CGTN (China Global Television Network) is carried by my local cable channel in Upstate NY. They are talking aboout One Road One Belt Program and they ( China) just completed a elevated electric railroad in East Africa. China is filling a void left by Euro Colonilism and is buiding infrastucture projects all over Africa. Yet Trains and Railway Age has not covered this news very much.
It would be interesting to see a map of Sandard guage RRs in Africa. With the ones under construction how soon may it be that there will be an interconnected network ? Of cours political situations that can change overnight complicate matters.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
and now 28 years later in 2018..
Standard gauge is not that common in Africa. Cape gauge (3'6") is a legacy of the British colonial era and is more common with some international interchange.
Isn't China only building standard guage tracks ?
The Chinese will build whatever the customer wants. Bear in mind when we say "gauge" we mean the distance between the rails, not the rails themselves.
"Standard Gauge" is 4' 81/2" between the rails. "Cape Gauge," common in Africa, is 3'6" between the rails. Rail size doesn't matter.
More than likely the only thing the Chinese may be worried about is getting eaten by lions!
I believe Streak may be right in saying all the 'current' Chinese projects are built to standard gauge. I think the ones I can remember, back to 1976, all were.
I do not recall the word 'gauge' ever being used to describe rail size or weight. Wire, yes. Sheet, yes. Even some rolled stock. But not rail or even rail-like long rolled shapes.
To my knowledge "gauge" has never been used to describe rail size or weight.
Want to see something wild? If you're ever in Cripple Creek CO check out the Cripple Creek and Victor tourist railroad. It's a 24" narrow-gauge line built with full size rail! Looks a little odd, but it's a safe bet those full-size rails will never wear out with those 24" locomotives running on it!
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