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[quote user="John WR"][quote user="Bucyrus"]Starting out with a standard gage in the 1800’s would have been wise, but that was not possible because they could not agree on which gage was best.[/quote] Well yes, Bycyrus.  But it isn't just gauge those guys couldn't agree on.  They couldn't agree on much of anything.  And they could not work together to make a single coherent rail system that would have benefited them all.   [/quote] Yes, there was disagreement, but it was not just due to people being disagreeable or quarrelsome, if that is what you are suggesting.  I am sure they did indeed want a rail system that benefitted them all as you say.  But while they differed over gage, they did so in the most sober and thoughtful manner, based on deep thinking about engineering, economics, and future projection.  But what energized the debate was their conflicting interests.  What I am saying is that a gage war is a fundamental and inevitable component of the beginning of railroad institution.  We are truly beyond that phase now worldwide, so the problem will never arise again as it did in the beginning.  In the beginning, railroads were not much concerned about interchangeability, so standardizing gage was not that obvious of a benefit.  Once railroad systems grew large enough to frequently connect, the benefit of interchangeability became an obvious objective.  However, by that time, railroads of differing gages had a substantial investment in plant, and a consequent interest and financial stake to preserve their gage.  In other words, they would rather have the other guy build to their gage than to change their own already existing gage.  Overall, our exact standard gage was as much happenstance as rational engineering.  We got it in the right ballpark.  But there is no way to prove that 56-1/2 inches is optimum.  We are now simply stuck with it for better or worse.
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