Track gauges around the world?

[markpierce]

.... 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.

Forgot to mention that the locomotive pictured to the left is the above subject locomotive.

Mark

[markpierce]

...The gauge issue is interesting.  AFAIK, the smallest commercial rail operations were a two foot gauge (or just under).  The largest was just over 7 feet....

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

[TH&B]

I heard on TV once that countries often would have different guages to make it harder for another country to invade.

 

That is true, and a drawback is that it also hinders economic trade.

[Boyd]

I heard on TV once that countries often would have different guages to make it harder for another country to invade.

[greyhounds]

I thought India (and Pakistan) were 5' 6", not 5' 3".

The gauge issue is interesting.  AFAIK, the smallest commercial rail operations were a two foot gauge (or just under).  The largest was just over 7 feet.

George Hilton deals with the issue in his "American Narrow Gauge Railroads".  Aparently, to this day, no one knows what the optimal gauge is.  Not that it matters.  4' 8.5" is the settled "standard" from the Mexican-Guatamalan border to Fairbanks, Alaska, as well as in Europe, China and elsewhere.  And that isn't going to change. 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Most of Europe is standard gauge (4'8.5").  Russia and Finland use 5' gauge.  Spain and Portugal are primarily 5'6" gauge.  There are a few meter-gauge operations here and there, such as FEVE in Spain and the Rhaetian in Switzerland.

Australia indeed has three gauges: 3'6" (not meter) in Queensland and Western Australia, 5'3" in Victoria and parts of South Australia, and 4'8.5" everywhere else including some dual-gauge main lines in Victoria and Queensland.

India has two gauges: 5'3" and meter gauge.  Both are large networks although the meter gauge is gradually being converted to 5'3".

[bobwilcox]

Southern Africa uses Cape Standard or 3'6".

[Boyd]

What are the track guages around the world? North America of course mostly 4'8-1/2". I think Europe is one meter which is about 39". Australia has at least 3 different guages, some meter guage, some 4'8-1/2" which I think they call standard and the 3rd most gauge I forgot its measurement. There is one town I went through on a tour bus that I think the 3 most prominent guages all come into.