What track gauge would you use if we were doing it all again?

[legolistic]

Toronto Subway Gauge! (Whatever gauge that is! )

It's standard gauge. 1,435mm.

 

[martinvk]

Voting for your favorite gauge is all well and good as for as it goes but the more interesting question is what would be the best gauge if you had to invent one today without any preconceived ideas? Is there any wheel spacing that is inherently more efficient at transporting objects using steel wheels on steel rails, leaving aside constraints like ROW costs and other money issues. Just from a technical point of view.

 

[chrisaw]

Brunel worked out his 7 foot gauge as the best, based on the science available at the time. The now standard gauge was inherited from a tramway, which is often said to be the width of a cart, or Roman chariot.
Of course the british polititions of the day decided that all track had to be to one gauge and chose the narrowet, because more of it existed.

PS I have read that the GWR didn't do its case any favours, because its locos weren't the best, and didn't exploit their gauge advantage.

Chris.

 

[narrowgauge]

Consider the possibillity of a three rail system consisting of two outer flat tracks as carriers and a centre track as a guide rail and drive rail similar to the Fell system. Carrying wheels would be rubber tyred and suitable for road use where roads were wide enough to cater for them. All outer wheels would be freely rotating, no fixed axles as at present, removing one of the limitations that governs bend radius in relation to gauge.

Switches would be designed to move the centre rail like a stub switch allowing free space for the carrying wheels.

Gauge could easily be 7 feet.

Peter

 

[magickmaker]

Brunel's Broad Gauge could have blown "standard" out of the water (so to speak) if they had better utilized the gauge. Since you could have larger cylinders, and faster speeds, it should have won out during the gauge wars. Sadly that was not to be.

As a side note, anyone up for putting their mind to the grind stone and theorizing what a Class 37 or a Black 5 would have looked like gauged for 7 foot?