I solder every handrail stanchion and have never noticed any expansion/contraction problem, perhaps because even in O scale the entire length is not that great.Soldering every joint makes the entire assembly much stronger. I've worked with piano wire as it came with some brass imports and it is nasty stuff to solder, hit-or-miss.
Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. If you are going to all the trouble to replace handrails especially on a brass model use phosphor bronze wire. I use it exclusively for all of my wire needs. It is much stronger & can take abuse by being bent and straightened a lot more than brass wire particularly are a solder joint. Soldering brass wire makes it very soft. You will get a bend in each direction about once before it breaks. I have not done a complete handrail replacement – yet - but probably will for my Sunset GP7 that will be PRR 8553 and will hopefully be as nice as Bob’s. Anyway I would probably start by soldering every other stanchion. Maybe there is expansion there as well? I have an eye for what is straight and parallel. If the stanchions crept and went haywire it would be noticed and bother me. Bill Lane _
