66-437: The Eyre Peninsula Railway is a 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge railway on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia . Radiating out from the ports at Port Lincoln and Thevenard , it is isolated from the rest of the South Australian railway network . It peaked at 777 kilometres in 1950; today only a 60 kilometre section remains open. It is currently operated by Aurizon . The Eyre Peninsula Railway
132-473: A circuitous, 103 km (64 mi) route, via Kowulka and Wandana, from the mine at Kevin to the port at Thevenard. The ruling grade was 1 in 80. In 1966, a 58 km (36 mi) line with a ruling grade of 1 in 120 was opened from Kevin to Penong Junction. The line from Wandana to Kowulka was closed. In 1984 the Thevenard unloading facility was upgraded with a balloon loop . The Eyre Peninsula Railway
198-591: A distance of 213 km. Branch lines off the original line opened from Yeelanna to Mount Hope on 9 October 1914, a distance of 38 km and from Wandana to Penong on 7 February 1924, a distance of 83 km. A further nine-kilometre branch from Kevin to Kowulka opened on 11 April 1950. This was the peak of the network's size at 777 km. The Mount Hope line was truncated by 15 km on 12 July 1965, with Kapinnie becoming its terminus. The remaining section closed in October 2002. The original route for gypsum traffic had followed
264-594: A founder of the March for Eyre group, Marie Shaw, said claims that Viterra was using taxpayers' money after they "pulled their trade" was incorrect. "What Viterra and Aurizon have done is [to say they] will together work to reopen the rail – which is actually a state government responsibility, ultimately – by [applying to] the federal government for the kind of input that the other states are getting towards regional rail. Viterra does not have any commercial arrangement with that rail, or any responsibility at all." Since June 2019,
330-644: A future connection to other lines, and the choice of track gauge was still a pragmatic decision based on local requirements and prejudices, and probably determined by existing local designs of (road) vehicles. Thus, the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (1826) in the West of Scotland used 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ); the Dundee and Newtyle Railway (1831) in the north-east of Scotland adopted 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm );
396-518: A huge preponderance of standard gauge . When Bristol promoters planned a line from London, they employed the innovative engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel . He decided on a wider gauge, to give greater stability, and the Great Western Railway adopted a gauge of 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ), later eased to 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ). This became known as broad gauge . The Great Western Railway (GWR)
462-503: A new independent line was proposed to open up an unconnected area, the gauge was crucial in determining the allegiance that the line would adopt: if it was broad gauge, it must be friendly to the Great Western railway; if narrow (standard) gauge, it must favour the other companies. The battle to persuade or coerce that choice became very intense, and became referred to as "the gauge wars" . As passenger and freight transport between
528-580: A novelty in the shape of a mixed-gauge goods train was introduced between Truro and Penzance. It was worked by a narrow-gauge engine, and behind the narrow-gauge trucks came a broad-gauge match-truck with wide buffers and sliding shackles, followed by the broad-gauge trucks. Such trains continued to run in West Cornwall until the abolition of the Broad Gauge; they had to stop or come down to walking pace at all stations where fixed points existed and
594-421: A plateway, spaced these at 4 ft 4 in ( 1,321 mm ) over the outside of the upstands. The Penydarren Tramroad probably carried the first journey by a locomotive, in 1804, and it was successful for the locomotive, but unsuccessful for the track: the plates were not strong enough to carry its weight. A considerable progressive step was made when cast iron edge rails were first employed; these had
660-528: A poor harvest resulting from drought, the last grain train north of Cummins to Kimba ran on 20 December 2018. Grain trains ceased operating in May 2019, when Viterra moved its business to road haulage, leaving only gypsum traffic on the Lake MacDonnell–Thevenard railway line remaining. The network technically remains open as no lines have formally been "closed". However, from an operational standpoint,
726-690: A relatively static disposition of infantry, requiring considerable logistics to bring them support staff and supplies (food, ammunition, earthworks materials, etc.). Dense light railway networks using temporary narrow gauge track sections were established by both sides for this purpose. Rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles , including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives , freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars . Passenger vehicles can be un-powered, or self-propelled, single or multiple units. In North America, Australia and other countries,
