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Railroad Gauges of the World (1888) The Dartmoor Line – the FIRST
From a comprehensive review of the history and development of the railroad gauges of the world, the following particulars in regard to the gauges of the world are extracted. It was agreed in England about 1848 that a uniform gauge of 4ft.8½in. should be used on all new roads, except those already served by 7ft. gauge.
The first German road, from Nuremberg to Fürth, was built with 4 ft.8½in. gauge, which is now used by all the principal roads of Germany, although there is a very considerable mileage of narrower gauges, mainly 1 metre, or 3ft.3 3/8 in. France started her roads with a width between rail centres of 4ft.11 in, which has led to some slight variations of gauges, according to rail width. The later roads have been built with a gauge of 4ft.87/8 in.
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Holland began with a 6ft.4 in. gauge but has now altered all its roads to 4ft.8in.
The Railroad Congress at Bern, in May, 1886, adopted the following resolution, which is to apply to Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, and Switzerland: "The gauge of railroads measured between the inner edges of the rail heads shall, for roads built or altered as to gauge after this resolution takes effect, not be less than 4 ft.83/8 in. on straight lines, nor mor than 4 ft.95/8in. on curves."
In Russia, the first road opened in 1832, from St. Petersburg to Zarskoe-Selo, about 16 miles, had a 6ft. gauge. When the second road was made in 1842, from St.Petersburg to Moscow, the Czar, at the instance of our countryman, Major Whistler, fixed the Russian gauge at 5ft., which increase over the English gauge was thought desirable for locomotive purposes. Major Whistler thought as wide a gauge as 6ft. uncalled for. The 6ft. gauge has continued the standard in Russia; but that it was not made different from the German gauge for military reasons seems to be proved by the fact, instanced by Herr Glaus, that the lines built under imperial direction from Warsaw to Vienna, and from Warsaw to Bromburg— the Berlin line—were carried out with the German gauge.
The history of American gauges is briefly and intelligently reviewed, with reference to the narrow gauges, the author confining himself to the standard gauges.
Ireland has a standard gauge of 5ft.3 in.;
Spain and Portugal, 5 ft.61/8 in.;
Sweden and Norway have the 4ft.8½in. gauge over the majority of their railroads, but 20 per cent, of the Swedish roads have other gauges varying from 2ft.7½ in. up to 4ft.;
Norway has 592 kilos of standard gauge, and 970 kilos of 3ft.6 in. gauge.
In Asia, of the British-Indian roads, with a collective length of 12,366 miles, about 7,450 miles have a gauge of 5ft.55/8in., the remainder being divided among six gauges from 2ft. to 4ft. Of the narrow gauges, the most prevalent, embracing 4,209 miles, is the metre, 3ft.33/8 in. The Ceylon railroads have the standard Indian gauge.
The Russian Trans-Caspian lines have the Russian standard gauge of 5ft.
In Asia Minor, the line Mudania Brussa has a gauge of 3ft.7¼ in. The island of Java has 449 miles of 3ft.6 in. gauge, and 126 miles with 4ft.8½in.
In Japan, with the exception of an 8-mile piece begun in 1885, with a gauge of 2ft.9in., all the roads have a 3ft.6in. gauge.
In Africa, the Egyptian railroads, amounting to 932 miles, are of the 4ft.8½in. gauge. Algiers and Tunis, with 1,203 miles, in 1884, had the 4ft.8½ in. standard on all except 155 miles, which had a 3ft.7¼in. gauge. The English Cape Colony had, in 1885, 1,522 miles, all of 3ft.6in. gauge.
In America, apart from the comparatively small mileage of United States roads with 3ft. gauge, practically the whole of the United States and Canadian railroads are of 4ft.8½in. to 4ft.9in. gauge.
In Mexico, in 1884, 2,083 miles were 4ft.8½in. and 944 3ft. gauge.
In Brazil, at the end of 1884, there were 869 miles of 5ft.3in. gauge, and 4,164 miles of various gauges between 2ft. and 4ft.7in., over 3,700 miles being 1 metre, or 3ft.33/8in., so that this may be considered the standard gauge of Brazil.
In Australia the different colonies, rather singularly, have different gauges, that of New South Wales being 4ft.8½in.; Victoria, 5ft.3in.; South Australia, 5ft.3in. and 3ft.6in.; and the other colonies 3ft.6in.
The total mileage in operation in the world at the end of 1885 was 303,048 miles. Of this length seventy-four per cent, were of the 4ft.8½in. to 4ft.9 in. standard, 12 per cent, had larger gauges, and 14 per cent, smaller. —
Glaser's Annalen.
