The damndest thing: just ten minutes ago I heard the strangest sound from outside. Going to the window I couldn't figure out or see what it was. It was similar to a very had rain falling, but there was only a very soft rain, so that couldn't be it.
I noticed additional aspects to the noise which made it seem like a big machine noise. And it was quite loud. I rushed out to investigate. It was much more distant than it sounded. I had to walk all the way to the back of our square of flats, and yet past a smaller collection of flats behind them, where is a motorway.
I got more and more curious, because even from a distance, a big cloud of steam was rising behind the trees and houses, and the noise was really loud. There was a loud whistling/howling noise together with the sound like the raizing of a hail storm. It was like a spaceship landing. Uh, I imagine.
It turned out to be a road crew with a guy pointing a big stick at the road which glowed fiercely orange. It was clearly discharging a powerful heat. Maybe they were softening up the asphalt for cutting it up, I don't know.
When I got back near my own flat, I met a nice young couple coming out, and we had a cheerful brief chat about the phenomenon, on which I was the local expert now.
But until them, I did not see a single person out there to look. There must be a hundred people at least living in earshot of that amazing noise, and I was walking down there alone! Am I practically the only one who has a healthy curiosity about what's happening? Very weird.
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I'm reminded of a similar phenomenon many years ago when I was living in Copenhagen very close to the railway tracks. This was also happening near midnight. And it was a very slow-moving train which was, get this, replacing the stones between and under the tracks! I know, it sounds like a joke, but it was what it was doing. It was sucking up the old fist-sized rocks in front, and pouring down the new rocks in the back. Why the hell they would need to change the stones I have no clue.
But: can you imagine the noise?! It was fantastic. I walked around by the train for a couple of minutes, because with the strangeness and the lights and the noise, it was all like a huge performance art event. I enjoyed it. I normally don't like noise, but this was just so unique.
9 comments:
They typically cut blacktop with a pneumatic (road) drill, or a large circular saw (Ditch witch). I suspect the blow torch was to erase white lines. Are they re-striping the motorway.
As for replacing the ballast. They do it periodically. I can understand adding to, since it settles and compacts and beds into the ground beneath or around. The sucking up and replacing? Maybe it was part of a weed control program, or maybe it was to clean them after oil spill. you need to find a trainiac to help you there. I'm a bit anoraksic myself, but I don't know those details.
Around midnight? People would be cowering under their bedclothes, or twitching the curtains.
" I suspect the blow torch was to erase white lines."
Ah! Yes, sounds likely.
"Around midnight? People would be cowering under their bedclothes, or twitching the curtains."
Good point. I have such a weird schedule I don't know day from night.
It's 10pm PST, and I see my last post, about 2hrs ago was at 3:30am. I'd say you keep strange hours, or live in Hawaii. Must be almost sunrise for you.
The purpose of the ballast under the tracks is to absorb the vibrations and to a lesser extent, the weight of the railroad track and ties along the rail line. The stones breakdown and are periodically replaced. (My father worked almost 30 years for the railroad)
Eolake,
Your little stories here remind me of a story of the young Ben Franklin chasing a whirlwind out of pure curiosity.
Curiosity is what made him and you famous.
Scientists of complexity can 99 percent explain human behaviour by comparing it to the swarm behaviour of ants and bees and the like.
Although 99 percent of humans have the capability of thinking "outside the swarm," only about 1of the 99 cares to do so.
"I'd say you keep strange hours"
Very strange.
It's a curse. Especially when I'm creative, I lose the ability to sleep at night. I went to bed at 2am, and woke up at four am. Was up for a couple of hours, and then slept all day. Very impractical.
Thank you, David.
Even now, I would surely chase a good whirlwind if I saw one. (You don't really see them in this part of the world.)
Except I would lose my own wind. Even just the quick walk in the night made me winded and uncomfortable, I'm in the worst shape.
The difference
Leviathud - before this post dissapears, thanks for telling me why ballast is replaced. I hate realizing I know half an answer.
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