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Some railways, primarily in the northeast, used standard gauge of 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (1,435 mm); others used gauges ranging from 2 ft (610 mm) to 6 ft (1,829 mm). As a general rule, southern railroads were built to one or another broad gauge, mostly 5 ft (1,524 mm), while northern railroads that were not standard-gauge tended to be narrow-gauge.
If the difference between the two gauges is large enough – for example between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) standard gauge and 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) – three-rail dual-gauge is possible, but if not – for example between 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in) metre gauge – four rails must be used. Dual-gauge rail lines ...
2 ft 6 in: See 2 ft 6 in gauge railways: 765 mm 3 ft 6 in: DR Congo: Matadi–Kinshasa Railway, converted to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) 1925–1931. [70] Denmark: See Narrow-gauge railways in Denmark: 775 mm: 2 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in: England: Jee's Hartshill Granite Quarry [71] Germany Bombergbahn , a funicular a funicular in Bad Pyrmont: 785 mm 2 ft 6 ...
The Erie Gauge War (sometimes called the Erie Railroad War) was a conflict between the citizens of Erie, Pennsylvania, and two railroad companies over the standardization of the track gauge between Erie and the New York border. It started on December 7, 1853, and ended on February 1, 1854.
The gauge is set by the positioning of the cast-in fixings, so it is not a simple task to re-gauge existing track; it also creates problems with spot replacement of sleepers. Many sleepers were made with the reduced track gauge but 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) standard gauge versions have also been manufactured in more recent times. [27]
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) used by standard-gauge railways.. Broad gauge of 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in), more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries (CIS states, Baltic states, Georgia, Ukraine) and Mongolia.
Some stretches of track are dual gauge, with three (or sometimes four) parallel rails in place of the usual two, to allow trains of two different gauges to use the same track. [45] Gauge can safely vary over a range. For example, U.S. federal safety standards allow standard gauge to vary from 4 ft 8 in (1,420 mm) to 4 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (1,460 ...
The first railroads in Canada in the 1830s were built to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) and in 1847 the first 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge line was built. After a Royal Commission, in 1851 the broad gauge, called the Provincial gauge , was adopted by the Province of Canada government as the standard gauge.