So what is the fuss with Track gauges in Australia?
In rail transport, track gauge is the spacing of the rails on a railway track and is measured between the inner faces of the load-bearing rails.
Track gauges in Australia display significant variations, which has presented an extremely difficult problem for rail transport on the Australian continent for over 150 years.
Information sourced from Wikipedia
In the 19th century, each of the Colonies of Australia adopted their own gauges. However, with Federation in 1901 and the removal of trade barriers, the short sightedness of three gauges became apparent. It would be 94 years before all mainland state capitals were joined by one standard gauge.
There are predominantly four main types of track gauges in Australia.
- Narrow gauge (1,067 mm or 3 ft 6 in),
- Standard gauge (1,435 mm or 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in standard gauge) and
- Broad gauge (1,600 mm or 5 ft 3 in).
- Other gauges. The narrower 610 mm or 2 ft gauge is found on shorter lines, particularly sugarcane tramways in Queensland.
Triple gauge used in the station yards at Gladstone & Peterborough in South Australia
- New South Wales & ACT - Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
- Queensland - Narrow gauge (1,067 mm)
- Victoria - Broad gauge (1,600 mm) and some Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
- Tasmania - Narrow gauge (1,067 mm)
- South Australia - Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
- Northern Territory - Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
- Western Australia - Standard gauge (1,435 mm) and some Narrow gauge (1,067 mm)
With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transshipped. A break of gauge adds delays, cost, and inconvenience.
# Standard gauge (1,435 mm or 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in standard gauge) is derived from England
Why did the English build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the same gauge they used.
Why did "they" use the gauge for tramways then?
Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which also used that wheel spacing.
OK! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing?
Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on the old long-distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of those wheel ruts. If you wheel spacing didn't match the old ruts, your wheels would quickly self-destruct.
So who built those old rutted roads?
Imperial Rome built the first long-distance roads in Europe and in England for legions. Those roads have been in use ever since.
And the ruts in the roads?
Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all made exactly alike in their wheel spacing. Every Imperial Roman war chariot was made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two Roman war horses. Those Roman chariots carved their deep ruts through England, Europe and the Middle East for several centuries thus establishing a well-worn precedent that has lasted for two thousand years. Providing how much bureaucracy can last forever.
Thus the standard gauge of (1,435 mm or 4 feet 8.5 inches) is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot designed to accommodate the width of two equitine buttocks. Right you guessed it, the width of two horse's bum !!!!!!!!
So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse’s ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses ass !!!!!!!
Broad gauge is based on the size of two Wild Brumbies buttocks !!!!
Whereas our Queenslanders based their Narrow gauge on the size of two ponies arse !!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Best Regards,
Robert Liu
Principal Engineer Structures (Civil & Structural)
Sydney Trains, Engineering & Systems Integrity Division, Civil Engineering Unit
"Safety is everyone's responsibility !!!"
Sound-recording engineer
6moTherefore, the history of Australian (and other countries') track gauges is, in essence, based on a tale of two tails!
Semi-Retired since Dec 2017, but still active, involved and passionate at -
5yMany thanks Robert. Very entertaining. I knew that standard gauge could be traced back to Roman chariots, but hadn't made the link to that of two horse behinds. It really is amazing how we inherit from the quite distant past! A question for you and any other Australian rail buff - I was definitely told by my father when I was still a child, that you Aussies got around the differences in gauge by fitting wagons and carriages by having two sets of bogies. Did he make this up or is there some truth in that?
FIEAust CPEng EngExec RPEQ - Operations Manager | Rail Maintenance Professional | Infrastructure Asset Manager | Development Advocate
6yJust don't even bring chains and furlongs into this! You're back in the Middle Ages and strip farming in East Angelia for that one 😳😉
Retired
6yTalking about Track Guages, really are not using "horses" but I guess that somebody has decided to use a track but don't know why? If you google across the world there are I think nine track variations. I think that the track gauges are following Broad Gauge: width 1676 mm to 1524 mm or 5’6” to 5’0” Standard Gauge: width 1435 mm and 1451 mm or 4’-8⅟2” Metre Gauge: width 1067 mm, 1000 mm and 915 mm or 3’-6”, 3’-33/8” and 3’-0” Narrow Gauge: width 762 mm and 610 mm or 2’-6” and 2’-0”. Safety is probably the first implication, re trams - going less speed, then up to some of the Europe trains which are going faster than 100 mph, again Safety. Google use the description and see all inputs about tracks. "track guages the world" that would keep you for a while!