Track guage

D

DominikB

Member
Hi Ive had a google around and I found a lot of information about different gauges but not really a why?
I know narrower gauges allow smaller turning radius hence their popularity in many swiss alpine railways.
But what are the advantages of broad or narrow guage?
Many thanks
Dom
 
Some companies used narrow gauge because it was cheaper and quicker to lay than standard gauge. Also, tighter curves could be used.
 
In the US in the early days one railroad would buy up another, where "Robber Baron" came from, so each railroad would use a deferent gauge as a "poison pill", this lasted up to 1880. Narrow gauge was cheaper to build and broad gauge is a little more stable.
 
Most PA gauge were 36", although in the 1700's-1800's timbering and iron ore mining, pulled by mules, and men, some were 24" or less.

Most used indigenous rough rock, shale, tailings, and dirt as ballast, and cut down trees as round ties, that could be pulled up quickly, and quickly re-used in another location, once an area was depleted of ore, or timber.
 
New England mostly had 2-footers, though, a couple of 3-foot lines existed. One of the more famous ones was the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn. The BRB&L that started as a steam road with parlor cars, and eventually was electrified. It was interurban line known as the Narrow Gauge and ran from the 1880s until mid-1940s. A good portion of the ROW is now standard gauge and runs as the MBTA Blue Line.

The other famous 2-footers were up in Maine. The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes, Bridgton and Saco River, and the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington are some of the more famous ones. They all disappeared as the Great Depression took hold and automobile traffic gained a foothold in the region.
 
As the OP asked, why did they choose those particular gauges? I mean, why 24 and not 25, or 26 or 27 or ... inches? Were the wheel sets off-the-shelf and thus what was available or custom made in which case why pick a particular rail spacing?

I can understand interchangeability needs a common gauge. Being first to market often wins over what could be better, just look at the keyboard you're typing on. QWERTY is not the most efficient but to paraphrase, it's there because more people use it and more people use it because it is there.

Would the same logic apply to tracks? 4' - 8 1/2" is common because most railroads use it.
 
martinvk said:
As the OP asked, why did they choose those particular gauges? I mean, why 24 and not 25, or 26 or 27 or ... inches? Were the wheel sets off-the-shelf and thus what was available or custom made in which case why pick a particular rail spacing?

I can understand interchangeability needs a common gauge. Being first to market often wins over what could be better, just look at the keyboard you're typing on. QWERTY is not the most efficient but to paraphrase, it's there because more people use it and more people use it because it is there.

Would the same logic apply to tracks? 4' - 8 1/2" is common because most railroads use it.
Click to expand...

That's one part and also the 4'-8 1/2" gauge is the same as the wagon wheels, and the first railroad wagons were just that, wagons on flanged wheels.

Here's a nice account on this from Straight Dope.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns...oad-gauge-48-determined-by-roman-chariot-ruts

John
 
As the link mentions
Funny? Sure. True? Yes and no. Follow the line of development with me and you'll see what I mean.
Click to expand...
I've read similar reports in the past. Nice thing abut the Internet is the ease that information can be shared, but that also means the ease that urban legends can be spread. Nothing like a plausible story rooted in the distant past which is very difficult to independently verify.
 
My questions arose when I read an article about the establishment of Russian trains and it said that Russian gauge had the same advantages as the 6ft gauge that had been used originally on the great western railway? I understand the usefulness of narrow gauge but what is it for broad gauge? Just a smoother ride?
 
There were several advantages to broad gauge:
1. Because the gauge is larger than standard gauge, the trains are more stable.
2. Because they are more stable, broad gauge trains can travel faster than trains using standard gauge.
3. The trains are also wider due to the larger gauge. This means that each car can haul more freight, or larger loads, than standard gauge cars.
4. Because the cars are wider, more passengers can be carried than a standard gauge passenger car, or they can haul the same amount of passengers, but give each passenger more 'leg room'.
That's as many that I can think of right now, but I may think of some more sometime.
 
And then there is the tale 4 foot 8.5 inches was chosen since that was the distance between the chariot wheel ruts on the Appian Way in Caesars Rome.:hehe:

Ben
 
4'8" from the inside of the rails was the same as 5' from the outside of the rails. The 1/2" was added later to reduce the friction with the flanges; it being easier to move a rail than to re-gauge the rolling stock.
 
Hi Pencil:

Would that extra half inch be enough to allow streetcars to negotiate those super sharp curves in city streets or do they widen the gauge up a tad on those curves? The ones I remember from years ago did some serious screeching when going around them.

Ben
 
bendorsey said:
Would that extra half inch be enough to allow streetcars to negotiate those super sharp curves in city streets or do they widen the gauge up a tad on those curves? The ones I remember from years ago did some serious screeching when going around them.
Click to expand...

From what I've heard, that's what they do when building a streetcar line. I'm not 100% certain why they do it, but I think it's because of the forces parted onto the rails as the train goes around the curves.
 
Most trolley routes are torn up, and no longer operate ... Altoona PA burnt their trolleys in a huge bonfire, as they were full of asbestos and were too costly to dismantle ... hence there are no more screeching trolleys.

In Phila PA there are still some trolley tracks that are abandoned, on 2 lane, and one way streets, and they held up traffic completely. In Altoona PA, and most cities, there were 4 lane streets, so cars could pass on the shoulder.

At one time you could ride the Hollidaysburg-Juniata trolley for 15 cents, and another quarter to continue riding the 36" gauge Wopsononock RR up to the top of the mountain summit resort. All is gone now:mop: :':)mop:

Flange lubrication cuts down on friction
 
cascaderailroad said:
Most trolley routes are torn up, and no longer operate ... Altoona PA burnt their trolleys in a huge bonfire, as they were full of asbestos and were too costly to dismantle ... hence there are no more screeching trolleys.

In Phila PA there are still some trolley tracks that are abandoned, on 2 lane, and one way streets, and they held up traffic completely. In Altoona PA, and most cities, there were 4 lane streets, so cars could pass on the shoulder.

At one time you could ride the Hollidaysburg-Juniata trolley for 15 cents, and another quarter to continue riding the 36" gauge Wopsononock RR up to the top of the mountain summit resort. All is gone now:mop: :':)mop:

Flange lubrication cuts down on friction
Click to expand...

The "T" tunnels in Boston are some of the oldest and narrowest tunnels on the system with some of the tightest curves on any system, I think, in the world. They are extremely sharp as they go from Boylston Street down near the Public Gardens on to Tremont Street where the tunnel heads into Park Street. - The famous Pahk Street station. The trolleys make quite a screech as they round the bend and there are greasers in the tunnels at that point.

What's interesting is when the MBTA purchased the new Breda Type 8 LRVs, they were not quite to the full specifications required by the T. When they were pressed into service, they derailed in the tunnel on those curves and had to be hauled out with great difficulty. Some lawsuits later, and the new trolley cars were retrofitted with the proper trucks (bogies).

John
 
DominikB said:
That makes sense, but gives rise to the question why is standard gauge as it is? Simply a happy medium?
Click to expand...
Regardless of the Roman theory, standard gauge was the gauge that existed in the north east of England when George Stephenson began his work. He therefore used it and maintained it as his standard as he wanted uniformity over the country. There were other exceptions, notably Brunel with his 7ft gauge, but uniformity eventually prevailed.
 
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