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A British inventor believes the world’s railways have overlooked an easy way to give early warning of damage to the tracks. Strain gauges are already fitted to rails to monitor the gradual increase in the forces caused by expansion in hot weather. Roger West of Kempsford in Gloucestershire points out in GB 2371114 that if a rail cracks even slightly, the force will change instantaneously. This should show up as a sudden variation in the output from the sensor. The signal can be monitored remotely to pinpoint sections of track that ought to be checked for cracking.