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[quote user="Paul_D_North_Jr"] [quote user="Bucyrus"]  [snip] Increases in capacity have indeed been raised by increasing the loading gage, as you say, but it has about reached its limit.  And that limit is track gage.  So I submit that today’s traffic levels have reached a point where they put pressure on raising the track gage if it were possible to do so.  [/quote] I'm not aware of a pressure to increase the track gage that is being caused by any actual or real traffic levels - only theoretical discussions such as this one.  And any such pressure would largely be limited to light-loading commodities, mainly passengers - e.g., BART.  As to freight and heavy-haul commodities, the limit is not only track gage, but also rail stresses and wear, and extrapolating from that, more generally economics.  That effect is reflected in such things as more complex vehicles - wheel sizes, axle arrangements, etc. - and more  expensive materials and/ or maintenance, etc. - to either preclude or cope with the increasingly costly effects of the heavier loads that are now possible within even the existing track gage.  That trend line is clear for those who can see the data - I doubt that fully-informed engineering for a new operation would seriously consider a much wider gauge, even if they could, and aside from the 'standardization' of parts and equipment problems, too.  Considering all of the costs, such a wide-gage operation would likely just cost more than a similar standard-gage operation.  Where's the benefit in that ? - Paul North.  [/quote] If it did cost more, there would be no benefit, but the underlying assumption is that the optimum gage would cost the least for what it produces.  But again, the question is only posed in terms of a scenario of being unencumbered by the existing standard gage system.  So while it is a completely practical question, there is nothing we can do about the answer.  I doubt that we could even answer it.  But nevertheless, it is a question with an answer.   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> When I speak of pressure to increase the track gage, I do not mean pressure from individuals actually proposing a gage change.  The pressure is from rising traffic levels.  I am just making the observation that rising traffic levels have resulted in the increase of loading gage and other clearance factors to the limit of standard track gage.  And because traffic levels are still increasing, it seems logical to assume that they are now putting pressure on track gage as well as all the other physical limitations.   Just looking at all the factors and probable engineering alternatives, and trying to process them intuitively, I would guess that the optimum gage for today is certainly more than 4’-8 ½”, but not radically more.  Certainly it would not be over six feet.
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