One thing that's part of every train journey are those rocks you see under an alongside the track.

What are those for, anyway?

And how does this bed of stones not fall apart under the weight of a moving train?

Plenty of questions, and I've got all the answers you need.

How is track ballast made to start with that bed of rocks has a name.

It's called the track Ballast.

It has a very important job to do.

Two trains transport around 40% of the world's cargo, so they need a railroad that's in good condition and built to exact precision.

So you just can't throw a bunch of rocks into a pile.

Place, um, rail on it and call it a day.

The thickness of the track ballast layer will often depend on the conditions it's built in the terrain of that area and how much or what kind of traffic the railroad will get.

But it's usually laid about 10 inches deep and then filled to the top of the cross ties.

That's those wooden or concrete slabs between the tracks that hold them in place.

If the ballast isn't deep enough, the track might sink.

Can you use any rocks for the ballast?

No, Sorry.

If you take a closer look at the gravel, you'll notice that there's not a single smooth stone in it.

The truck has sharp, jagged edges, and that's not a coincidence.

If you use round pebbles, they'll slide down and the ballast will spread out.

That's not good, since the main idea is to provide support and solidarity to the track.

So to prevent that giant mess from happening, the ballast is made from crushed gravel, which allows the sharp edges to interlock with each other, kind of like a puzzle.

Also, in sections of freshly laid ballast, speed limits are always lowered.

This gives the rock some time to fully saddle.

Okay, but what's the ballast?

Four.

Well, now you have an idea that this gravel provide support for the railroad.

But that's not all.

Wet roads are exposed to a lot of conditions that easily wear them down.

Heavy rains may cause flooding over them.

Vibrations can eventually destroy them, and stress from heat and friction causes them to expand and contract.

They can also get overgrown with weeds and grass, so the track ballast is a way to protect the railroad from all that stuff.

It facilitates drainage and prevents the track from getting flooded.

It absorbs vibrations, keeps heat expansion at a safe minimum and doesn't let plants grow underneath, just like the trains and tracks themselves.

The ballast also needs regular maintenance and cleaning.

If the rocks get covered in too much mud and grime, they won't dream.

Water is effectively okay, now that you know all the basics of railroad balanced because it's what's on everyone's mind, right?

Let's look at some other fun railroad facts you can bring up at your next water cooler gathering.

Why do railroads have gaps now?

I'm not talking about the spacing between those wooden or concrete slabs that have gaps between them.

Remember what those air called cross ties?

Bingo or sleepers?

If you're in Europe anyway, I mean the gaps between two sections of track.

Isn't there a risk of the train derailing course?

Not while laying the track.

Engineers leave small gaps so there will be room for the tracks to expand.

Steel does exactly that.

When the temperature rises, like on hot summer days.

The expansion can also be caused by friction from the moving train.

If you don't leave any gaps, the rails will expand and buckle, eventually becoming deformed and dangerous for use.

However, railways protected from rusting rust on railroad tracks is caused by moisture, humidity, freezing temperatures and road salt.

Those are the factors you can't avoid entirely when maintaining a rail.

But they do have ways of protecting lines from getting damaged by rust, or at least slow down the process.

When the railroad is built, they pick high quality steel because it's less prone to corrosion.

Also, because of the constant friction, the top and upper sides of a rail are kept polished and free of rust.

But what happens if the inner side corrodes over time?

Well, that's exactly why they have regular inspections.

They keep track of all of the rails.

And when it's time to replace part or all of one, that's what they dio.

You can see, especially rusty tracks in a place where trains no longer pass or just come through very seldom.

So the more abandoned the railroad is, the rest year it may be.

It turns out that the key to keeping rust off a track is to use it regularly.

Is it dangerous to ride on a train during a thunderstorm?

Well, it's much safer on a train than in an open field during a storm, that's for sure, but it could also be safer than being inside a building.

And that comes as a surprise, right?

After all, a train is a big hunk of metal traveling on even more metal.

If you know why airplanes aren't damaged by lightning, then you must be a regular here on the bright side, you'll also know that aircraft acts as a giant Faraday cage.

It's the same thing with trains, and it works like this.

The cage protects the inside of the train from electromagnetic fields, also known as lightning, by redirecting the current along the outside.

So even if lightning strikes a train, you'll be safe inside, even if you're holding a fork.

Otherwise, it could be a shocking experience.

Why do trains changed tracks while running?

Well, there's the obvious answer when the track splits and they need to go that way.

But here's what surprised may.

Sometimes two trains operate on the same track, and one needs to get over so the other can pass this switch allows traffic to move more efficiently.

The switch must be performed smoothly, since the majority of train derailments happen when a train changes tracks most of the time, the process is so careful and done so professionally that the passengers don't even notice what is a railroad fraud.

A little amphibian that lives on every line, not quite a railroad frog is the point where the left and right rails cross at a switch.

If you look at it from above, you'll see that it looks exactly like a frog's legs.

Those frogs will vary in size and styles, depending on the degree of Kurt.

They're numbered according to the size of the switch, with higher numbers corresponding toe, larger frogs and more gentle curves.

Why do trains blow their horn all the time?

It's obviously not for fun or to entertain the passengers.

Train's honk for an array of safety reasons, and they pretty much use a giant air horn to do it.

Compressed air gets blown along a metal plate, and this causes of vibration.

The vibration makes sound waves, and they travel through and are often made louder by the horns.

All the sounds.

The train makes have special meanings.

But the main purpose is to instruct or alert people or animals that a train is coming their way along.

Honk means a train is approaching the station.

This is made to attract the attention of everyone on the platform.

Too long honks mean the brakes have been released and the train is starting to move.

Several long whistles means the train is approaching the crossing.

In other words, if you're at the junction, don't cross the tracks.

A sequence of short tubes is heard when vehicles or livestock or on the tracks, and they need to get out of the way.

And just to give you an idea, it takes an average freight train traveling 55 miles per hour more than the length of 18 football fields to make it to a complete stop.

So if you live close to a railroad, maybe next time you're so rudely woken up by the sound of a train horn, you'll remember that it's all for the sake of safety.

Hey, if you learn something new today about railroads, then give this video alike and share with a friend and hear some other cool videos I know you love.