Why are train tracks 4 feet 8.5 inches?

In the thread, Holohan contends that the standard railroad gauge

railroad gauge

In rail transport, track gauge (in the U.S., alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge.

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Track gauge - Wikipedia

in the U.S.—4 feet, 8.5 inches—derives from the way that rail lines were built in England, where engineers based the width of their railroads on the spacing of road ruts in Imperial Rome, which were in turn designed to accommodate the size of horses' rear ...

Why is 4 foot 8.5 in standard train gauge?

WHEN Stephenson was building the Stockton to Darlington railway, he decided on the gauge by measuring the axle width of 100 farm wagons and taking the average, the result being 4ft 8 in. He may have intended to allow local people to use the track to convey goods with their own wagons.

Why is 4 foot 8 and a half?

A popular legend that has been around since at least 1937 traces the origin of the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1⁄2 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.

What is the standard width of train tracks?

How wide are railroad tracks? The US standard railroad gauge is 4 feet, 8.5 inches (Gauge means width between the two rails).

What is the length of a train track?

Jointed track is made using lengths of rail, usually around 20 m (66 ft) long (in the UK) and 39 or 78 ft (12 or 24 m) long (in North America), bolted together using perforated steel plates known as fishplates (UK) or joint bars (North America).

The Perfect US Size. 4 Feet 8.5 Inches

Why is a railroad the width it is?

In the thread, Holohan contends that the standard railroad gauge in the U.S.—4 feet, 8.5 inches—derives from the way that rail lines were built in England, where engineers based the width of their railroads on the spacing of road ruts in Imperial Rome, which were in turn designed to accommodate the size of horses' rear ...

What happens if you put a coin on train tracks?

A penny left on a track does not typically derail a train. A train speeding along its track is a very heavy object with an immense amount of momentum. The penny is simply too light to do much of anything. It is flattened or knocked out of the way by the train.

How wide are Russian railroad tracks?

Rail tracks in former territories of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union were constructed using broad-gauge track (1,520 millimeter, or roughly 5 feet). Most European railways west of the Baltic states — as well as 60 percent of the railways in the world — use standard-gauge track (1,435 millimeter).

Why are railroads narrow gauge?

The narrower gauge enables tighter curves to be taken, especially in valleys and in generally difficult terrain. It is also shorter than normal railways, thus requiring less space at train stations.

What is the four foot on the railway?

The area between the inner running faces of a pair of rails.

What gauge are Irish railways?

Ireland now has some 2,300km of public railways, all 1,600mm (5'3") gauge (the distance between the rails). Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann), the state railway system in the Republic has 1,944km, and in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Railways operates another 357km.

Where is the highest standard gauge railway in the world?

Central Peruvian Railway: Highest standard gauge railway in the world - Rail routes that brought the world closer | The Economic Times.

Why is standard gauge standard?

Standard gauge, in railway terminology, means a distance between the rails of 4 feet, 8 ½ inches or 1.435 metres. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, & English expatriates built railways all around the world.

How fast can narrow gauge trains go?

Fastest trains

Narrow gauge's reduced stability means that its trains cannot run at speeds as high as on broader gauges. For example, if a curve with standard-gauge rail can allow speed up to 145 km/h (90 mph), the same curve with narrow-gauge rail can only allow speed up to 130 km/h (81 mph).

Why are the rails tilted?

Why are the rails Tilted? Explanation: Maximum load of the wheel acts near the inner edge of the rail. This causes wear and tear of rails. For the reduction of wear and tear the rails are tilted.

What is the longest narrow-gauge railway in the world?

World's biggest narrow gauge network, which part of South East Central Railway's Nagpur division, is set to become history. Of the 188.91km longest Balaghat-Nainpur-Jabalpur section, trains will stop running on 110km section between Jabalpur and Nainpur from October 1 for conversion to broad gauge.

How wide are train tracks in Europe?

Most railways in Europe use the standard gauge of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 81⁄2 in). Some countries use broad gauge, of which there are three types. Narrow gauges are also in use.

Why are Russian railways wider?

German sappers building railway tracks on Eastern Front. According to popular legend, and some railway historians, the Russians made their railway gauge 89 mm broader than the 1435 mm "Stephenson gauge" in order to thwart an eventual invasion.

Can a single penny derail a train?

As someone who works on the railroad, you've probably heard about the myth that a single penny or quarter could derail a train. The good news for you is that putting a penny on the tracks isn't likely to cause the train any trouble at all.

Can a tree derail a train?

Some of the most common derailing incidents caused by an obstruction on the tracks involve snow, fallen trees (or thick branches), or vehicles.

Can an animal derail a train?

Although very large obstructions are imagined, it has been known for a cow straying on to the line to derail a passenger train at speed such as occurred in the Polmont rail accident.

How long do railroad tracks last?

But on average, rail lasts about 700 million gross tons of traffic. To put that in perspective, your line through Austin probably carries about 50 MGT a year, which means the rail will last about 20 years (although less on the curves at each end of the Town Lake bridge).

How far apart are railroad ties spaced?

The crosstie spacing of mainline railroad is approximately 19 to 19.5 inches (48 to 50 cm) for wood ties or 24 inches (61 cm) for concrete ties. The number of ties is 3,250 wooden crossties per mile (2019 ties/km, or 40 ties per 65 feet) for wood ties or 2640 ties per mile for concrete ties.

Was the transcontinental railroad narrow gauge?

The Lincoln administration, after planning the transcontinental railroad at 5 feet, 0 inches to conform with the existing railroad in California, decided on 4 feet 8-1/2 for consistency with the most important Eastern railroads. This assured that 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches would be the North American standard gauge.