: The word “ballast” is actually nautical in origin, for the stones that were kept at the bottom of the holds of ships and which were used for the same reason as track ballast; to distribute weight evenly along the bottom of the vessels and keep them level in rough seas. The use of stone ballast was nearly ubiquitous through maritime history, from antiquity right up to the present day. Modern day marine archaeologists and fortune hunters often use the presence of unfamiliar ballast along the ocean floor to locate old wooden wrecks that have long since rotted away.

[@danijelovskikanal7017]

both submarines and hot air ballons have ballast too!

[@MrObliviousegg]

The term "ballast" is also referred to in car racing when you add mass at certain points beneath the car to change the weight distribution.

[@joseffinat966]

Vandaar een zogenaamde gelukzoeker die naar de zeebodem wilde,en plotsklaps uit het zicht verdween omdat niet twee maar een overboord moest van wal-vis naar de haaien kon 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈

[@LiftUpYourEyes]

No one cares about the origin of the word, its the depth of thought that our ancestors must have wielded in order to come up with this idea, their understanding of the physical world was immense and that is the only thing people care about. Creating and harnessing our genius

[@bigguy7353]

It comes from nautical usage, but the etymological origins of the word ate not intrinsically nautical. Things were used as ballast before Man invented seafaring vessels.

[@superzman06]

unbelievablely good animation. It’s criminal how under-rated this video and channel is. I can guarantee it will become a thing if you keep it up

[@SomeAustrianPainter]

It’s underrated because regardless of how good the vids are the channel just looks too generic and unappealing, I mean it’s literally called ‘Science ABC’ it’s just not an attention grabber

[@robertcortright]

Prolly the audio.

[@Guiltycircle486]

Umm. Animation is horrible

[@jackcarlsson5527]

This animation is so unbelievably ugly i can't watch it how could you say something like that

[@Dept246]

Plenty of channels out there.

[@Oats-yi5sf]

I'm 51 yrs old. I just learned something new. Or more detail in what I thought I knew already.

[@REMdonor]

thanks so much for actually including the information in the description

[@robpolaris5002]

As a kid I noticed that they tended to be angular. But I thought it was because they were being broken up by the weight of the train and rocks don’t break into smooth corners.

[@Killbayne]

i thought they were so jagged because it'd allow the train to fling them away on contact instead of breaking and causing the train to rise a bit 😭

[@toddsands6000]

Excellent video. I remembered when I was in the Canal Zone during the early 1990's, the railway system did not have crushed stones at certain areas. And vegetation was growing out of control inside the tracks. I had initially thought that the vegetation would wreak havoc with the moving mechanical parts beneath the locomotives and box cars. This video helped explain things in detail.

[@Scienceabc]

Thanks for the info!

[@Jonic_P]

There's a special kind of satisfaction you get from a solution that solves a large variety of problems all at once

[@groove1722]

This is so fascinating. Always wondered about all those rocks.

[@marianandnorbert]

a correction to number 7: it doesn’t minimise the expansion of the rails, what ballast does is *allow* the rails expand and contract in temperature, you see unless you have ballastless tracks (which are generally rails held together and supported by blocks of concrete, and not with wooden sleepers resting on grass) or fixed structures like bridges (which often have derailment protection for this reason) the rails are tied together by railway ties, i.e. sleepers, and they *rest* on the ballast, they are not anchored to it. rails are made of steel which typically has a thermal expansion rate of about 1% per 10 degrees (celsius/kelvin) this means that if you have a railway track of let’s say 2000 metres, then you have 20 metres of extra railway length, you might be asking: where does that go? it pushes the apex of the curve(s) outward, in the case of 20 metres of extra length over 2000 the apex of the curve might shift a couple of centimetres.

[@yooper2186]

That’s a load of BS

[@mimikal7548]

Thank you for the explanation! I was very sceptical of 7 in the video and immediately came to the comments for a correction.

[@ianmcchickenlover3704]

Its about 0.01% per 10°C not 1%.

[@csuporj]

This contraction of the iron in winter is why the ceramic tiles fall down in the romanian apartments. Many people put them up without knowing that they need to keep a millimeter or so space between them for the winter contraction of the concrete walls with iron in them.