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#1732802457014792-429: A required standard. A loading gauge is a two-dimensional profile that encompasses a cross-section of the track, a rail vehicle and a maximum-sized load: all rail vehicles and their loads must be contained in the corresponding envelope. A structure gauge specifies the outline into which structures (bridges, platforms, lineside equipment etc.) must not encroach. The most common use of the term "track gauge" refers to
858-657: A slight variation from the nominal gauge for pragmatic reasons. The gauge is defined in imperial units , metric units or SI units. Imperial units were established in the United Kingdom by the Weights and Measures Act 1824 . The United States customary units for length did not agree with the imperial system until 1959, when one international yard was defined as 0.9144 meters and, as derived units, 1 foot (= 1 ⁄ 3 yd) as 0.3048 meter and 1 inch (= 1 ⁄ 36 yd) as 25.4 mm. The list shows
924-663: A successful locomotive on the Killingworth Wagonway , where he worked. His designs were successful, and when the Stockton and Darlington Railway was opened in 1825, it used his locomotives, with the same gauge as the Killingworth line , 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ). The Stockton and Darlington line was very successful, and when the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , the first intercity line,
990-447: A year and removal of about 42,000 truck movements from Eyre Peninsula roads. General manager of operations for Aurizon, Matt Jones, said his company's business case was based on the current grain market but it welcomed any other company's freight on the railway. Rowan Ramsey , the member for the federal Division of Grey , said that while he would love to see more freight off the roads, there would need to be "a substantial business case for
1056-484: Is also used for the suburban railway systems in South Australia , and Victoria , Australia . The term "medium gauge" had different meanings throughout history, depending on the local dominant gauge in use. In 1840s, the 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) Irish gauge was considered a medium gauge compared to Brunel's 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge and
1122-552: Is transferred there via road. The Wudinna to Penong Junction section remained open to facilitate rolling stock movements to and from the Port Lincoln workshops. Gypsum trains continue to operate from the Lake MacDonnell mine at Kevin to Thevenard for Gypsum Resources Australia, a joint venture between Boral and CSR . A final light engine movement from Port Lincoln to Thevenard ran on 26 June 2019. Operation of
1188-506: Is typically greater for track limited to slower speeds, and tighter for track where higher speeds are expected (as an example, in the US the gauge is allowed to vary between 4 ft 8 in (1,420 mm) to 4 ft 10 in (1,470 mm) for track limited to 10 mph (16 km/h), while 70 mph (110 km/h) track is allowed only 4 ft 8 in (1,420 mm) to 4 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (1,460 mm). Given
1254-410: Is undertaken when no other alternative is available. The nominal track gauge is the distance between the inner faces of the rails. In current practice, it is specified at a certain distance below the rail head as the inner faces of the rail head (the gauge faces ) are not necessarily vertical. Some amount of tolerance is necessarily allowed from the nominal gauge to allow for wear, etc.; this tolerance
1320-550: Is used between China and Central Asia, and between Poland and Ukraine, using the SUW 2000 and INTERGAUGE variable axle systems. China and Poland use standard gauge, while Central Asia and Ukraine use 1,520 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in ). When individual railway companies have chosen different gauges and have needed to share a route where space on the ground is limited, mixed gauge (or dual gauge) track, in which three (sometimes four) rails are supported in
1386-494: The 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) narrow gauge, which became the modern standard gauge . In modern usage, the term "narrow gauge" generally refers to track spaced significantly narrower than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Narrow gauge is the dominant or second dominant gauge in countries of Southern, Central Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Central America and South America, During
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#17328024570141452-599: The Bratislava – Lviv train, and the Romania/Moldova border on the Chișinău – Bucharest train. A system developed by Talgo and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain uses variable gauge wheelsets ; at the border between France and Spain, through passenger trains are drawn slowly through an apparatus that alters the gauge of the wheels, which slide laterally on the axles. A similar system
