So it's decided...no one can prove for sure if model railroad track expands or contracts. Now...if someone has more $$$ then they know what to do with...and wants to pay some high priced high tech research outfit big $$$ to conclusively prove it one way or the other...I'll happily wait for those results !
When MR built the NY&Q in 1968-69, they had a problem with the two mainline track loops kinking. It is due to nothing else but the combination of different materials expanding/contracting at different rates due to various causes. Doug
No, it has been conclusively proved that all metals expand/contract due to change in temperature. That is why bridges have expansion plates: bridge expansion joint cover plates - Bing That is why prototype RR's have expansion joints in their track: railroad track expansion joints - Bing There is no need to hire any "high priced high tech research outfit" to do research into something that has already been researched and proven. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here. A simple Google search on the internet will suffice for any reasonable person.
Could not discern that from your post since you did not reference his post. None the less, that metals due expand and contract is a proven fact.
Interesting, I never thought of that. But did you know the 'rail' in that phrase refers to a fence rail and not a RR track rail?