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90-551: The line had a rail gauge of 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) and used the Riggenbach rack design , with trains propelled by steam locomotives . From 1913, the Petersberg Railway was under the same ownership as the nearby Drachenfels Railway , which is still in service. Although never physically connected, the two railways used the same track gauge and rack equipment, and rolling stock

180-443: 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 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

270-414: 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 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,

360-592: A colliery at Monklands to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch , Scotland. It was the first railway to use a rail ferry , the first public railway in Scotland, and the first in Scotland to use locomotive power successfully, and it had a great influence on the successful development of the Lanarkshire iron industry. It opened in 1826. It was built to enable the cheaper transport of coal to market, breaking

450-555: A conservative outlook and had specified this type in preference to the technically progressive English designs of Robert Stephenson . They had two vertical cylinders, and the pistons had piston rings; the boiler was 9 feet (2,743 mm) long by 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet (1,372 mm) diameter, with 62 copper tubes 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (38 mm) diameter; working pressure was 50 lb/sq in (340 kPa). The wheels were 4 feet (1,219 mm) in diameter. The locomotives were reported to have been very reliable. When

540-487: A considerable stimulus to the coalpits in Monkland, and early iron workings were encouraged also. However, before the era of a proper road network, the canal had a virtual monopoly of transport, and it set its prices accordingly; so successful was its exploitation of the situation that it "for many years yielded a dividend of Cent. per cent ... arising solely on its tolls on coal". A group of interested businessmen promoted

630-422: A double line of way and this has since been gradually carrying into effect. The expense of the original line was about L. 3700 (i.e. £3,700) a mile. Priestley said that the fall from Palacecraig to the canal was 133 feet 11 inches (40.82 m), and from Kipps Colliery to the canal of 161 feet 3 inches (49.15 m). Gradients were moderate, with the steepest on the main line being 1 in 120 to

720-432: A further £10,000 by additional shares or by borrowing. Construction started by contract the following month. The engineer for the scheme was Thomas Grainger , in his first large undertaking; he had previously been chiefly engaged in road schemes. When he became engaged on the construction of the railway, he took as his assistant John Miller , and a year later the two men formed a partnership, Grainger & Miller, which

810-616: 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 a successful locomotive on the Killingworth Wagonway , where he worked. His designs were successful, and when the Stockton and Darlington Railway

900-543: A gauge of 4 ft 8½ in. The convention for specifying gauge had not settled down at this early date; as late as 1845 Captain Coddington of the Railway Inspectorate was describing another railway and wrote: "Gauge of rails 4 ft 8½ in from centre of rail to centre of rail, and 4 feet 6 inches from inside to inside of rail." and it is not impossible that Grainger intended to imitate

990-456: A locomotive; it was designed by George Dodds, the company's own superintendent, and it was constructed by Murdoch, Aitken and Company of Glasgow. Locomotive no. 1 (as it was designated) was delivered on 10 May 1831: It was taken from the workshop, Hill Street, on Tuesday morning, and being started on the railway below Chryston, it passed several miles along the railway, sometimes going at the rate of fifteen miles per hour (24 km/h), although

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1080-580: 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

1170-425: A patent in 1820 for a T-section fish-bellied edge rail of malleable iron . His patent specified that they should be formed by passing through rollers—as they were fish-bellied, presumably only the head was shaped in the rollers. Cast iron, as used until then, is brittle and ill-suited to heavy railway use; malleable iron is heat treated after casting and is able to withstand shocks. The Stockton and Darlington Railway

1260-421: 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. Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was an early mineral railway running from

1350-657: 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

1440-655: A straight line. From this point it runs about a mile westwards, passing close to the north of the [William Dixon's] Calder Iron Works; it then turns to the north-west, and about half a mile farther on, crosses the Edinburgh and Glasgow road by Airdrie, at the same point this road crosses the Monkland Canal by the Coat Bridge. This is nine miles from the Cross at Glasgow, and two miles west of Airdrie. From this point

1530-422: 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, 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

1620-554: 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 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

1710-552: 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 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 ,

1800-506: 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

1890-410: 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

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1980-550: 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

2070-519: The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1843 ( 6 & 7 Vict. c. lxxix), with capital further increased to £210,000. In 1842 the M&;KR responded to the continuing growth in traffic by acquiring five new locomotives and tenders and 232 new wagons. In 1846 the alignment around Sunnyside Junction at Coatbridge was altered. Gartsherrie Iron Works had been contained between the Monkland Canal and

2160-599: 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

2250-528: 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) 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

