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- In 1846, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Gauge Act, which mandated that all new railway lines in the country had to be built to a standard gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. This standard was quickly adopted by other countries around the world, and today, it is the most widely used gauge for rail transportation.
traintrackshq.com › standard-gauge-trainsUnderstanding Standard Gauge Trains: Types, Tracks, Systems ...
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A popular legend that has circulated since at least 1937 [7] traces the origin of the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 81⁄2 in) gauge even further back than the coalfields of northern England, pointing to the evidence of rutted roads marked by chariot wheels dating from the Roman Empire.
The history of standard gauge trains can be traced back to the early 19th century when railways first began to emerge as a viable form of transportation. Definition and History. A standard gauge train is a railway system that features a track gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches or 1,435 millimeters.
History of the railway track. Section of timber track from a 16th-century gold mine in Transylvania. The wagons were guided by the pronounced flange on the wooden wheels, and the narrow gauge of 480 mm ( 187⁄8 in) allowed the points to be altered by swinging the single switch rail. [1]
Feb 18, 2000 · While most U.S. railroads were designed by U.S. engineers, not British expatriates, a number of early lines were built to fit standard-gauge locomotives manufactured by English railroad pioneer George Stephenson.
Jun 21, 2022 · Construction of the 36-inch gauge East Broad Top (EBT) began in 1873 in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, about halfway between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The railroad was built to move...
- Justin Franz
However, the need for standardization became apparent as rail networks grew, and in 1830, the first standard gauge railway was opened in England. The gauge chosen was 4 feet 8.5 inches (1,435 mm), and it soon became the most widely used gauge in the world. The adoption of the standard gauge was not without its challenges, however.
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 ft 8 1/2 in derives from the original military specification (MilSpec) for an Imperial Roman army war chariot. MisSpecs (and bureaucracies) live forever!