1518-601: The Redruth and Chasewater Railway (1825) in Cornwall chose 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ). The Arbroath and Forfar Railway opened in 1838 with a gauge of 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ), and the Ulster Railway of 1839 used 6 ft 2 in ( 1,880 mm ). Locomotives were being developed in the first decades of the 19th century; they took various forms, but George Stephenson developed
1584-496: The Transmongolian Railway , Russia and Mongolia use 1,520 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in ) while China uses the standard gauge of 1,435 mm. At the border, each carriage is lifted and its bogies are changed . The operation can take several hours for a whole train of many carriages. Other examples include crossings into or out of the former Soviet Union: Ukraine/Slovakia border on
1650-559: The Whyalla Steelworks network. In 2019, the locomotive depot was nominated for inclusion on the South Australian Heritage Register . As of December 2019, the locomotive workshops and roundhouse have been provisionally listed on the register. A locomotive shed was also established at Thevenard and replaced by a small locomotive servicing facility in 1992. With the closure of the grain network,
1716-549: The main network . A proposal to link it with the rest of the network at Port Augusta was rejected in the 1920s and again in the 1950s. The first 67 km from Port Lincoln to Cummins opened on 18 November 1907, followed by extensions to Yeelanna on 1 April 1909, Minnipa on 5 May 1913, Nunjikompita on 14 August 1914 and Thevenard on 8 February 1915, a total of 434 km. A second line opened from Cummins to Moody on 1 August 1912, being extended to Ungarra on 31 March 1913, Kimba on 11 July 1913 and Buckleboo on 5 August 1926,
1782-555: The 1200 class. As of January 2023, the Thevenard based locomotive fleet is worked by two NJs, the two 1200s and a handful of operational 830/900 class units. Rolling stock was maintained under contract by Clyde Engineering and Downer Rail from 1997 until brought back in house in 2014. The infrastructure was maintained by Broadspectrum . When the line opened, a depot was established at Cummins with locomotives sent to Islington Railway Workshops in Adelaide for major work. From 1931
1848-529: The Eyre Peninsula Railway only carries gypsum traffic with three returns services running daily. In 2017, 1.55 million tonnes of gypsum was transported. Until 2019, grain traffic was dominant on the division since the 1970's. Previously livestock, oil, salt, superphosphate and water was carried on both dedicated freight and mixed trains. Initially passengers were conveyed on mixed trains . A weekly passenger service from Port Lincoln to Thevenard
1914-632: The Eyre Peninsula Railway was acquired by Aurizon in their purchase of One Rail Australia (previously Genesee & Wyoming Australia); the sale was finalised on 29 July 2022. In March 2023, Aurizon and grain-handling company Viterra applied to the Australian Government for A$ 220 million to upgrade the abandoned lines on the lower Eyre Peninsula so that heavier, faster (and therefore more efficient) trains could operate than previously. The lines would be Port Lincoln – Wudinna and Cummins – Kimba . The proposal included upgrading of
1980-454: The GWR, there was an extended period between political intervention in 1846 that prevented major expansion of its 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge and the final gauge conversion to standard gauge in 1892. During this period, many locations practicality required mixed gauge operation, and in station areas the track configuration was extremely complex. This
2046-579: The Middle East, and China. In modern usage, the term "broad gauge" generally refers to track spaced significantly wider than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Broad gauge is the dominant gauge in countries in Indian subcontinent, the former Soviet Union ( CIS states, Baltic states, Georgia and Ukraine), Mongolia, Finland (which still uses the original Soviet Gauge of 1524mm), Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile and Ireland. It
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2112-573: The SAR network. These were replaced by 830 class diesel locomotives in the 1960s, some of which have never left the division. Nine were delivered new to the Eyre Peninsula Railway, while others were transferred from the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line after it was converted to standard gauge replacing the last remaining T class steam locomotives in April 1970. Some 830s were transferred to AN Tasrail in
2178-478: The Thevenard facility was expected to be upgraded when the Port Lincoln depot closed. As of December 2019, the Port Lincoln Workshops remained open for re-skinning wagon interiors brought in by road from the nearby BHP Whyalla Tramway . [REDACTED] Media related to Eyre Peninsula Railway at Wikimedia Commons Track gauge In rail transport , track gauge is the distance between