[@James5976]

Ah, love the sound of expanding rail, it's like a ting, twig and prang together. Reminds me of when you break your back, but that is more of fizz. I'll leave this comment for the 4 people on this planet that know what im talking about

[@ModelRailway]

Excellent and fun video … and I’ve helped look after the UK ballast cleaning programmes! There’s a few more reasons to add to the list …. - Ballast can be moved (by tamping) to allow the tracks to be repositioned, eg slued laterally, lifted or lowered, or even re-canted to increase or reduce the amount of super elevation on a curve. - Ballast is currently cheaper to install per metre than ‘slab-track’ - Ballasted track allows the sleepers (and the ballast itself) to be replaced in relatively short time periods and easily. - Waste ballast can be recycled … eg often sold to other industries such as roads for use in tarmac.

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

I was just wondering if they reused it, I live near a bunch of old abandoned railway tracks and have noticed they are all scraped clean down to the dirt, that figures now. I assumed the tracks and sleepers are all recycled but I didn't know if the ballast was removed or if it wasn't there in the first place, but now I know.

[@f0urstr1ng]

The video was excellent. The replies are better

[@vaibanez17]

I never thought about it but now it definitely makes sense, crazy how some rocks have so many benefits for the rail.

[@alicecera7512]

I love stumbling upon stuff I never questioned and come out intrigued.

[@moscockmule]

For a sec I was afraid this was going to be a clickbait, 6 mins of going around in circles without obtaining an answer. And well, color me surprised! It was packed with real information! Thanks for making this video!

[@Stussmeister]

Very interesting and informative. As a railroad nut myself, I had learned that track ballast works to keep the sleepers and rails relatively level, but was unaware of the other functions it performed as well as the reason why ballast stones are shaped as such.

[@vivian9803]

I love when KZbin suggests a video that is actually interesting and educational. This was great!

[@shevetlevi2821]

I was literally wondering about these stones yesterday. Thanks.

[@bobr1767]

The tracks and sleepers are "floating" on the ballast. This is different than a fixed system where the sleepers are fixed to a track bed and are typically concrete. This is needed due to the track gauge and super elevation tolerances and, are usually installed on rapid transit lines with fast moving trains. The track circuits also depend on ballast conditions. Good ballast allows better railroad traffic circuits (or wayside) signals and grade crossing warning systems.

[@getonthecrossanddontlookba5004]

Repent to Jesus Christ “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NIV K

[@cdkmonkey2699]

@@getonthecrossanddontlookba5004 I did but it hasn't worked or not yet , might find out soon though COVID and all that , take care my friend

[@sore_forey9259]

That’s what I was wondering during the video, I would have assumed the sleepers were anchored into concrete below the ballast, or at least every so often ie. before/after curves, every 100m etc.

[@apapz3245]

You’re a bit off

[@bobr1767]

@@apapz3245 I’m getting therapy so…

[@americandevo]

I was the manager of a B&B built in a 1914 New York Central Freight Station located along the Norfolk Southern double mainline. The coolest thing was watching the ballast maintenance machine do it's thing scooping out the ballast, sifting out the dirt and stuff that builds up in it and putting it back. It was loud and very dusty but cool to watch.

[@cindland]

Idk, I’m just a regular person, and it immediately made total sense when you said interlocking properties from the shape…the rest of it was completely understood to me. Guess I should’ve been an engineer!

[@sweetcheey]

This is so fascinating, I didn't know they have more use than I thought. Thank you for this interesting and informative video!

[@TylerDeBoy]

3:12 “Let me check the tracks real quick” ***Runs around train***

[@mrmurpleqwerty4838]

Fun fact: Rails are not very rigid. Sleepers exist to keep the guage constant. Otherwise, the rails would bend out of the way like big metal noodles.

[@JuneNafziger]

The locomotives will try to put the tracks where they want them.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

@@JuneNafziger Actually, without sleepers, trains would just push the rails apart as train wheels are conical to help center the trains on the tracks and help them get around curves.

[@gamingmusicandjokesandabit1240]

Funny that the sleepers keep the gauge constant without waking up.

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

@@gamingmusicandjokesandabit1240 funny how people can't spell gauge

[@GordonSlamsay]

@@alejandrayalanbowman367 guaugue. how'd I do?

[@usmale49]

Very interesting and informative video! Thank you for creating, uploading and sharing! 😊🚅

[@Visiontech]

A random video I came across and decided to watch… Very glad I did thank you.

