blue streak 1 wrote:Tulyar15: The last time I went through Port Boa (on the Mediterrnean coast) the Spanish were constructing a new standard guage line from the border to Barcelona. I do not know its progress but maybe you have access to that information. Spain is finally getting on the standard guage bandwgon.
JonathanS wrote: Why would the Russians need to change the gauge of the Trans Siberian? The technology already exists to change the gauge on the cars. There is through passenger service from Berlin, Warsaw, Etc. to many points in the former Soviet Union. The gauge of the wheelsets are changed at the border with the former USSR.The same thing happens at the Spanish - French border. The run through cars (and locomotives on the Talgo) have the gauge changed at the border.It would be far simpler to have sets of intermodal flats or well cars with variable gauge trucks than to completely change the Russian track gauge.
Why would the Russians need to change the gauge of the Trans Siberian? The technology already exists to change the gauge on the cars. There is through passenger service from Berlin, Warsaw, Etc. to many points in the former Soviet Union. The gauge of the wheelsets are changed at the border with the former USSR.
The same thing happens at the Spanish - French border. The run through cars (and locomotives on the Talgo) have the gauge changed at the border.
It would be far simpler to have sets of intermodal flats or well cars with variable gauge trucks than to completely change the Russian track gauge.
Changing of the bogies is featured in the currently-released movie "Transiberian" when the trains goes from China to Russia.
Mark
markpierce wrote: greyhounds wrote: markpierce wrote: The track gauge of The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino (Southern Fueguean Railway), former logging-now-tourist railroad located near Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, is 50 centimeters, or 19.68 inches. Their primary motive power includes two 0-4-0+0-4-0s, of which the most recent one was built a couple years ago in South Africa.MarkI'd like to know the deceision process and factors that caused them to use a gauge that narrow.Well, a governmental bureaucrat was probably involved in deciding on the half-meter track gauge since the railroad was part of a prison operation. My thought is that the gauge is about the smallest that can handle human operators, and the government wanted the cheapest railroad that would work.
greyhounds wrote: markpierce wrote: The track gauge of The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino (Southern Fueguean Railway), former logging-now-tourist railroad located near Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, is 50 centimeters, or 19.68 inches. Their primary motive power includes two 0-4-0+0-4-0s, of which the most recent one was built a couple years ago in South Africa.MarkI'd like to know the deceision process and factors that caused them to use a gauge that narrow.
markpierce wrote: The track gauge of The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino (Southern Fueguean Railway), former logging-now-tourist railroad located near Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, is 50 centimeters, or 19.68 inches. Their primary motive power includes two 0-4-0+0-4-0s, of which the most recent one was built a couple years ago in South Africa.Mark
The track gauge of The Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino (Southern Fueguean Railway), former logging-now-tourist railroad located near Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, is 50 centimeters, or 19.68 inches. Their primary motive power includes two 0-4-0+0-4-0s, of which the most recent one was built a couple years ago in South Africa.
I'd like to know the deceision process and factors that caused them to use a gauge that narrow.
Well, a governmental bureaucrat was probably involved in deciding on the half-meter track gauge since the railroad was part of a prison operation. My thought is that the gauge is about the smallest that can handle human operators, and the government wanted the cheapest railroad that would work.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote:A standard-gauge line parallel to an existing broad-gauge line is probably to allow for high-speed passenger service (TGV??) to the rest of Europe. There is a similar arrangement in Australia between Sydney and Melbourne. Australia also has dual-gauge trackage on the main line into Brisbane from New South Wales and near Perth in Western Australia.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote: I would seriously doubt that Spain and Portugal are going to re-gauge anytime soon. Consider the expense of having to re-gauge all of their motive power and rolling stock, some of which may not be able to be re-gauged.A standard-gauge line parallel to an existing broad-gauge line is probably to allow for high-speed passenger service (TGV??) to the rest of Europe. There is a similar arrangement in Australia between Sydney and Melbourne. Australia also has dual-gauge trackage on the main line into Brisbane from New South Wales and near Perth in Western Australia.
I would seriously doubt that Spain and Portugal are going to re-gauge anytime soon. Consider the expense of having to re-gauge all of their motive power and rolling stock, some of which may not be able to be re-gauged.
A standard-gauge line parallel to an existing broad-gauge line is probably to allow for high-speed passenger service (TGV??) to the rest of Europe. There is a similar arrangement in Australia between Sydney and Melbourne. Australia also has dual-gauge trackage on the main line into Brisbane from New South Wales and near Perth in Western Australia.
The line from Barcelona to the border at Port Bou is graded and ready for tracklaying out in the countryside. But the final route within Barcelona and Girona, hasn't been finalized yet, in typical Spanish fashion they leave the hardest part till last, then with an election looming they panic and throw tons of money at the project so the Ruling party can claim credit for completing it.
For Paul, RENFE specified that the 150 new Bombardier TRAXX freight locomotives on order, be built so that only a truck swap would be required to change them from broad to standard gauge, and only the truck frames, and wheelsets wouldn't be reuseable. So there must be some thought that they might change within the lifetimes of these locomotives. Also the Standard gauge line from Barcelona to the French border is intended to be used by freights during the nighttime hours. This will give the Barcelona area a big edge for better freight service and would create pressure to slowly change most of the rest of the Broad gauge network. The Ford Auto Assembly plant at Silla would be a beneficiary of this change, currently most Autoparts containers are trucked from Port Bou, since two transloads in less than 100 miles isn't economical, similarly finished Autos are trucked to France and loaded there, rather than at the plant.
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