2244-404: The actual distance between the rails lies within tolerances of a prescribed standard: on curves, for example, the spacing is wider than normal. Deriving from the name of the bar, the distance between these rails is also referred to as the track gauge. The earliest form of railway was a wooden wagonway, along which single wagons were manhandled, almost always in or from a mine or quarry. Initially
2310-402: The allowed tolerance, it is a common practice to widen the gauge slightly in curves, particularly those of shorter radius (which are inherently slower speed curves). Rolling stock on the network must have running gear ( wheelsets ) that are compatible with the gauge, and therefore the gauge is a key parameter in determining interoperability, but there are many others – see below. In some cases in
2376-561: The convenience in laying it and changing its location over unimproved ground. In restricted spaces such as tunnels, the temporary way might be double track even though the tunnel will ultimately be single track. The Airport Rail Link in Sydney had construction trains of 900 mm ( 2 ft 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 in ) gauge, which were replaced by permanent tracks of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge. During World War I, trench warfare led to
2442-448: The earliest days of railways, the railway company saw itself as an infrastructure provider only, and independent hauliers provided wagons suited to the gauge. Colloquially the wagons might be referred to as "four-foot gauge wagons", say, if the track had a gauge of four feet. This nominal value does not equate to the flange spacing, as some freedom is allowed for. An infrastructure manager might specify new or replacement track components at
2508-543: The early 1980s and replaced by ex Commonwealth Railways NT and NJ class locomotives made redundant by the closure of the Central Australia Railway , the use of the NT class locomotives was not successful and both were cut up at Port Lincoln. In January 2019 the locomotive fleet comprised seven 830s (including three rebuilt as 900s), three NJs and two ex Australian Railroad Group A locomotives classified as
2574-423: The imperial and other units that have been used for track gauge definitions: A temporary way is the temporary track often used for construction, to be replaced by the permanent way (the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers/ties and ballast (or slab track), plus the underlying subgrade) when construction nears completion. In many cases narrow-gauge track is used for a temporary way because of
2640-548: The lines are closed. Since April 2005, grain trains had only operated from Port Lincoln to Wudinna and Kimba. The workshops in Port Lincoln initially remained open for maintenance of rail vehicles brought by road from Whyalla and Thevenard, but the workshops subsequently closed and some mechanical equipment was transferred to Adelaide for use at the Motive Power Centre at Dry Creek. Maintenance is now carried out at Progress Rail 's Port Augusta workshops; rolling stock
2706-402: The major axis of the rail section configured vertically, giving a much stronger section to resist bending forces, and this was further improved when fish-belly rails were introduced. Edge rails required a close match between rail spacing and the configuration of the wheelsets, and the importance of the gauge was reinforced. Railways were still seen as local concerns: there was no appreciation of
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2772-404: The narrow portion side-stepped to right or left. In rare situations, three different gauges may converge on to a rail yard and triple-gauge track is needed to meet the operational needs of the break-of-gauge station – most commonly where there is insufficient space to do otherwise. Construction and operation of triple-gauge track and its signalling, however, involves immense cost and disruption, and
2838-409: The outloading facilities at Viterra's sites at Lock , Wudinna, Cummins, Kimba and Rudall , and reducing turnaround times and increasing volume at Port Lincoln. The proposal envisaged hauling at least 1.3 million tonnes (1.4 megatons) per year and reopening within 12 months of approval of funding. Benefits would include reduction of about 25,000 t (25,000 long tons) of CO 2 equivalent
2904-555: The period known as " the Battle of the gauges ", Stephenson's standard gauge was commonly known as "narrow gauge", while Brunel's railway's 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) gauge was termed " broad gauge ". Many narrow gauge railways were built in mountainous regions such as Wales , the Rocky Mountains of North America, Central Europe and South America. Industrial railways and mine railways across
2970-522: The railway was able to handle all level of repairs with the establishment of a workshop at Port Lincoln with a roundhouse opened in 1934. The workshop was rebuilt in 1966 to service diesel locomotives. As well as maintaining the Eyre Peninsula fleet, in later years Downer Rail used the Port Lincoln depot for external work including rebuilding five Queensland Rail 2100s for further use with Australian Railroad Group , and 830s, CKs and DAs for
