North Star Trail - Rough Ballast Traditional Cache
North Star Trail - Rough Ballast
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers (UK) or railroad ties (US) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track structure. This also serves to hold the track in place as the trains roll by.
It is typically made of crushed stone, although ballast has sometimes consisted of other, less suitable materials. The term "ballast" comes from a nautical term for the stones used to stabilize a ship.
A good ballast should be strong, hard-wearing, stable, drainable, easy to clean, workable, resistant to deformation, easily available, and reasonably cheap to purchase. Early railway engineers did not understand the importance of quality track ballast; they would use cheap and easily-available materials such as ashes, chalk, clay, earth, and even cinders from locomotive fireboxes. It was soon clear that good-quality ballast made of rock was necessary if there was to be a good foundation and adequate drainage.
You are looking for a small L&L
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