Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Elevators hide shock absorbers beneath the cabin
Oil-filled buffers sit beneath the cabin as a last-resort cushion if it descends too far.
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Tactile paving keeps people off the train tracks
The bumpy paving marks the platform edge before a person reaches it. Feet and canes pick up the warning, turning a strip of pavement into a small, tactile…
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How roller coasters stop trains from colliding
The track is split into blocks, and only one train is allowed in each block at a time. Sensors and control systems hold a train at a brake point until the…
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Deep space antennas point precisely at Earth
A deep-space antenna sends and receives a narrow radio beam, so it has to aim with exquisite precision. From that distance, Earth is a tiny target—and the…
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Bumper dodgems draw electricity from the ceiling
The metal ceiling carries electricity, and a pole on each car keeps contact with it to power the motor.
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Train couplers lock entirely automatically
When two cars meet, spring-loaded metal knuckles swing open, pass each other, then snap shut. The couplers do the handshake automatically; a train crew gets…
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Double-deck elevators serve two floors at once
Two elevator cars sit one above the other and stop at neighboring floors on the same trip. One shaft serves twice as many levels per run, though riders still…
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Rocket nosecones split open in space
The nose-shaped fairing shields a rocket’s payload from thick air, vibration, and heat during launch. Once the rocket climbs above the atmosphere, two halves…
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The elevator that never stops moving
A paternoster elevator is a chain of open compartments that loops continuously up one side and down the other. Riders step on and off while it moves, so the…
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The brass token that prevented train collisions
On a single-track line, the driver had to carry the brass token that gave permission to enter that stretch. With one token for one section, a second train…
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Glass elevators ruin the illusion of safety
The elevator stays enclosed, but the glass removes the solid wall your eyes expect. Watching the floor fall away makes a secure cabin feel like a phone booth…
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Rocket nozzles gimbal to steer the craft
In a vacuum, fins can't steer a rocket. A gimbaled engine swivels its nozzle so the exhaust pushes at an angle, tilting the vehicle.
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Rocket exhaust plumes expand wildly in a vacuum
In space, there’s no surrounding air to squeeze a rocket plume into a narrow shape. Exhaust leaves the nozzle and expands outward, spreading into a broad,…
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Why launch pads flood the ground with water
The engines make sound waves that ricochet off the launch pad, hammering the rocket from below. A torrent of water soaks up much of that energy; the pad gets…
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That roller-coaster clack is a safety feature
As the coaster climbs, a ratchet catches each step and stops the train rolling backward if the lift chain fails. That clack is the sound of a very repetitive…
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Why railway crossing barriers break so easily
Crossing gates use lightweight arms that break away when struck, letting a trapped vehicle escape instead of turning the gate into a cage. The barrier is…
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Modern lifts use flat steel belts over ropes
Flat elevator belts hide steel cords inside a flexible coating. They bend around smaller pulleys than bulky ropes, letting the elevator machinery take up less…
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Track circuits send voltage through the rails
A train’s metal wheels connect the two rails, shunting the circuit’s current away from a trackside detector. That tells the signal system, “Occupied”—a…
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Articulated trams bend completely in half
An articulated tram is built from sections joined by a pivoting connection. As it rounds a curve, the sections angle around the joint instead of forcing one…
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Why roller coasters use water-filled dummies
The dummies add realistic passenger weight to the coaster, so engineers see how the train behaves before riders climb aboard. Water makes a cheap stand-in for…
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Shopping trolleys possess wildly drifting casters
A shopping cart’s swivel casters turn to follow its direction, but a worn or misaligned wheel points the wrong way and keeps tugging the cart off course. One…
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Elevator hoists feature massive ventilation grates
Hoist motors turn electrical power into motion, and some of that power becomes heat. Ventilation grates let cooler air reach the machinery and carry heat…
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An astronaut's orange suit is designed for the ocean, too
NASA's Orion launch-and-entry suit has a bright orange outer layer so rescuers can spot crew members after they leave the capsule in the sea. Its job spans…
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The fighter jet that became a flying liquor cabinet
A fighter’s cramped cockpit already had compartments and a dramatic silhouette, so repurposing one as a liquor cabinet gave the old aircraft a softer landing.…
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