3036-436: The rebuild of the rail line to be successful. The suggestion here is that the taxpayer stump up $ 220 million for one of the wealthiest companies in the world [Viterra] to build an asset only they would use. ... they were the last customer of that railway and pulled their trade maybe four years ago, ... now they want to rebuild it with taxpayers' funds for only them to use because Viterra is the only customer on that line." However,
3102-416: The same track structure, can be necessary. The most frequent need for such track was at the approaches to city terminals or at break-of-gauge stations. Tracks of multiple gauges involve considerable costs in construction (including signalling work) and complexities in track maintenance, and may require some speed restrictions. They are therefore built only when absolutely necessary. If the difference between
3168-497: The space between the rails of a track is colloquially referred to as the "four-foot", and the space between two tracks the "six-foot", descriptions relating to the respective dimensions. In modern usage the term "standard gauge" refers to 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Standard gauge is dominant in a majority of countries, including those in North America, most of western Europe, North Africa,
3234-496: The term consist ( / ˈ k ɒ n s ɪ s t / KON -sist ) is used to refer to the rolling stock in a train. In the United States, the term rolling stock has been expanded from the older broadly defined "trains" to include wheeled vehicles used by businesses on roadways. The word stock in the term is used in a sense of inventory . Rolling stock is considered to be a liquid asset , or close to it, since
3300-420: The transverse distance between the inside surfaces of the two load-bearing rails of a railway track , usually measured at 12.7 millimetres (0.50 inches) to 15.9 millimetres (0.63 inches) below the top of the rail head in order to clear worn corners and allow for rail heads having sloping sides. The term derives from the "gauge", a metal bar with a precisely positioned lug at each end that track crews use to ensure
3366-553: The two areas became increasingly important, the difficulty of moving from one gauge to the other—the break of gauge —became more prominent and more objectionable. In 1845 a Royal Commission on Railway Gauges was created to look into the growing problem, and this led to the Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846 , which forbade the construction of broad gauge lines unconnected with the broad gauge network. The broad gauge network
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#17328024570143432-617: The two gauges is large enough – for example between 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge and 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) – three-rail dual-gauge is possible, but if not – for example between 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) and 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge – four rails must be used. Dual-gauge rail lines occur (or have occurred) in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Japan, North Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia and Vietnam. On
3498-444: The two rails of a railway track . All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges exist worldwide, gauge differences often present a barrier to wider operation on railway networks. The term derives from the metal bar, or gauge, that is used to ensure the distance between the rails is correct. Railways also deploy two other gauges to ensure compliance with
3564-513: The wagon wheels. As the guidance of the wagons was improved, short strings of wagons could be connected and pulled by teams of horses, and the track could be extended from the immediate vicinity of the mine or quarry, typically to a navigable waterway. The wagons were built to a consistent pattern and the track would be made to suit the needs of the horses and wagons: the gauge was more critical. The Penydarren Tramroad of 1802 in South Wales,
3630-441: The wagons were guided by human muscle power; subsequently by various mechanical methods. Timber rails wore rapidly: later, flat cast-iron plates were provided to limit the wear. In some localities, the plates were made L-shaped, with the vertical part of the L guiding the wheels; this is generally referred to as a "plateway". Flanged wheels eventually became universal, and the spacing between the rails had to be compatible with that of
