Minimum-gauge railway

Minimum-gauge railways have a gauge of most commonly 15 in (381 mm),[1] 400 mm (15 3⁄4 in), 16 in (406 mm), 18 in (457 mm), 500 mm (19 3⁄4 in) or 20 in (508 mm). The notion of minimum-gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways[1] and the French company of Decauville for industrial railways, mining, and farming applications.[2]

Not to be confused with Ridable miniature railway.
Track gauge
By transport mode
Tram · Rapid transit
Miniature · Scale model
By size (list)
Minimum
  Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)
Narrow
  600 mm
Two foot		 600 mm
610 mm		 (1 ft ​11 5⁄8 in)
(2 ft)
  750 mm
Bosnian gauge
Two foot six inch		 750 mm
760 mm
762 mm		 (2 ft ​5 1⁄2 in)
2 ft ​5 15⁄16 in
(2 ft 6 in)
  Swedish three foot
900 mm
Three foot		 891 mm
900 mm
914 mm		 (2 ft ​11 3⁄32 in)
(2 ft ​11 7⁄16 in)
(3 ft)
  Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft ​3 3⁄8 in)
  Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft ​8 1⁄2 in)
Broad
  Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft ​9 3⁄32 in)
  Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft ​9 13⁄32 in)
  Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft ​10 7⁄8 in)
  1520 mm
Five foot		 1,520 mm
1,524 mm		 (4 ft ​11 7⁄8 in)
(5 ft)
  Pennsylvania gauge
Pennsylvania gauge
Five foot three inch		 1,581 mm
1,588 mm
1,600 mm		 (5 ft ​2 1⁄4 in)
(5 ft ​2 1⁄2 in)
(5 ft 3 in)
  Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft ​4 1⁄2 in)
  Iberian gauge
Five foot six inch		 1,668 mm
1,676 mm		 (5 ft ​5 21⁄32 in)
(5 ft 6 in)
Change of gauge
Break-of-gauge · Dual gauge ·
Conversion (list) · Bogie exchange · Variable gauge
By location

North America · South America · Europe · Australia

History

The term was originally conceived by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, who used it in 1874 to describe the principle behind his Duffield Bank Railway, specifically its 15 in (381 mm) gauge, distinguishing it from a "narrow gauge" railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in (229 mm) gauge, he settled on 15 in (381 mm) as the minimum that he felt was practical.[1] The original text of Heywood's article defining minimum gauge railways is available online.[3]

In general, minimum-gauge railways maximize their loading gauge, where the dimension of the equipment is made as large as possible with respect to the track gauge while still providing enough stability to keep it from tipping over. Standard gauge railways have vehicles that are approximately twice the track gauge in width, but with minimum gauge railways this can be as much as four times the width of the track as in some of the Sugar Cane Railways of Australia. Minimum-gauge railways allowed for ease of mobility on battlefields, mines, and other restricted environments.

A number of 18 in (457 mm) gauge railways were built in Britain to serve ammunition depots and other military facilities, particularly during the First World War.

In France, Decauville produced a range of portable track railways running on 400 mm (15 3⁄4 in) and 500 mm (19 3⁄4 in) tracks, most commonly in restricted environments such as underground mine railways, parks and farms.[2]

During World War II, it was proposed to expedite the Yunnan–Burma Railway using 400 mm (15 3⁄4 in) gauge, since such a small gauge can have the tightest of curves in difficult terrain.[4]

Distinction between ridable miniature and minimum-gauge railway

The major distinction between a miniature railway (USA: 'riding railroad' or 'grand scale railroad') and a minimum-gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft (610 mm), for example the Wicksteed Park Railway. There are also rideable miniature railways running on extremely narrow tracks as small as 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge, for example the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. Around the world there are also several rideable miniature railways open to the public using even narrower gauges, such as 7 1⁄4 in (184 mm) and 7 1⁄2 in (190.5 mm).

Generally minimum-gauge railways have a working function as estate railways, or industrial railways, or providers of public transport links; although most have a distinct function in relation to tourism, and depend upon tourism for the revenue to support their working function.

Installations
Railway Country Gauge (metric) Gauge (imperial)
See Fifteen-inch gauge railway 381 mm 15 in
Bicton Woodland Railway United Kingdom 457 mm 18 in
Fidalgo City and Anacortes Railway United States 457 mm 18 in
Geriatriezentrum am Wienerwald Feldbahn Austria 500 mm 19 3⁄4 in
Jardin d'Acclimatation railway France 500 mm 19 3⁄4 in
Kirklees Light Railway United Kingdom 381 mm 15 in
Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad[5][6][7] United States 457 mm 18 in
Petit train d'Artouste France 500 mm 19 3⁄4 in
Royal Arsenal Railway United Kingdom 457 mm 18 in
Sand Hutton Light Railway United Kingdom 457 mm 18 in
Southern Fuegian Railway Argentina 500 mm 19 3⁄4 in
Steeple Grange Light Railway United Kingdom 457 mm 18 in
Tarn Light Railway France 500 mm 19 3⁄4 in[8]
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway United Kingdom 260 mm 10 1⁄4 in

See also

References
  1. Heywood, A.P. (1974) [1881, Derby: Bemrose]. Minimum Gauge Railways. Turntable Enterprises. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
  2. Douglas J. Puffert (2009). Tracks across continents, paths through history: the economic dynamics of standardization in railway gauge. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-226-68509-0.
  3. Heywood - Minimum Gauge Railways
  4. "TOY RAILWAY". The Northern Standard. Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 8 December 1939. p. 15. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  5. Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad
  6. We Visit the Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
  7. YouTube video: Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
  8. fr:Chemin de fer touristique du Tarn and Antique ferrier of Tannerre-en-Puisaye

Bibliography
  • Clayton, H. (1968). The Duffield Bank and Eaton Railways. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-034-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Heywood, Arthur Percival (1974) [1898]. Minimum Gauge Railways (3rd ed.). Turntable Publications. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
  • Household, Humphrey (1989). Narrow Gauge Railways: England and the Fifteen Inch. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0862995752.
  • Mosley, David; van Zeller, Peter (1986). Fifteen Inch Gauge Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8694-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Smithers, Mark (1995). Sir Arthur Heywood and the Fifteen Inch Gauge Railway. Plateway Press. ISBN 1-871980-22-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)


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