Abstract: This invention concerns a method of reducing the gaping values of railway tracks made of steel to less than 3.6 mm. It is characteristic of this invention that the rolled and leveled rails are heated briefly, i.e., for approx. 10 to 25 sec, until reaching a maximum temperature of 100.degree. C. in the rail head and a maximum of 260.degree. C. in the web, and then they are allowed to cool again immediately.

Abstract: A process for continuous casting of a metal comprises continuously withdrawing a strand of the metal from a mold along a strand withdrawal direction, measuring the expansion of an inside wall of the mold along the strand withdrawal direction to obtain a component of inside wall expansion in the strand withdrawal direction due to mechanical forces exerted on the inside wall, and controlling the speed of withdrawal based on the component of inside wall expansion in the strand withdrawal direction due to mechanical forces. If the component of inside wall expansion of in the strand withdrawal direction due to mechanical forces exceeds certain limit values, the withdrawal step is slowed or interrupted, thereby eliminating break-outs due to cobbles. In an embodiment of the invention, expansion measurements are also taken along a direction transverse to the withdrawal direction, enabling the elimination of the component of expansion in the withdrawal direction due to heat.