I posted this in the Prototype category but I thought I would post a link to it. It's an interesting story although it might not be entirely true:
You will have to scroll to the top of the thread.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/p/249785/2786939.aspx#2786939
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
This particular gauge was chosen because the first equipment was imported from England, and that is the size that they chose.
The British chose this since because this is the size wheelsets that the carrage makers were used to building, and they were the ones that built the first cars.
The Carrage makers in turn, used this gauge because that is where the ruts in the roads were, and it would make things easier on the carrages.
The ruts in the road were there because that was the gauge of the Roman Chariots.
The Roman Chariots had this gauge because it was wide enough for two horses' asses.
Which goes to prove that it was indeed a military specification.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I think the origin of the standard track gauge of 4´8 1/2" being the space between the wheels of Roman war chariots is a popular legend, but nothing more. It´s about the size you need to be able to put a carthorse comfortably in between shafts. English mines used a gauge of 4´8" for ages before the invention of the steam engine, just for that reason. Stephenson added that 1/2" to reduce wear and tear in curves.
As the first railroad equipment was imported from Great Britain, most pioneer countries "inherited" this gauge.
I have never understood that old chestnut. What difference does the width of the horse have to do with the gauge of the wheels? Has anybody looked at a chariot? The horses don't go between the wheels, riding in the chariot, they are out in front of the wheels pulling the chariot. Plus, like most armies and most roads the majority of the traffic isn't military (chariots), its supplies and wagons which most likely used oxen. For example the US Interstate Highway system was originally designed as a military highway to allow rapid troop movements, the design vehicle was a main battle tank. But the majority of the use now and the design vehicles now are commercial trucks. It would be a safe bet what really made the ruts in the British roads wasn't Roman Chariots, it was wagons of wood and grain and supplies.
Most likely the actual guage was 5 ft to the OUTSIDE of the rails because the first cars used outside or double flanges, and when they converted to inside flanges that meant the 5 foot outside guage was a 4' 8 1/2" inside gauge.
Historical note: In the 1930's an Army officer led a convoy of trucks across the US. The trip took months and many of the trucks got stuck or broke down on the bad roads. Fast forward to the late 1950's, that young Army officer, Dwight Eisenhower, is now President and starts the construction of a system of high speed roads so that trip would take days.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Snopes says...... FALSE!
http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Ummmmm... Isn't track spacing the distance between parallel tracks? You're talking gauge. Current track spacing seems to be driven by dozers replacing "weak little men with shovels" (but not girlie by any means) and the higher speed with larger cars of modern operation.
I'll just leave now.....
LensCapOn Ummmmm... Isn't track spacing the distance between parallel tracks? You're talking gauge. Current track spacing seems to be driven by dozers replacing "weak little men with shovels" (but not girlie by any means) and the higher speed with larger cars of modern operation. I'll just leave now.....
Have a good day. lol
Rich
Yes, I have seen that spacing/gauge issue many time over the years. Does not seem to go away.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I thought it was 2 foot gauge and come from Wales, but then I come from Maine
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
From what I remember from History classes, the reason for the 4' 8 1/2" rail spacing was a compromise between the Northern non-slave states and the Southern slave states. That could be wrong as well, but that's my contribution to the conversation.
Standardization of track gauge - North American railroads.
https://campus.fsu.edu/bbcswebdav/users/jcalhoun/Economic_Standards/Puffert%20-%20The%20Standardization%20of%20Track%20Gauge.pdf
The Days They Changed the Gauge - May 31, 1886
http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1966/66-8/gauge.html
Railroad Gauges - A Standards Battle
http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/history/gauges/
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.
4'8" was the guage of the mine equipment that American railroad equipment is designed after but because of geometry the cars could not go around corners and some slop was needed so instead of rebuilding the locomotive and all of the cars with narrower axels they solved the problem by moving one rail 1/2" out to 4'8.5"
Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Historical note: In the 1930's an Army officer led a convoy of trucks across the US. The trip took months and many of the trucks got stuck or broke down on the bad roads. Fast forward to the late 1950's, that young Army officer, Dwight Eisenhower, is now President and starts the construction of a system of high speed roads so that trip would take days. When the US invade Germany in WWII they were surprised to find that the Germans had invented a road with no stop signs, instead it had overpasses with exit and onramps.
Actually US Highway engineers were aware of the developments in Germany. The first divided Highways with grade separation and ramps built in the US were opened prior to the US entry in World War 2.
For instance the first segment of the Pasadena Freeway (now Arroyo Seco Parkway) was opened in California in 1940. Because of the low standards (which wereb current at the time) to which it was built, there are now stop signs on the on ramps but they were installed much latter. I believe there was was also a grade separated divided highwayn built in New York around that time.
The completed Autobahns were much more extensive and built to higher standards.