Why is the area around railway tracks always filled with stones?

Question

i am curious to know wats the reason behind it...
how does the presence of stones help

i have also realised that the stones arent present around tracks if its underground and in a tunnel
Why is that so

Answer 1

The stones act as a base so as to not have the tracks move when the train goes along them...It's like when you put in a road or driveway.You put down something called base or process( a mix of crushed stone and fines(really finely crushed stone)) and this is compacted and then the asphalt is laid over it..The railroad ties are all secured by the compacting of the stone..You have to remember that open land moves as the weather changes(look at your lawn in the fall and then look at it in the spring)

Answer 2

I think that drainage and other environmental considerations aside the gravel rail bed is cheaper than laying concrete for thousands of miles so there is the modern reason for using gravel in the bed. For the real reason we have to set the way-back machine to the early days of rail travel with those fire breathing behemoths the steam trains. Cinders and and other debris would fall out of the fire box causing the country side to catch on fire so by putting the gravel road bed that reduced the possibility of fire.

BTW they don't use sleepers in the subway because the tunnel is all concrete places where the tracks come out from the underground are usually on a gravel road bed.

Good question thank you

Answer 3

The rails are tied to the fish plates by bolts but the fish plates are not tied or bound to any stable base.They are laid to rest on well compacted ground.Whenever a train passes, great vibrations are produced which may dislodge the fish plates and distort the rails also. To prevent this, pieces of stones are placed as fillers and support for the fish plates.The same is not necessary in tunnels and underground railways as the fish plates are permanently anchored there with bolts.

Answer 4

It's to give some springiness to the tracks so they move with the weight of the trains.

Henry Ford actually tried laying railroad tracks on a strip of concrete and when the train went around a curve, it jumped the track because there was no springiness to the tracks, so he gave up on the experiment.

Answer 5

They're to stop weeds and grass from growing and infesting the track. Engines can skid when going over vegetation at speed, They're not needed in tunnels or underground because plants don't grow there.

Answer 6

drainage...to keep the water from disturbing the tracks keeping them safe...not needed underground

Answer 7

Because some drunken fool staggers onto the line and spills their pint of bitter!

Answer 8

In case you are interested, that area is known as a "Trackbed."

Answer 9

Because it is.