Light railway

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Light rail.
For the magazine, see
Light Railways (magazine)
.

A light railway is a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail": it uses lighter-weight track, and may have more steep gradients and tight curves to reduce civil engineering costs. These lighter standards allow lower costs of operation, at the price of lower vehicle capacity.

Narrow gauge

Restored Molli railway at Kühlungsborn, Mecklenburg, Germany (900 mm / 2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)

In countries where a single

many independent narrow gauge, 3 ft (914 mm), light railway feeder branch lines
.

The precise meaning of the term "light railway" varies by geography and context.

United States

See also: Light rail in the United States

In the

higher fuel prices
has caused an increase in popularity of these light rail systems in recent decades.

United Kingdom

In the

Light Railway Order within the terms of the Act.[5]

The term is also used more generally[dubious – discuss] of any lightly built railway with limited traffic, often controlled locally and running unusual and/or older rolling stock. A light railway is properly distinct from a tramway which operates under differing rules and may share a road. The term "light railway" is generally used in a positive manner.

Perhaps the most well-known caricature of a light railway is the film

heritage railways
.

The

Heart of Wales Line has been operated under a Light Railway Order since 1972, and appears to be the only part of the National Rail
(that is, non-heritage) system run as a light railway.

Australia

break-of-gauge
with other states. The cost savings were due to light rails, low axleloads and low speeds as much as due to the gauge.

breaks-of-gauge
.

There were a significant number of small and isolated mining and timber railway built to a variety of gauges and improvised standards.

There are still a large number of sugar cane tramways built to a common 610 mm (2 ft) gauge, and sharing research and development into advanced features such as concrete sleepers, tamping machines, remotely controlled brake vans, and the like. There is little through traffic with main line railways so that the break-of-gauge is not a problem.

The

Iron Knob Railway was legally a "tramway". It operated 2,000 ton ore
trams which were heavier than most railways.

Japan

Also in Japan, originally, "light railway" refers to a railway built or operated under the Light Railways Act enforced in 1909. The act in Japan also though gives only a vague description, the purpose of the act is for building railways easily with less stringent standards and at low cost.

So the circumstance of light railways in Japan was almost similar in UK or other countries. Many light railways had been built for passengers or as

Okinawa
. After the war, most of the light railways were driven out of business by the motor car by 1970s. Some of the remains survive for passengers, others have been restored generally as
heritage railways
.

Taiwan

Taiwan Railway Administration
or the processing plants of the Taiwan Sugar Cooperation for further production to turn the sugarcanes to fine sugar.

Industrial railways

Main article: industrial railway

Many industrial railways were built to light railway standards. These may be of light and small construction, although the wagons carrying molten-steel in a steelworks can be several hundred tonnes in weight.

Panama

See also Panama Canal Railway

The Panama Canal construction used a heavy network of 5 ft (1,524 mm) temporary railways in its construction to move vast quantities of soil from the excavations to the dams that were constructed.

Military railways

Main article: Military railways

Light railways have been used in several wars, especially before the advent of the combustion engine and motor car. These have often connect depots some distance behind the front line with the front lines themselves. Some armies have Divisions of Engineers trained to operate trains. Sometimes they operate a branch line of their own so that they can practise track and bridge building (and demolition) without disturbing trains on the main line.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Obviously this does not apply to places such as southern Africa, where a system of extremely large 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) main line railways developed.

References

  1. ^ MacKay (1896), p. 21.
  2. ^ Cole, William Henry (1899). Light Railways at Home and Abroad. C. Griffin.
  3. ISBN 978-0226685090
    .
  4. ^ Burton & Scott-Morgan (1985), p. 16.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-86190-146-0
    .
  6. ^ MacKay, John Charles (1896). Light Railways (1st ed.). C. Lockwood and Son.
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