Talk:Thermite welding

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why is termite reaction used on railway tracks?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.68.142.165 (talk • contribs)

I'm not absoloutely sure but I think it is because it provides a conviniant portable way to produce enough molten iron to fill the gap between two rails. Afaict most types of welding done only produce a narrow seam of weld not a complete filling of a gap between two peices of metal joined end to end.

As for why railways are welded rather than bolted that is because it allows a much smoother joint. Plugwash 01:30, 3 November 2007 (UTC)