At first glance, this is a really crazy question. It would seem who would dream of sprinkling ordinary salt on the rails. But for some, this makes sense, and such actions are not always combined with obedience to the law. In the old days, common salt used in this way allowed robbers in America to rob trains and even entire trains.
These events took place in the USA, in Alabama. In this state, along the railway practically along the entire length, special poles were installed on which such violators were executed (provided that they were caught). According to the legislation of that time, a person who broke the law and was caught by the sheriff was executed by hanging immediately, without conducting an investigation and without waiting for trial. Provided that the sheriff could not figure out and catch the criminal, he hanged himself (again, according to the law). Agree that there is not even a hint of humanity towards the authorities.
As before, the law continues to work today, but there is a shortage of sheriffs in the state, although the salary is quite decent - twenty thousand dollars. Even by American standards, this is a decent reward and a rather large sum.
But back to the train robbery. To commit a crime, you first need to stop the train. That is, the driver needs to be outsmarted so that he stops the locomotive. The robbers came up with a more interesting option to force the entire train to stop.
There are too many moose in Alabama. These amazing animals are not indifferent to salt, or rather, they adore it. Therefore, the robbers poured this product on the rails, to which later the moose came in a whole herd. It is simply impossible not to notice such a number of animals from afar. Naturally, the driver had to stop his transport. Further "sleight of hand and no fraud" - a grandiose robbery was carried out, after which the robbers hid in an unknown direction.
In Alaska, this method is used for hunting bear. Animals also lick the salt off the rails, but as a result they stick to the metal. If the driver does not have time to brake, the bear will simply die. The problem in the state is known, so the speed of all trains is as limited as possible. Moreover, all drivers are required to have at their disposal five liters of boiling water. If suddenly on their way there is a bear glued to the paths, they help him to free himself, using a simple but effective means.
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What happens if salt is poured on rails in Russia?
As in the United States of America, in some areas there are also animals who love this product and may come to lick it. Well, if this does not happen, then the train will receive a slight shake-up and calmly continue its movement.
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Large locomotives have a special system that feeds sand under the wheels of the machine. This is necessary to improve the grip of the wheels with the rail surface. Salt has exactly the same properties.
Want to know more, read. why some railway trains are called passenger, while others are called freight.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/120420/54119/