5 ft and 1520 mm gauge railways

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Russian gauge
)
Track gauge
By transport mode
  • Miniature
  • Scale model
By size (list)
Graphic list of track gauges
Minimum
  Minimum
  Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)
Narrow
 
  • 600 mm
  • 610 mm
  • 686 mm
  • (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
  • (2 ft)
  • (2 ft 3 in)
 
  • 750 mm
  • 760 mm
  • 762 mm
  • (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
  • (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in)
  • (2 ft 6 in)
 
  • 891 mm
  • 900 mm
  • 914 mm
  • 950 mm
  • (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in)
  • (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)
  • (3 ft)
  • (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)
  Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
  Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)
  Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
  1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
  Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Broad
 
  • 1,445 mm
  • 1,450 mm
  • (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in)
  • (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)
  Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)
  Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)
 
  • 1,520 mm
  • 1,524 mm
  • (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in)
  • (5 ft)
 
  • 1,581 mm
  • 1,588 mm
  • 1,600 mm
  • (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in)
  • (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
  • (5 ft 3 in)
  Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
 
  • 1,668 mm
  • 1,676 mm
  • (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in)
  • (5 ft 6 in)
  Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)
 
Brunel
 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)
Change of gauge
By location
World map, rail gauge by region

Railways with a railway track gauge of 5 ft (1,524 mm) first appeared in the United Kingdom and the United States. This gauge became commonly known as "Russian gauge", because the government of the Russian Empire chose it in 1843. Former areas and states of the Empire have inherited this standard.[1] However in 1970, Soviet Railways re-defined the gauge as 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in).[2]

With about 225,000 km (140,000 mi) of track, 1,520 mm is the second-most common gauge in the world, after 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

standard gauge.[3]

History

Great Britain, 1748

In 1748, the

Wylam waggonway was built to a 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge for the shipment of coal from Wylam to Lemington down the River Tyne.[4]

In 1839, the

standard gauge. In 1903, the East Hill Cliff Railway, a funicular
, was opened.

United States, 1827

See also: Track gauge in the United States and Confederate railroads in the American Civil War
5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge rail network in the Southern United States (1861)

In 1827, Horatio Allen, the chief engineer of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, prescribed the usage of 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge. Many other railroads in the Southern United States adopted this gauge. The presence of several distinct gauges was a major disadvantage to the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. In 1886, when around 11,500 miles (18,500 km) of 5 ft gauge track existed in the United States, almost all of the railroads using that gauge were converted to 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm), the gauge then used by the Pennsylvania Railroad.[5]

Russian Empire, 1842

In 1837, the first railway built in Russia was a 6 ft (1,829 mm) gauge, 17 km long experimental line connecting

Brunel's Great Western Railway which used 7 ft (2,134 mm). The Tsarskoye Selo railway's success proved that a larger gauge could be viable for railways isolated from the extant 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge Western European network.[6][7]

In 1840, work started on the second railway in the Russian Empire, the Warsaw–Vienna railway in Congress Poland. It was a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, with the express intention of allowing through-freight trains into Austria-Hungary.[6][7]

The modern Russian railway network solidified around the

technical standards for the building of Russia's first major railway. The team included devotees of Franz Anton von Gerstner, who pushed to continue the Tsarskoye Selo gauge, and engineer Pavel Melnikov and his consultant George Washington Whistler, a prominent American railway engineer. Whistler recommended 5 ft (1,524 mm) on the basis that it was cheaper to construct than 6 ft (1,829 mm) and cheaper to maintain than 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). His advice won over the Tsar.[6][7]

At the time, questions of continuity with the European network did not arise. By the time difficulties arose in connecting the Prussian railroads to the Russian ones in Warsaw in the 1850s, it was too late to change.[6]

A persistent myth holds that

tunnels.[6][7] However, in both World Wars the break of gauge
did pose some amount of obstacle to the invading Germans.

Expansion

The 5-foot gauge became the standard in the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union.

Russian engineers used it on the

Kuancheng, the station just to the north of Changchun, still in Russian hands,[10] until the rest of the former Chinese Eastern Railway was converted
to standard gauge, probably in the 1930s.

Unlike in

Vanino-Kholmsk train ferry, operating since 1973, had to have their bogies changed in the Sakhalin port of Kholmsk.[11] In 2004 and 2008 plans were put forward to convert it to the Russian gauge. The conversion was completed in 2019.[12]

There were proposals in 2013 for north-south and east-west lines in Afghanistan, with construction to start in 2013.[13]

Panama, 1850

The

standard gauge equipment. The original gauge was chosen under the influence of the pre-conversion southern United States railway companies. The electric manoeuvering locomotives along the locks (mules
) still use the 5 ft gauge that was laid during canal construction.

Finland, 1862

Main article: History of rail transport in Finland

The first rail line

Imperial Russia where railways were also built to the (5 ft) broad track gauge of 1,524 mm (5 ft).[14] However the railway systems were not connected until the bridge over the River Neva was built in 1913.[15] Russian trains could not have run on Finnish tracks, because the Finnish loading gauge was narrower, until the connection was made and the Finnish structure gauge
was widened.

