5 ms·
Why would all countries not just use rails that can tolerate all possible temperatures.
by bloqs 4y ago
Why would all countries not just use rails that can tolerate all possible temperatures.
- OJFord 4y ago'All possible'? What are all possible temperatures? I think you've answered your own question, if you think about it: a line has to be drawn somewhere, you have to do some sort of statistical analysis, chance of circumstances occuring which this would not cope with <x%, yeah ok good enough, that sort of thing. That's engineering.
- bloqs 4y agoI mean like, a lot of European countries have colder winters and hotter summers than the UK. So why are our rail tracks always broken in snow or in heat?
- smileysteve 4y agoThat's not the way metal works.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- Milner08 4y agoBecause that's not possible without a lot of expense. Metal expands thats just basic physics. Its hard to stop that.
- bonzini 4y agoAnd it also contracts.
- HankB99 4y agoI'm pretty sure it comes down to cost. Steel rail has to meet certain wear and strength requirements as well as be reasonably inexpensive to manufacture. And there is not likely an alloy that will accomplish that and not expand in the heat. In the US, the typical construction method is welded rail. AFAIK there is no allowance for expansion, at least on straight sections. Perhaps curved sections can move a bit to allow for expansion but move too much and the train goes off the tracks.
- yojo 4y agoNot sure why you’re getting downvoted. This seems like an earnest question.