[@julianmcmillan2867]

I used to work on the railways. Yeah, safe to say, these things are important. I've been to an incident where a train derailed because some guys who had dug a cable undertrack trench didn't refill the correct depth of ballast stones and didn't compact them properly. The end result was a shifty and bouncy section of the track which resulted in a derailment. Luckily nobody was hurt and the train didn't tip. Still, it is very dangerous and very important to know what you are doing when excavating ground around or near tracks.

[@gvet47]

I remember a road crossing in Iowa where the ballast and soil was washed out on about 6 feet of rail. Was that way for years! You could sit at the crossing and watch the rails deflect as the cars passed this section. Lots of derailments from lack of maintainance in Iowa.

[@LV2UJC-FM]

I love learning something new every day. 🌅 Ballast is produced from natural deposits of granite, trap rock, quartzite, dolomite, or limestone. I read that the best Ballast Stone in railways is obtained by crushing hard stones like granite, hard trap, quartzite, broken stones, limestone, and sandstone can also be used. Thank you for creating a great educational video. 💯

[@xandrewvondiue522]

Maintenance for rocks was one of the last things I'd thought to hear, but it makes sense, given the context

[@f0urstr1ng]

I was pondering this question today and then I found this! Enjoyed thanks. I concluded it would be something to do with track expansion in the heat. Never would have imagined so many useful facets

[@MetalHeart8787]

very educational video, Back in 1986 when i was 15 we would walk the Tracks & I always wondered why do they have these Gray Jagged Rocks here? NOW I know.

[@seancarter6492]

This is awesome! Fun Fact: many trains use sand that shoot out onto the track when breaking for added traction.

[@dizzysdoings]

Many years ago, a train track that's no longer in use was turned into a multi use trail near here. The ties are in piles in a few places. And, in places, there's still quite a bit of ballast. I ride on this trail at times and am always careful at those spots. Don't want to accidentally injure my horse. I don't know what all they've done to the trail, other than remove what they could, but the trail is still hard packed with very little vegetation.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

During and just after the steam locomotive era, many track ballasts were comprised of cinders, the residue left from coal burning steam locomotives.

[@johnnehrich9601]

Yes, cinders are the left-over stone matrix when the coal is burned out of the rock. Cinder is very porous, very cheap (left-over material) and actually a great ballast. The one problem is that it crushed easily, particularly underneath the ties (sleepers) as the track rides up and down. Once crushed, it no longer drains well, so had a high maintenance cost.

[@randomcow505]

some areas of the UK it still is I know near my house where a lot of trains passed the stones were incredibly pourous and smelled amazing, but im not sure if it was cinders or the slag and stuff from the local steel plant

[@mattberg916]

Old cinder ballasted yards are a joy to work in. It's like walking on carpet compared to regular ballast

[@timnor4803]

My high school had a cinder track back in the day...

[@anubhavsolankey]

I always saw clean rocks in the ballast that too in India and wondered why they were so clean! It seems the Railways department has been doing a great job at cleaning those!

[@AVideoEditor1234]

Thank you for teaching me this! This was a unsolved mystery for me til now 😅

[@paulokimbrillantes4250]

well i did have some idea of what those rocks are but knowing that it has that many uses? amazing

[@rubabmubarrat]

this channel is so underrated, tho it got a new sub

[@cesarprimopaterno8274]

Fabulous explanations! Thank you!

[@Killbayne]

"so what do you do for a living?" -"i clean and maintain a pile of rocks."

[@bwhog]

Let's not forget also that part of the reason this all works is that rail lines are always on a raised bed, a couple of feet higher than the area around them. This has several beneficial effects but making sure that runoff has somewhere to go instead of just pooling up around the base of the sleepers is a big part of it.

[@mickstock1961]

I live in an area with a major interstate rail line, and several smaller (mostly seasonal grain traffic) branch lines. All the busier lines use concrete sleepers, and even some of the lesser-used grain lines are now being converted to concrete sleepers as well. "Mud holes" are a common problem, especially on the main line. Ballast is mostly basalt, although I've seen granite or a granite/basalt mix used in some areas. My part of the world is also extremely highly fire-prone (and not just during summer months!). Almost all fires starting along railway lines have been traced to sparks caused by sticking brakes.

