Railways6 min read
What ballast does beneath the sleepers
The crushed stone under a railway sleeper must hold the track in place while leaving water a way out. Its condition can change a line's geometry long before the rail itself wears out.
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Railways5 min read
How steel rails make room for summer
Long welded rails have few expansion gaps. Their summer margin lies in a chosen neutral temperature and in the fastenings, sleepers and ballast that hold them straight.