railroad

WTF Fun Fact 13359 – The Biltmore Mansion Railroad

The Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina features 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, and elaborate gardens and grounds that sprawl over 8,000 acres.

During the mansion’s construction, a miniature railroad system was built to transport the massive amounts of building materials required to construct the estate. After the mansion’s construction was completed, the railway system was repurposed for transporting guests and farm products around the estate.

Building The Biltmore Mansion

In the late 1800s, George Washington Vanderbilt II commissioned the construction of the Biltmore Mansion in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The estate still stands as a major tourist attraction. It features a whopping 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, and gardens that span over 8,000 acres.

Constructing the Biltmore was no easy feat. The mansion necessitated a massive amount of construction materials. And these had to be transported to the remote construction site in the mountains and over rugged terrain.

That’s why Vanderbilt commissioned the construction of a miniature railroad system to transport the building materials to the site. The narrow-gauge system spanned over three miles and used a small steam engine that pulled flatbed railcars loaded with supplies like bricks, lumber, and stones.

Navigating the Blue Ridge Mountains

The railroad system was a significant engineering feat for its time. It was designed to navigate the steep inclines and tight corners of the mountainous terrain with ease. It was also able to transport much larger quantities of building materials than traditional wagons or trucks. As a result, Vanderbilt was able to transport massive amounts of building materials to create his elaborate mansion.

Once the mansion was completed, Vanderbilt repurposed the railway system to transport guests and farm products around the estate. Visitors could also take a ride on the railway and enjoy the scenic beauty of the estate’s gardens and grounds.

Today, visitors to the Biltmore Mansion can see remnants of the railway system, including the original steam engine, tracks, and bridges.

Today, remnants of this innovative transportation system – the original steam engine, tracks, and bridges – are still visible. They serve as a powerful reminder of the bold vision and ingenious problem-solving that went into constructing the Biltmore Mansion, adding another layer of intrigue for modern visitors.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Building an Empire: Restoring the Biltmore Estate” — Yesterday’s America

WTF Fun Fact 13124 – Signalman Jack

Signalmen play integral roles in the rail industry, installing, repairing, and maintaining the signal systems used to direct trains. It’s a hard job, but in the 1880s, a signalman named James Edwin Wide taught a chacma baboon from South Africa to assist him. The baboon became known as Signalman Jack.

Training Signalman Jack

Wide had lost both legs in a work accident and needed an assistant to help him get to his job at the railroad. And apparently, he saw a baboon driving an oxcart one day on a trip to South Africa and decided he’d made a fine sidekick.

Wide named the baboon Jack and first taught him to push a small trolly to get him to his job each day a half-mile from his home. The baboon even helped with chores around the house, including sweeping and taking out the trash.

But it was when Jack followed Wide to work that he seemed to find his calling. The baboon learned to recognize the train whistles used to indicate the vehicle was about to change tracks. After watching Wide operate the signals to indicate which tracks they should take, Signalman Jack was eager to start pulling the levers himself.

Wide had no qualms about letting a baboon do his job.

Kicking back

Wide was eventually able to train Signalman Jack so well that he could sit back and pursue some hobbies while at work.

According to Mental Floss, “As the story goes, one day a posh train passenger staring out the window saw that a baboon, and not a human, was manning the gears and complained to railway authorities. Rather than fire Wide, the railway managers decided to resolve the complaint by testing the baboon’s abilities. They came away astounded.”

Eventually, the railway superintendent decided to formally hire the talented baboon. Signalman Jack was given his own employment number. He even got a salary of 20 cents a day (plus half a bottle of beer per week).

Signalman Jack worked in his job for 9 years without ever making a single error. Sadly, he died of tuberculosis in 1890. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Signalman Jack: The Baboon Who Worked for the Railroad—and Never Made a Mistake” — Mental Floss

WTF Fun Fact #12390 – Dumb Ways to Die

A 2012 ad campaign about rail safety has won dozens of marketing awards and has even been credited for saving lives by discouraging foolish behavior around railroad tracks. The song and video were created by the advertising agency McCann Melbourne for Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia.

It went viral immediately on social media after being uploaded to YouTube. Called “morbidly adorable,” it shows animated characters dying in ridiculous ways.

The songs lyics are:

Set fire to your hair
Poke a stick at a grizzly bear
Eat medicine that’s out of date
Use your private parts as piranha bait

Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die
Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die

Get your toast out with a fork
Do your own electrical work
Teach yourself how to fly
Eat a two-week-old un-refrigerated pie

Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die
Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die

Invite a psycho-killer inside
Scratch a drug dealer’s brand new ride
Take your helmet off in outer space
Use a clothes dryer as a hiding place

Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die
Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die

Keep a rattlesnake as a pet
Sell both your kidneys on the Internet
Eat a tube of superglue
“I wonder, what’s this red button do?”

Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die
Dumb ways to die
So many dumb ways to die

Dress up like a moose during hunting season
Disturb a nest of wasps for no good reason
Stand on the edge of a train station platform
Drive around the boom gates at a level crossing
Run across the tracks between the platforms

They may not rhyme but they’re quite possibly
The dumbest ways to die
The dumbest ways to die
Dumbest ways to die
So many dumb
So many dumb ways to die

– WTF Fun Facts

Source: Has Dumb Ways to Die been effective? — Mumbrella