[@ronakpujara3843]

You got a new sub man. Keep it up with the good content

[@cmjt]

Didn't know I needed this information. Thanks!

[@simontemplate]

Interestingly, the subsequent spread of Oxford Ragwort - an introduction from Italy to the UK Oxford Botanic Gardens in the early 18th century is partly attributed to its propensity to grow in track ballast. This nicely mimics the lava fields on the slopes of its native Mount Etna.

[@smorgasbroad1132]

The most informative video I've watched all year. I live near train tracks. Never thought about the rocks/ ballast. Thanks. Good trivia too. 👍👍👍

[@Scienceabc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Robert08010]

Through use and over time, the ballast gets crushed and ground up and looses some of its effectiveness. So rather than replacing the ballast, occasionally they just fluff it up like a pillow. There is a machine the railroad uses that lays down feet, picks up the track, and then with large metal brushes, it rearranges the ballast. This is how I came to learn about the vibration damping and noise damping effects of the ballast. Living most of my life next to a freight line, I had become very well aware of the vibrations the heavy freight trains made. But after refreshing the ballast with one of these machines that didn't add new ballast, but simple rearranged the existing ballast, the noise level and the amount of vibrations transmitted to the ground were substantially reduced. I was very surprised because before that, I didn't really understand what the ballast did.

[@BrisLS1]

It would take me an hour by car to figure out what rails are near my house, yet I hear the trains every night. I think that is good. There is something soothing about that sound. It whispers " don't worry.. somebody is out here ".

[@nomadexplorer6682]

Thanks for the excellent video and content. The humble stone ballast is truly doing an amazing job. Your explanation is wonderful. 👍

[@johnnyrottenpiss]

The noise absorption comes from the fact that there are pockets of airspace to consume some of the vibration.

[@NarwahlGaming]

That's OUTRAGEOUS! Everyone knows space is where we keep the Moon! **smug arms crossed emoji**

[@bensk8in467]

Watching tracks flex from a moving train is mesmerizing. I could stare at it forever lol.

[@rohankumardas55]

Thank you for the well explanation for making us to understand in a simple way

[@Scienceabc]

You're very welcome!

[@chairde]

Thank you for this informative video. I’ve lived near RR tracks all my life and didn’t know this.

[@fr9714]

Great video. All the points mentioned are for OUTDOOR tracks clearly. Because most subways which are underground like in NYC, Chicago, London etc. which are underground or above ground do not have track ballasts. Some of the points don't apply to them like flooding, sun, heat etc. which explains why subways are so noisy

[@Moose803]

I thought the extra noise was from the sound bouncing off the walls.

[@ghostl1124]

I keep telling myself to buy and keep some earplugs precisely for riding the subway. Thanks for the reminder.

[@zapwatt]

Yeah or maybe being inside of a concrete and metal tube with endless echo and no ability to dissipate sounds, maybe that's why subways are so noisy.

[@melissamccoy1806]

Great video! It would be helpful if it explained what are ties/sleepers vs rails vs tracks.

[@davidclaro152]

Wow! Very interesting and I see this all the time going to work.

[@omniyambot9876]

Those stones are really badass. I've always wondered why there are always stones on the rails. Thanks for the video.

[@batman_2004]

Never knew so much about this! Thanks for the video.

[@markschilleman4695]

Amazing information. I had no idea. Thank you!

[@jimpeter3453]

Nicely done! Regards from Baltimore.

[@Rationalific]

Positively enlightening! I enjoyed this fun video!

[@Scienceabc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jdrailfan391]

I’ve been a railfan for almost my whole life and I’ve never thought that those stones under the tracks were so important!

[@joseffinat966]

Als stenen een rivier kunnen verleggen ,als men de levens van velen kunnen redden zou toch een optie zijn om de stroom van gruwel daarmee te kunnen stoppen🙏

[@joseffinat966]

Elk leven is belangrijk niemand uitgezonderd

[@desmcneil3296]

Thanks for sharing this information

[@JokersVsZombies]

I dont know why youtube suggested this video, but Im glad it did.

[@markschrock4148]

Working in the industrial rail switching industry for over 20 years I've walked and ridden many miles over ballast. Great video great description of what purpose the ballast serves.

[@teranova5566]

Ok, if you have experience can you tell what is the cost of building 100 km railway track and how much does it cost to maintain? Also how much does is a single lane highway cost in comparison?