Technical

Redefinitions

In the late 1960s the gauge was redefined to 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) in the Soviet Union.[3] At the same time the tolerances were tightened. As the running gear (wheelsets) of the rolling stock remained unaltered, the result was an increased speed and stability.[14] The conversion took place between 1970 and the beginning of the 1990s.[14]

In Finland, the

Finnish State Railways
kept the original definition of 1,524 mm (5 ft), even though they also have tightened the tolerances in a similar way, but to a higher level.

After its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia redefined its track gauge to 1,524 mm, to match Finland's gauge.[16] The redefinition did not mean that all the railways in Estonia were changed immediately. It was more a rule change, so that all renovated old tracks and new railways would be constructed in 1,524 mm gauge from then on. (See Track gauge in Estonia.)

Tolerances

Finland allows its gauge to be 1,520–1,529 mm on first class lines (classes 1AA and 1A, speed 220–160 km/h).[17]

If the rolling stock's tolerance is kept within certain limits, through running between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) railways and Finnish 1,524 mm (5 ft) railways is allowed. Since both 1,520 and 1,524 mm tolerances overlap, the difference is negligible. The international high-speed Allegro's gauge between Helsinki and St. Petersburg was specified as 1,522 mm.[18]

Loading gauge

The

overhead wire
must be raised. Or there must be restrictions on permitted rolling stock, which would restrict the benefit of such a railway. Dual gauge needs more width than single gauge. For double stacking on Russian gauge tracks, maximum height shall be 6.15 or 6.4 m (20 ft 2 in or 21 ft 0 in) above rails.

For standard gauge railways, double stacking maximum height shall be 6.15 m (20 ft 2 in). For Indian gauge railways, double stacking maximum height shall be 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in), and minimum overhead wiring height shall be 6.5 or 6.75 m (21 ft 4 in or 22 ft 2 in) above rails. Minimum overhead wiring height for double stacking, standard gauge railways shall be 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in), and Indian gauge railways shall be 7.45 m (24 ft 5 in) above rails, respectively. This would apply to Russia and Europe (or North America), rather than to Russia and China (or Iran).

Current status

Primary usage

The primary countries currently using the gauge of 5 ft or 1,520 mm, include:[19]

Extended usage

Short sections of Russian or 5 ft gauge extend

into Poland, eastern Slovakia, Sweden (at the Finnish border at Haparanda), and northern Afghanistan.[20]

There is an approximately 150 km long section in Hungary in the Záhony logistics area close to the Ukrainian border.[21]

Following renovations in 2014, a 32 km section of dual

Rajin stations in North Korea.[22]

The most western 1,520 mm gauge railway is the Polish

LHS (Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa) from the Ukrainian border to the eastern end of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region
.

Use in rapid transit and light rail systems

Although broad gauge is quite rare on

1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge.[note 1]

Finland's

1,435 mm
(4 ft 8+1⁄2 in).

Underground urban rapid transit systems in the former USSR, like the Moscow Metro, Saint Petersburg Metro, Kyiv Metro and Yerevan Metro use Russian gauge (1,520 mm). Outside the former USSR, the Helsinki Metro in Finland that utilizes a unique track gauge of 1,522 mm, falls between the Russian gauge (1,520 mm) and broad gauge 1,524 mm.

Similar gauges

7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) (Brunel gauge
).

These gauges cannot make 3-rail dual gauge with Russian gauge.

  • 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Indian gauge
  • 1,668 mm
    (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
  • 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Irish gauge
  • standard gauge

These gauges are within tolerance.

  • 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Russian gauge
  • 1,522 mm (4 ft 11+29⁄32 in) as used by Helsinki Metro[24]
  • 1,524 mm (5 ft)

Dual gauge between Russian gauge and another similar gauge can make these bonus gauges.

  • 1,829 mm (6 ft)
  • 1,945 mm (6 ft 4+9⁄16 in)
  • 2,134 mm (7 ft)
  • 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in) (Brunel gauge)
  • 2,503 mm (8 ft 2+1⁄2 in) (the maximum bonus gauge from the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
    standard gauge gauntlet tracks
    ).