3696-826: The world are often narrow gauge. Sugar cane and banana plantations are mostly served by narrow gauges. Very narrow gauges of under 2 feet (610 mm) were used for some industrial railways in space-restricted environments such as mines or farms. The French company Decauville developed 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) and 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) tracks, mainly for mines; Heywood developed 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge for estate railways . The most common minimum gauges were 15 in ( 381 mm ), 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ), 16 in ( 406 mm ), 18 in ( 457 mm ), 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) or 20 in ( 508 mm ). Through operation between railway networks with different gauges
3762-443: Was adopted, but many countries or companies chose a different gauge as their national gauge, either by governmental policy, or as a matter of individual choice. Standard gauge is generally known world-wide as being 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Terms such as broad gauge and narrow gauge do not have any fixed meaning beyond being materially wider or narrower than standard. In British practice,
3828-496: Was built and operated by South Australian Railways (SAR). As with many other early narrow-gauge railways in South Australia, the Eyre Peninsula lines started out as isolated lines connecting small ports to the inland, opening up the country for settlement and economic life including export of grain and other produce in an environment with few roads and only horse-drawn road vehicles. The railway has always been isolated from
3894-441: Was compounded by the common rail having to be at the platform side in stations; therefore, in many cases, standard-gauge trains needed to be switched from one side of the track to the other at the approach. A special fixed point arrangement was devised for the purpose, where the track layout was simple enough. In some cases, mixed gauge trains were operated with wagons of both gauges. For example, MacDermot wrote: In November 1871
3960-519: Was eventually converted—a progressive process completed in 1892, called gauge conversion . The same Act mandated the gauge of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) for use in Ireland. As railways were built in other countries, the gauge selection was pragmatic: the track would have to fit the rolling stock. If locomotives were imported from elsewhere, especially in the early days, the track would be built to fit them. In some cases standard gauge
4026-499: Was included in the March 1978 takeover of SAR by Australian National Railways Commission and the November 1997 sale of Australian National's South Australian freight business to Genesee & Wyoming , which included a 50-year lease on the rail network from the state government until 2047. The last grain train from Kevin to Penong operated on 3 March 1997 with the line reverting to state government ownership on 30 June 2001. Due to
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#17328024570144092-499: Was introduced in 1923 that included a sleeping car . It operated as a boat train being positioned at the foot of the jetty at Port Lincoln to connect with ships from Adelaide . In 1931 Fageol railbuses converted from motor buses were introduced, these were supplemented by Brill 75s in 1936. The last service was withdrawn on 30 August 1968. The Eyre Peninsula Railway was initially operated by T , V , W and Y class steam locomotives. All had previously been used on other parts of
4158-533: Was opened in 1830, it used the same gauge. It too was very successful, and the gauge, widened to 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in or 1,435 mm and named " standard gauge ", was well on its way to becoming the established norm. The Liverpool and Manchester was quickly followed by other trunk railways, with the Grand Junction Railway and the London and Birmingham Railway forming
4224-532: Was originally impossible; goods had to be transshipped and passengers had to change trains. This was obviously a major obstacle to convenient transport, and in Great Britain, led to political intervention. On narrow gauge lines, rollbocks or transporter wagons are used: standard gauge wagons are carried on narrow gauge lines on these special vehicles, generally with rails of the wider gauge to enable those vehicles to roll on and off at transfer points. On
4290-497: Was referred to as "narrow gauge" to indicate the contrast. Some smaller concerns selected other non-standard gauges: the Eastern Counties Railway adopted 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ). Most of them converted to standard gauge at an early date, but the GWR's broad gauge continued to grow. The larger railway companies wished to expand geographically, and large areas were considered to be under their control. When
4356-449: Was successful and was greatly expanded, directly and through friendly associated companies, widening the scope of broad gauge. At the same time, other parts of Britain built railways to standard gauge, and British technology was exported to European countries and parts of North America, also using standard gauge. Britain polarised into two areas: those that used broad gauge and those that used standard gauge. In this context, standard gauge
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