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After an intervening period of mixed-gauge operation (tracks were laid with three rails), the Great Western Railway finally completed the conversion of its network to standard gauge in 1892. In North East England, some early lines in colliery ( coal mining ) areas were 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), while in Scotland some early lines were 4 ft 6 in ...
A sleeper (tie or crosstie) is a rectangular object on which the rails are supported and fixed. The sleeper has two main roles: to transfer the loads from the rails to the track ballast and the ground underneath, and to hold the rails to the correct width apart (to maintain the rail gauge). They are generally laid transversely to the rails.
In 1886, the southern railroads agreed to coordinate changing gauge on all their tracks. After considerable debate and planning, most of the southern rail network was converted from 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge to 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm) gauge, then the standard of the Pennsylvania Railroad, over two days beginning on May 31, 1886. Over a period of 36 ...
When American railroad tracks extended to the point that they began to interconnect, it became clear that a single nationwide gauge would be beneficial. Where different gauges meet, there is a "break of gauge". To overcome that problem, special compromise cars were able to run 4 ft 10 in (1,473 mm) and standard gauge track. [18]
Track centres are usually wider on high-speed lines, as pressure waves knock each other as high-speed trains pass. The minimum track spacing can be derived from the loading gauge. The European Berne Gauge has a width of 3,150 mm (10 ft 4 in). The minimal distance to structures on the side of the track is half of it but that is doubled again for ...
The most common use of the term "track gauge" refers to the transverse distance between the inside surfaces of the two load-bearing rails of a railway track, usually measured at 12.7 millimetres (0.50 inches) to 15.9 millimetres (0.63 inches) below the top of the rail head in order to clear worn corners and allow for rail heads having sloping ...
For example, North America uses the reference rail as the line rail which is the east rail of tangent track running north and south, the north rail of tangent track running east and west, the outer rail (the rail that is further away from the center) on curves, or the outside rails in multiple track territory. [6]
The large network of narrow-gauge sugar cane light railways, almost all 610 mm (2 ft) gauge, is not shown, Rail gauge in Australia. Rail gauge world Track gauge Rail gauge world Map Rail gauge world Map, 600mm. to 1676 mm. Rail gauge world Map, 597 mm. to 2140 mm. Triple-gauge track on turntable, Gladstone, South Australia.