Inter track distances

Are you sure they didn't just measure to the nearest rail inner face and then add or subtract 717.5mm? That of course would have required the measurer to be mathematically competent! They may well have measured from one rail to the equivalent rail of the other track and effectively sidestepped the problem of adding or subtracting. I do know that here in New Zealand compulsary schooling did not start until about a decade after the first tracks were laid and that the employment criteria for being employed in tracklaying gangs related more to physical rather than mental abilities. As such, the "stick cut to length" scenario of gauging seems more likely than the "precision measuring in conjunction with mathematical calculation" scenario. :-)

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg Procter
Loading thread data ...

Yes, that would work, but, the "piece of wood" system would require two 'track gauge with center marked' pieces of wood plus a much longer 'center to center' piece of wood. That's three pieces of wood to be carried about, as against _one_ shorter piece accurately cut to fit between the outer rail edges of the two parallel tracks. I've just had a digger driver (literate) dig out the site for my new shed/garage and water tank. The shed will be 12m x 7m and the regulations require a 1m strip all around to also be dug out and filled with base material. That's 12m + 1m + 1m + 3.5m = ??m and 7m + 1m + 1m = ?m. The result? a site 15.5m x 8m wide at one end, 10.5m at the other.

Ahhrrrgg!

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg Procter

-----------------------------

Too true Martin...

For many years my dad worked Earlestown No 1 signal box which controlled the south junction of the Earlestown triangle, all sides of which were originally double track.

The 15 mph east curve to and from Manchester was and still is one of the sharpest main line curves in the UK at 7.5 chains radius. The nowadays single track west curve to and from Liverpool, when double tracked, was slightly easier and had a 20 mph limit but still required care.

A prominent notice in No 1 signal box contained a large photograph of a GWR 'Ocean Mails' coach. It warned that whenever one of those 70 ft long vehicles was included in the consist of the 7 days-per-week Cardiff - Liverpool, which called at Earlestown (west curve) around 06.30, the opposite line must be blocked. From my observations of sometimes travelling to work in Liverpool on that very same train it often had an Ocean Mails coach included.

The southbound 06.25 Push & Pull workman's train to Warrington had to be in & out of Earlestown fairly smartish!

Nowadays, slight track adjustments and grinding off nearly all of the platform coping stones' overhang has allowed all the current 23 meter coaches to pass through these platforms whether stopping at the station or not.

----------------------------------

But much nearer to model rail matters, I'm just in the process of confirming the minimum inter-track distances at stations and passing loops on my 16mm scale garden railway at 7 inches. I've just acquired a gas-fired, live steam tank locomotive which is 4.25 inches wide... and HOT!

Should it ever derail in a loop and need an assisting finger, I don't want a burned one!

Regards,

DigitisED (Eddie Bellass)

Eddie & Margaret Bellass, Merseyside, United Kingdom.

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free and checked by a leading anti-virus system - updated continuously.

Reply to
Eddie Bellass

That's why we had foremen and mech. engineers to provide the mental abilities while the tracklaying gang provided the muscles :-)

Fortunately, it's not a problem today.

Reply to
Erik Olsen DK

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.