What is meant by rail gauge?
Rail gauge is the distance from the inside of one rail on a railroad track to the inside of the other. Most tracks use a standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft, 8 1/2 in). Broad gauge may be used where the track needs to have big things moving on it.
How is rail gauge measured?
The gauge of a railroad track is simply the distance between the two running rails. This distance is measured against the inside faces of the rail heads at some distance down from the top of the rails. This distance down is known as the “gauge plane”.
What is the rail gauge in UK?
For most of the railways in England, Scotland and Wales the Standard Track Gauge is within the range 1432mm to 1435mm inclusive. Since 1997 the Standard Gauge is 1435mm on new installations of concrete sleepered track.
What is gauge and types of gauge in railway?
The different gauges can broadly be divided into the following four categories: Broad Gauge: width 1676 mm to 1524 mm or 5’6” to 5’0” Standard Gauge: width 1435 mm and 1451 mm or 4′-8⅟2” Metre Gauge: width 1067 mm, 1000 mm and 915 mm or 3′-6”, 3′-33/8” and 3′-0” Narrow Gauge: width 762 mm and 610 mm or 2′-6” and 2′-0”.
What is the function of rail?
(a) Rails provide a continuous and level surface for the movement of trains. (b) Rails provide a pathway which is smooth and has very little friction. The friction between the steel wheel and the steel rail is about one-fifth of the friction between the pneumatic tyre and a metalled road.
Which type of gauge is mostly used?
Approximately sixty percent of the world’s railway uses standard gauge of 1,435 mm. There are 4 types of railway gauge used in India. Broad gauge, Metre Gauge, Narrow gauge and Standard gauge (for Delhi Metro).
What are the types of railway gauges?
Dominant railway gauges
| System | Installation | |
|---|---|---|
| Gauge | Name | in km |
| 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 81⁄2 in) | Standard gauge | 720,000 |
| 1,520 mm ( 4 ft 1127⁄32 in) | Five foot and 1520 mm gauge | 220,000 |
| 1,524 mm (5 ft) | 7,065 |
What is the function of middle rail?
They are used to minimize chances of derailment and ensure that wheels of the trains are aligned in case of derailment. If the train derails, the wheels fall off the regular rails and the train can move pretty far sideways because of which the train could fall off the bridge.
What are the different types of rails?
There are three types of rails:
- Double-headed rails.
- Bull-headed rails.
- Flat-footed rails.
What does ‘gauge’ mean on railways?
What does ‘gauge’ mean on railways? Gauge is the distance between the rails. The gauge used for the first public railway, the Stockton and Darlington, in England, was 1.43 metres. It is called standard gauge.
What is a standard railroad gauge?
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄ 2 in). The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, Standard-gauge railway A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm. The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe. It is the most widely used railway track gauge across t… , UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in the European Union and Russia. Nov 4 2019
What is the standard railroad gauge in the US?
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for! an Imperial Roman war chariot.
Are railway gauges standard in all countries?
Broad-gauge railways are standard in Russia, Finland, Ireland, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Portugal, and Spain. When different gauges adjoin, for example at a nation’s border, a break of gauge occurs.