Summary

Railways using 1,524 mm gauge

Country/territory Railway
China Chinese Eastern Railway (until 1930s); Rail North China (proposed)
Estonia Rail transport in Estonia
Finland
standard gauge
(1,435 mm))
Iran Proposed for the south and east of Tehran and the north and east of Estafan. The 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
standard gauge
.
Isle of Man
Second Falcon Cliff lift
(closed 1990)
Japan
break-of-gauge
facilities between 5 ft (1,524 mm) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) in Northern Hokkaido.
Norway Proposed for Kolari-Skibotn-Tromsø and Nikel-Kirkenes-Rovaniemi lines.[25]
Panama
standard gauge
in 2000 to suit off-the-shelf supply.
Sweden Only a small freight yard in Haparanda. Used for exchanging cargo with Finnish trains.
United States The South, such as the Cartersville and Van Wert Railroad, the Cherokee Railroad, and the Western & Atlantic Railroad, until 31 May 1886. The Duquesne Incline and Monongahela Incline in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Railways using 1,520 mm gauge

Country/territory Railway
Afghanistan
Indian gauge
are proposed.
Armenia Armenian Railways, South Caucasus Railway
Austria
Košice-Vienna broad-gauge line
(proposed)
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Railways
Belarus Rail transport in Belarus
Bulgaria Only at Varna ferry terminal for train ferries to Odesa and Poti; dual gauge track for changing wagon bogies with standard gauge ones, and parallel transhipping tracks of 1,520 mm and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge.
China Several short stretches from Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
France A short section linking the assembly building to the
Guiana Space Center
.
Georgia Georgian Railway
Germany Only at
Baltijsk
.
Hong Kong Peak Tram
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz Railways
Latvia Rail transport in Latvia
Lithuania Rail transport in Lithuania
Moldova CFM
Mongolia Rail transport in Mongolia
North Korea A 32-km stretch of 1,435/1,520 mm
Rajin Stations
.
Poland Almost exclusively on the
Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line
.
Russia Russian Railways
Slovakia Only on the "Širokorozchodná trať" (Uzhhorod - Maťovce - Haniska pri Košiciach) and from the border station of Dobrá pri Čiernej nad Tisou to Ukraine, both operated by ZSSK Cargo.
Tajikistan
Indian gauge
is proposed for the East.
Turkmenistan
Railways in Turkmenistan
Ukraine Ukrainian Railways
Uzbekistan Uzbek Railways

See also
  • The Museum of the Moscow Railway

Notes

  1. ^ Yevpatoria is located in Crimea, a territory disputed between Ukraine (as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea) and Russia (as the Republic of Crimea) since the March 2014 Crimean status referendum.

References

  1. ^ "Paravoz". Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  2. ^ "Broad Gauge Track-1520". Russian Railways. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  3. ^ a b 1520 Strategic Partnership, About gauge 1520 Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2008-07-20.
  4. ^ "Waggonway & Railway". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  5. ^ "The Days They Changed the Gauge". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  6. ^
    S2CID 163934218
    .
    See also Haywood's full-length monographs on this topic,
     • The beginnings of railway development in Russia in the reign of Nicholas I, 1835-1842 (1969), Duke University Press, Durham, NC
     • Russia enters the railway age, 1842–1855. (1998) East European Monographs, Columbia University Press, Boulder, CO.
  7. ^
    JSTOR 213081
    .
  8. ^ Lotysz, Slawomir. "Narrowing is easier". Inventing Europe. Contrary to Lotysz's claim that "some railway historians" promote the myth, its only trace in the academic literature appears to be persistent warnings against the folklore. See, e.g., Haywood 1969 or Siddall 1969.
  9. ^ Luis Jackson, Industrial Commissioner of the Erie Railway. "Rambles in Japan and China." In Railway and Locomotive Engineering Archived 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, vol. 26 (March 1913), pp. 91-92
  10. ISBN 978-1-113-11167-8
    .
  11. ^ "Сахалинская узкоколейная железная дорога (The narrow-gauge railways of Sakhalin)". Archived from the original on November 15, 2013.
  12. ^ "История железных дорог – филиалов ОАО "РЖД"". Russian Railways. (in Russian)
  13. ^ UK, DVV Media. "Afghan railway ambitions awarded funding". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  14. ^ a b c "Historic reference". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  15. ISBN 9515932149
  16. ^ Estonian railways today Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, p. 32
  17. ^ "Ratatekniset määräykset ja ohjeet" (PDF). Finnish Rail Administration. p. 56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 9 Feb 2020. The nominal track gauge on the rail network 1,524 mm. The max tolerance range in lowest quality lines (class 6, max speed 50 km/h) is −7…+20 mm
  18. ^ "Allegro high speed Pendolino train at Finland station in St Petersburg". Alstom. 7 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  19. ^ "Rail Gauges". studylib.net. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  20. ^ "Construction of Afghan railway launched". Railway Gazette International. 2010-01-27. Archived from the original on 2010-03-03.
  21. ^ "Megújult a széles nyomtávolságú vágány a záhonyi térségben". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Russia and North Korea sign deal to complete Khasan-Rajin railway reconstruction". www.railway-technology.com. Verdict Media Limited. 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  23. ^ "Tramwaje Warszawskie - rozwój sieci - lata 1990-2006".
  24. ^ "Perustietoja ja metroasemat" (in Finnish and English). Finnish Railway Society. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  25. ^ Trellevik, Siri Gulliksen Tømmerbakke From Amund. "Agreement on Arctic Railway Planning and Implementation". www.highnorthnews.com.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=5_ft_and_1520_mm_gauge_railways&oldid=1218425988"