The track in this entire area (including the tunnels) and beyond is made of continuous welded rails which eliminates the clickety-clack. However, it is more sensitive to the heat.
Because it was a very hot day, a heat order was put on the train, making it a much slower ride than normal - but very good for picture taking.
At some points, the train had to come to a complete stop while heat inspectors tested the track looking for "kinks". A sun kink causes the track to shift laterally causing a curve in what is otherwise a straight pair of rails.
In one of the tunnels a "kink" was found and had to be repaired, causing us to stop for about 45 minutes.
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