Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Pennsylvania law requires the deeply traditional Amish community to attach bright orange reflective triangles to the back of their horse-drawn wooden buggies to avoid being obliterated by modern cars.
Pennsylvania law requires the deeply traditional Amish community to attach bright orange reflective triangles to the back of their horse-drawn wooden buggies…
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Ford's black-only rule had a beginning and an end.
Ford's black-only rule had a beginning and an end. The Model T was offered only in black from 1914 to 1925, according to Ford's own history. Models before and…
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A crash statistic near home needs a mileage question.
A crash statistic near home needs a mileage question. Trips begin or end near home, so that area gets many chances to appear in a driver's travel record. To…
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American stop signs were yellow before red became the standard.
American stop signs were yellow before red became the standard. Durable red finishes helped make the switch practical in the 1950s, and the U.S. standard…
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Mr.
Mr. Bean's actor received a £910,000 repair bill for one car. After Rowan Atkinson crashed his McLaren F1 in 2011, rebuilding it reportedly took around a year…
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Japan holds the world record for the fastest manned train, with their L0 Series Maglev clocking in at an absolutely blistering 374 miles per hour during a test run.
Japan holds the world record for the fastest manned train, with their L0 Series Maglev clocking in at an absolutely blistering 374 miles per hour during a…
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An aircraft carrier lends a fighter jet the speed it cannot build on deck.
An aircraft carrier lends a fighter jet the speed it cannot build on deck. Steam or electromagnetic catapults accelerate the aircraft along a short launch…
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“Helicopter” splits into “helico” and “pter,” not “heli” and “copter.” Its Greek roots mean spiral and wing.
“Helicopter” splits into “helico” and “pter,” not “heli” and “copter.” Its Greek roots mean spiral and wing. English speakers later treated “copter” as a…
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Commercial airplane tires are inflated with nitrogen gas to incredibly high pressures, usually around two hundred pounds per square inch, which is roughly six times the pressure of a standard car tire.
Commercial airplane tires are inflated with nitrogen gas to incredibly high pressures, usually around two hundred pounds per square inch, which is roughly six…
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Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903 after noticing during a snowy trip to New York City that streetcar drivers had to constantly stick their heads out of the window to see where they were going.
Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903 after noticing during a snowy trip to New York City that streetcar drivers had to constantly stick their…
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Modern automobiles are assembled from approximately thirty thousand individual parts, ranging from the massive engine block and transmission down to the tiniest dashboard screws and microchips.
Modern automobiles are assembled from approximately thirty thousand individual parts, ranging from the massive engine block and transmission down to the…
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Avalon makes full-size cars wait their turn.
Avalon makes full-size cars wait their turn. The town on Catalina Island limits vehicle permits and maintains waiting lists for full-size vehicles. Small…
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The Spruce Goose was mostly birch—and flew only once.
The Spruce Goose was mostly birch—and flew only once. Its laminated wooden structure conserved scarce wartime aluminum, while its enormous hull was meant to…
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People parachuted from balloons before airplanes existed.
People parachuted from balloons before airplanes existed. André-Jacques Garnerin descended from a balloon over Paris in 1797, more than a century before the…
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A driver won the right not to advertise 'Live Free or Die'.
A driver won the right not to advertise 'Live Free or Die'. New Hampshire required the slogan on its license plates, but George Maynard objected and covered…
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A New York subway map made the city fit the trains.
A New York subway map made the city fit the trains. Massimo Vignelli's 1972 design straightened routes and regularized their angles, prioritizing connections…
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The Hunley’s engine was seven men turning a crank.
The Hunley’s engine was seven men turning a crank. Seven crew members powered the submarine’s propeller by hand while its commander steered. In 1864, Hunley…
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Ancient Persia built rest stops into a royal road.
Ancient Persia built rest stops into a royal road. The Royal Road linked Sardis to Susa across roughly 2,400 kilometers, with service stations spaced along…
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A wounded pigeon carried a warning about friendly fire in World War I.
A wounded pigeon carried a warning about friendly fire in World War I. Cher Ami is credited with delivering a message from the surrounded Lost Battalion…
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New York City utilizes a secretive, massive network of garbage trains to transport thousands of tons of rotting urban waste out of the five boroughs every single day, completely hidden from the oblivious public.
New York City utilizes a secretive, massive network of garbage trains to transport thousands of tons of rotting urban waste out of the five boroughs every…
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An electric cab featured in an early drunk-driving case.
An electric cab featured in an early drunk-driving case. In 1897, London driver George Smith crashed his battery-powered taxi into a building and was fined 20…
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Macy's wooden escalators hide a metal machine.
Macy's wooden escalators hide a metal machine. At the Herald Square store, historic escalators preserve wooden treads while chains and supporting metal…
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One driver controlled a freight train more than four miles long.
One driver controlled a freight train more than four miles long. BHP's 2001 Australian test train stretched 7.353 kilometers, with 682 ore cars and eight…
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Britain once made road vehicles travel at walking pace.
Britain once made road vehicles travel at walking pace. The 1865 Locomotive Act limited powered road vehicles to four miles per hour in the countryside and…
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