Minimum-gauge railway
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Minimum-gauge railways are railways with track gauges smaller than those of narrow-gauge railways, primarily designed for light, industrial, or tourist transportation. The most common gauges for minimum-gauge railways include:
- 15 in (381 mm)[1]
- 400 mm (Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.15+3⁄4 in)[2]
- 16 in (406 mm)
- 18 in (457 mm)
- 19 in (483 mm)
- 500 mm (Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.19+3⁄4 in)
- 20 in (508 mm)
These railways have been developed for applications such as estate transport, mining, agriculture, and amusement parks, offering an economical and adaptable solution for restricted environments.[1][2]
History
The term was originally conceived by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, who used it in 1874 to describe the principle behind his Duffield Bank Railway, specifically its 15 in (381 mm) gauge, distinguishing it from a narrow-gauge railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in (229 mm) gauge, he settled on 15 in (381 mm) as the minimum that he felt was practical.[1]
In general, minimum-gauge railways maximize their loading gauge, where the dimension of the equipment is made as large as possible with respect to the track gauge while still providing enough stability to keep it from tipping over. Standard-gauge railways have vehicles that are approximately twice, and in some cases nearly three times, the track gauge in width, but with minimum-gauge railways this can be as much as four times the width of the track as in some of the sugar cane railways of Australia. Minimum-gauge railways allowed for ease of mobility on battlefields, mines, and other restricted environments.
A number of 18 in (457 mm) gauge railways were built in Britain to serve ammunition depots and other military facilities, particularly during the First World War.
In South Australia the Semaphore to Fort Glanville Conservation Park includes a steam engine service that runs on an 18 in (457 mm) track.
In France, Decauville produced a range of portable track railways running on 400 mm (Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.15+3⁄4 in) and 500 mm (Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.19+3⁄4 in) tracks, most commonly in restricted environments such as underground mine railways, parks and farms.[2]
During World War II, it was proposed to expedite the Yunnan–Burma Railway using 400 mm (Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.15+3⁄4 in) gauge, since such a small gauge can have the tightest of curves in difficult terrain.[3]
Distinction between ridable miniature and minimum-gauge railway
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 | This section may contain original research. (May 2020) |
The major distinction between a miniature railway (US: 'riding railroad' or 'grand scale railroad') and a minimum-gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft (610 mm), for example the Wicksteed Park Railway. There are also rideable miniature railways running on extremely narrow tracks as small as Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge, for example the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. Around the world there are also several rideable miniature railways open to the public using even narrower gauges, such as Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) and Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.7+1⁄2 in (190.5 mm).
Generally minimum-gauge railways have a working function as estate railways, or industrial railways, or providers of public transport links; although most have a distinct function in relation to tourism, and depend upon tourism for the revenue to support their working function.
Railways
Large amusement railways
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See also
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- Children's railway
- Decauville
- Feldbahn
- Heritage railway
- Industrial railway
- Light railway
- List of British heritage and private railways
- List of British private narrow-gauge railways
- List of track gauges
- Narrow gauge railway
- Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
- Rail transport modelling scales
- Ridable miniature railway
- Trench railway
- Museum visitor attractions
References
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- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Heywood, A.P. (1974) [1881, Derby: Bemrose]. Minimum Gauge Railways. Turntable Enterprises. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Douglas J. Puffert (2009). Tracks across continents, paths through history: the economic dynamics of standardization in railway gauge. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-226-68509-0.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."TOY RAILWAY". The Northern Standard. Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 8 December 1939. p. 15. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Southeastern Railway Museum". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Balboa Park Miniature Railroad - Balboa Park". Balboapark.org. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cedar Rock Railroad". Cedarrockrailroad.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Littl Florida Railroad & Animal Carousel". Centralfloridazoo.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Home". Michiganausablevalleyrailroad.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Crown Locomotive Roster (15"-24" Gauge)". Trainweb.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pinconning & Blind River Railroad".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Railway Preservation News • View topic - Rough and Tumble Engineers. Home Built Shay Railroad Video". Rypn.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Home". Underkansas.org. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sayre, Dave. "Schnepf Farms Railroad". Arizonaandpacificrr.com. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Miniature Railway". CEC: Closed Canadian Parks. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."National Railway Museum - Port Adelaide". Natrailmuseum.org.au. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cardiff Model Engineering Society". Cardiffmes.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. "Bill" Mason Carousel — Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. "Bill" Mason Carousel". Bjwrr.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."C&S RY: The Collegeville and Southern Railway". Home.sprynet.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad
- ^ We Visit the Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
- ^ YouTube video: Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."This is the official page for the Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad". Peak.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Media / Gallery". Bjwrr.org. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Ledesma
- ^ Railways in Russia
- ^ in Russian
- ^ Little Puffer
- ^ Reporter-Herald A trip into history on the Lakeside Amusement Park train
- ^ Orient Express
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Spring, Summer, Fall Activities | Assiniboine Park Conservancy". www.assiniboinepark.ca.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Riverview Park Features and Attractions". Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Alton Towers Memories - Park Railway".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Amenities - Alexandria Zoo". Thealexandriazoo.com. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pullen Park - Raleigh". 2 May 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
'C.P. Huntington C.P. #3' is the miniature train that operates at Pullen Park.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Forest Park Miniature Railroad". Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robert D. West (2 May 2014). "Farewell is not Forever - Part 4: Oaks Amusement Park". Retrieved 30 July 2014.
This train replaced a Miniature Train & Railroad Company G-16 that was installed in 1956. The G-16 ran on 16" gauge track, and resembled a diesel locomotive, painted in the colors of the Union Pacific Railroad. The track is dual-gauge: 16" for the former train and 24" for the current one. The train operates on a 2,600 foot oval-shaped loop that encircles the picnic areas.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."San Antonio Zoo Eagle". Sazoo-aq.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tauber Family Railroad - Detroit Zoo". Detroitzoo.org. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Essex County Turtle Back Zoo". Turtle Back Zoo. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."BuJu Line – official website". Retrieved 18 January 2019.
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Bibliography
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- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Clayton, H. (1968). The Duffield Bank and Eaton Railways. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-034-7.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Heywood, Arthur Percival (1974) [1898]. Minimum Gauge Railways (3rd ed.). Turntable Publications. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Household, Humphrey (1989). Narrow Gauge Railways: England and the Fifteen Inch. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0862995752.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mosley, David; van Zeller, Peter (1986). Fifteen Inch Gauge Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8694-8.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Smithers, Mark (1995). Sir Arthur Heywood and the Fifteen Inch Gauge Railway. Plateway Press. ISBN 1-871980-22-4.
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