|
|
# 1. "A Beauty At Rest"
Denver & Rio Grand G class, T-12 ten-wheeler, number 168, narrow gauge
is on display in Antlers Park in Colorado Springs.
See how beautifully this engine has been restored to immaculate
display condition. As long as steam engines were continuously replaced
by larger, more powerful and more impressive ones, there was little or
no incentive to preserve the older models. Any historical importance
they had was long ignored. This engine makes a beautiful trophy for the
kids of future generations to see.
Many of the western railroad tracks were built 36 inches wide and they were referred to as
narrow gauge. Standard gauge track was finally standardized at 56-1/2 inches wide around 1900.
The different track widths, and there were many, interfered with the movement of passengers,
mail, and freight. This made many narrow gauge rail operations vulnerable to truck competition
and they went bankrupt. However; on a few standard guage railroad beds a third rail was laid
between the two rails 36 inches in from one side so narrow gauge engines and equipment could
use it. Adding the third rail improved revenue for both railroad companies.
|
The U.S. Standard Railroad Gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches or 56-1/2
inches. Now that's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that width chosen? Our research will tell
you why.
The U.S. purchased their first railroad engines from England who designed & built them using
expatriate engineers. Their first rail lines were built by the same people who built the
pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge (width) they used. The tramways used the same jigs
and tooling they used for building wagons which used the same wheel spacing. All other wagon
manufactures used the same wheel width.
The wagons wheel ruts would ware into the roads making it impossible for any other wheel width
to navigate roads both in Europe & England. The first long distance roads in Europe were built
by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The same thoroughfares have been used ever
since.
The initial ruts were first made by Roman war chariots. These chariots were designed to be
pulled by two horses hitched side by side. The chariot wheels had to be spaced far enough apart
to avoid the hoof marks left by the horses, yet not protrude past the flanks of the horses to
prevent entanglement with opposing traffic or roadside vegetation. Since all chariots were made
by Imperial Rome and they were all alike. Thus, we have the answer to the original question
based upon our insistent research completed by the the VLC Line Engineers.
The United States Standard Railroad Gauge of 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches derives from the original
specification for an Imperial Roman army war chariot. Two thousand years later and a continent
away, the track layout of most of the U.S. railway network is based upon the fact that Imperial
Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the rear-ends of two war horses.
This is proof that Specs and bureaucracies live forever. So, the next time you are handed a
specification just wonder if a couple of horse's behind's caused it, and you may be exactly
right. ha~ha!!
Back Next?![[IMAGE]](traing.gif)
![[IMAGE]](drg168.jpg)
![[IMAGE]](engine2.gif){kind=small}