Train guage in Ireland

Fred Swanson

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There was a conflict of at least three gauges in the early days. The Dublin and Kingstown Railway was 4'8½". The Dublin and Drogheda railway was 5'2" while the Ulster Railway was 6'2". The Board of Trade intervened, and 5'3" was set as a compromise gauge.

MsStroggatrix

I read in a book it was an argument between engineers and that a review board was set up and recommended a gauge between 5'0" and 5'6" so the engineer who read the report picked 5'3" as it was the mid point.

These books have more details:

The Gleam of the Lines - I think this is the one I read that anecdote in.

Irish Railways

Markcheese

Is 4foot 8 and a half pretty much the standard world wide ? Or is it just Britain and western europe (+ most of oz)

Markcheese

Markcheese wrote: »

Is 4foot 8 and a half pretty much the standard world wide ? Or is it just Britain and western europe (+ most of oz)

Standard pretty much everywhere. North America too.

Fred Swanson

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ardmacha

And of course not forgetting India.

corktina

not to mention substantial metre AND 3'6" GUAGE NETWROKS AROUND THE WORLD. Standard is far from the norm

Cyberbeagle

Gotta remember too that 4ft 8.5in *wasn't* standard at the time 5ft 3in was adopted... it became standard more or less through default...

dowlingm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_gauge