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Marking 125 Years Since the Great Gauge Change

Posted by timothy on from the railly-good-effort dept.

Arnold Reinhold writes "This month ends with the 125th anniversary of one of the most remarkable achievements in technology history. Over two days beginning Monday, May 31, 1886, the railroad network in the southern United States was converted from a five-foot gauge to one compatible with the slightly narrower gauge used in the US North, now know as standard gauge. The shift was meticulously planned and executed. It required one side of every track to be moved three inches closer to the other. All wheel sets had to be adjusted as well. Some minor track and rolling stock was sensibly deferred until later, but by Wednesday the South's 11,500 mile rail network was back in business and able to exchange rail cars with the North. Other countries are still struggling with incompatible rail gauges. Australia still has three. Most of Europe runs on standard gauge, but Russia uses essentially the same five foot gauge as the old South and Spain and Portugal use an even broader gauge. India has a multi-year Project Unigauge, aimed at converting its narrow gauge lines to the subcontinent's five foot six inch standard."

4 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. Only a few left.... by caluml · · Score: 0, Troll

    Metric. Date format. IPv6. 240v 50Hz. Not many left to go, Americans.

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    1. Re:Only a few left.... by Have+Brain+Will+Rent · · Score: 1, Troll

      Metric would be good.

      --
      The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny - Aesop
    2. Re:Only a few left.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Metric.

      *shrug*

      Date format.

      Unnecessary.

      IPv6.

      Eventually.

      240v 50Hz.

      Unnecessary.

      Not many left to go, Americans.

      Ah, yes arrogance. Let me guess - you're from Europe? That's the only part of the world that has the arrogance to insist everyone else should live, act, and think exactly like they do. Woe to the person(s) who don't.

      Sorry, why again should we bow down to you people, oh great and wonderful god-like perfect Europeans?

  2. There is only one true BROAD GAUGE by RotateLeftByte · · Score: 1, Troll

    and that is the 7ft 0.25in of Brunel's GWR.
    anything else is just a sham.

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    I'd rather be riding my '63 Triumph T120.