Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!Dan_Bower%RPI-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA From: Dan_Bower%RPI-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Newsgroups: net.railroad Subject: Thermal Expansion Message-ID: <1677@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 20:32:31 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1677 Posted: Mon Sep 23 20:32:31 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 12:27:30 EDT Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 6 The whole idea of rail anchors is to restrain thermal expansion. When rail temperature changes, a force of expansion or contraction exists, i.e., it *wants* to expand or contract. That doesn't mean that you have to let it. If the holding force of the rail fastenings exceeds that of expansion or contraction, the rail stays put.