Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
An early FedEx executive recalled a blackjack-funded reprieve.
An early FedEx executive recalled a blackjack-funded reprieve. Roger Frock's account says Frederick Smith took $5,000 to Las Vegas and returned with $27,000…
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The SR-71's fuel leaks changed as the aircraft heated up.
The SR-71's fuel leaks changed as the aircraft heated up. High-speed flight heated and expanded the Blackbird's structure. When the aircraft slowed and cooled…
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Autumn foliage creates a massive crisis for the British railway system every single year, causing thousands of hours in severe train delays.
Autumn foliage creates a massive crisis for the British railway system every single year, causing thousands of hours in severe train delays. Wet leaves get…
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Dutch authorities are forced to fish approximately fifteen thousand rusty bicycles out of Amsterdam's picturesque canals every single year.
Dutch authorities are forced to fish approximately fifteen thousand rusty bicycles out of Amsterdam's picturesque canals every single year. A workboat lowers…
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A railway's grand opening became the scene of a fatal accident.
A railway's grand opening became the scene of a fatal accident. At the Liverpool and Manchester Railway's opening in 1830, dignitaries stepped down from their…
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San Francisco's cable cars are the only moving objects on the planet to be designated as National Historic Landmarks.
San Francisco's cable cars are the only moving objects on the planet to be designated as National Historic Landmarks. Under the street, a motor keeps a long…
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A retired Sydney bus became an overland adventure to Britain.
A retired Sydney bus became an overland adventure to Britain. Andy Stewart bought the double-decker Albert for 400 Australian dollars in 1968, then recruited…
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Twenty-eight thousand plastic bath toys were dumped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean in 1992 when a shipping container tumbled off a cargo vessel during a severe storm.
Twenty-eight thousand plastic bath toys were dumped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean in 1992 when a shipping container tumbled off a cargo vessel during a…
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Parisian transit authorities maintain a fully functional ghost station called Porte des Lilas specifically for production companies to shoot movies and commercials without disrupting actual commuters.
Parisian transit authorities maintain a fully functional ghost station called Porte des Lilas specifically for production companies to shoot movies and…
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Car advocates helped turn jaywalking into a public embarrassment.
Car advocates helped turn jaywalking into a public embarrassment. In the 1920s, campaigns promoted the term and used mockery to portray pedestrians crossing…
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London's first bus needed three horses for twenty passengers.
London's first bus needed three horses for twenty passengers. George Shillibeer's 1829 omnibus took about an hour to cover five miles from Paddington to the…
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A traffic jam can travel backward while every car moves forward.
A traffic jam can travel backward while every car moves forward. One driver slows, the next reacts a little later, and the disturbance spreads through the…
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Escalator brushes are a warning strip, not a shoe cleaner.
Escalator brushes are a warning strip, not a shoe cleaner. They discourage passengers from placing shoes against the skirt beside the moving steps, where…
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The pope flies on chartered airliners, not a Vatican Air Force One.
The pope flies on chartered airliners, not a Vatican Air Force One. Papal trips use aircraft supplied by commercial airlines. The familiar nickname Shepherd…
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Tomato juice tastes different in the air because an airplane cabin changes how we experience flavor.
Tomato juice tastes different in the air because an airplane cabin changes how we experience flavor. Dry air and reduced pressure weaken some of the smells…
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Japanese rail engineers built gutters to keep turtles out of switches.
Japanese rail engineers built gutters to keep turtles out of switches. Turtles could become trapped between rails and eventually reach the moving points,…
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New York subway conductors point before opening the doors.
New York subway conductors point before opening the doors. A black-and-white zebra board marks the correct stopping position relative to the conductor's…
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Volkswagen gave its currywurst a parts number.
Volkswagen gave its currywurst a parts number. The sausage began as food for factory employees and became a product in its own right, identified in…
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Michelin helped drivers find reasons to wear out their tires.
Michelin helped drivers find reasons to wear out their tires. The tire company's early guide supplied practical information for motorists: places to stay,…
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An elevator mirror can be a rearview mirror for a wheelchair user.
An elevator mirror can be a rearview mirror for a wheelchair user. A small elevator may not have enough space to turn a wheelchair around. A mirror lets the…
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A no-smoking airplane still needs an ashtray under U.S.
A no-smoking airplane still needs an ashtray under U.S. safety rules. The regulation requires removable ashtrays on or near the entry side of lavatory doors…
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Japanese railway workers consistently employ a safety technique called "shisa kanko," which involves physically pointing at objects and verbally calling out their status to make checks more deliberate.
Japanese railway workers consistently employ a safety technique called "shisa kanko," which involves physically pointing at objects and verbally calling out…
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NASA's rocket taxi weighs about 6.65 million pounds.
NASA's rocket taxi weighs about 6.65 million pounds. Crawler Transporter 2 earned a Guinness record for heaviest self-powered vehicle in 2023. Its tracks…
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Japanese railway engineers redesigned the bullet train in the 1990s because the original models created a massive, deafening sonic boom every time they exited a tunnel.
Japanese railway engineers redesigned the bullet train in the 1990s because the original models created a massive, deafening sonic boom every time they exited…
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