2340-686: 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 ); the Redruth and Chasewater Railway (1825) in Cornwall chose 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ). The Arbroath and Forfar Railway opened in 1838 with

2430-1013: The Rocky Mountains of North America, Central Europe and South America. Industrial railways and mine railways across 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

2520-496: 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

2610-542: The Coatbridge area. In the first decades of the 19th century, the City of Glasgow had a large and increasing requirement for coal, for domestic and industrial use, and after the cessation of coal extraction from local pits, this was chiefly supplied from the Lanarkshire coal field, centred near Airdrie, in Monkland. There was also some extraction of iron ore in the area. The Monkland Canal had opened in 1794, and provided

2700-586: The Forth and Clyde Canal and much of the transit over the M&KR. However a long route over unpopulated terrain, ending in a rope-worked incline and a transshipment to the canal, seriously limited its potential. The opening of the Slamannan line did give rise to a faster passenger journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow, by canal from Edinburgh to Causewayend, and then successively by the Slamannan, Ballochney, Monkland and Kirkintilloch and Garnkirk & Glasgow Railways;

2790-523: The G&;GR was permitting hauliers to operate with horse traction, continuing on to the M&KR. The M&KR had been operating this section as two single lines, one for steam traction and one for horses; the M&KR said that the drivers of horses had been "taking off their horses [i.e. coasting downhill] and allowing their waggons to come in contact and collision with the steam carriages". Tennent demanded conversion to ordinary double track working, and there

Petersberg Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-443: The G&GR was to terminate on the shallow "cut of junction" (the connection at Townhead between the Monkland Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal). As technology and trade developed this relationship changed; the M&KR was a feeder railway, dependent on canals, and the G&GR, for onward conveyance; its locomotives were technically less advanced; and the G&GR seemed to flirt with extensions and alliances that threatened to cut

2970-543: 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 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

3060-405: 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

3150-420: The M&KR expended £81 for new wagons and for cutting rails, i.e. making the approach to the loading point at Kirkintilloch. In 1836 the "coal waggon boat" earned £540. A branch was opened in 1837 from Whifflat Junction (the present spelling is Whifflet) to Rosehall, passing through a short tunnel. There was a colliery there, and several tramways were built to connect pits in the area to the M&KR. The line

3240-458: The M&KR near Bedlay and run more or less directly to Townhead, but its proprietors had second thoughts and changed the point of junction to Gartsherrie Bridge. The G&GR opened in 1831, and at first relations with the M&KR were friendly; the G&GR was dependent on its mineral traffic originating on the M&KR. From the M&KR point of view, they had a wharf on the deep water Forth and Clyde Canal, reached by seagoing vessels, whereas

3330-615: The M&KR out. Gradually the G&GR became more of a competitor and less of an ally. In 1840 the Slamannan Railway opened between a point on the Ballochney Railway at Arbuckle and a wharf on the Union Canal at Causewayend. While the promoters suggested that traffic would arise from coal pits actually on their line of route, the obvious objective was to convey Monklands coal to Edinburgh direct, by-passing

3420-708: The M&KR was located at the centre of the iron industry, they worked in collaboration with it, and adopted the same 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ) track gauge. As inter-city railways developed elsewhere, they adopted what had become the standard gauge of 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ), and they quickly became the dominant transport medium. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened in 1842. The local lines in Monkland could not transfer their wagons to those other lines and, operating with horses and technically primitive locomotives, on stone block sleepered track, they found themselves at an enormous disadvantage. It soon became clear to

3510-558: The M&KR was opened, businessmen in Glasgow were proposing a direct railway: after all, transport over the M&KR involved transshipment to canal at Kirkintilloch, and was by no means direct. Support for the idea quickly gained strength, and the direct line, to be called the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway (G&GR) gained Parliamentary authority in May 1826. At first it was to diverge from

3600-501: The Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway to link the coal pits and iron works to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch. If coal and minerals were transshipped there, they could reach not only Glasgow, escaping the monopoly of the Monkland Canal but also Edinburgh. The scheme obtained authority on 17 May 1824 by the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1824 ( 5 Geo. 4 . c. xlix), with share capital of £32,000 and powers to raise

3690-586: The Monkland Coal-Field) is now introduced for the first time in Edinburgh, in consequence of the opening of the Kirkintilloch Railway." At first the railway did not own wagons or horses to pull them, and independent hauliers operated over the line, paying the company a toll for the privilege. It was only from 1835 that the company started to acquire its own fleet of wagons. The M&KR operated successfully from its opening: revenue

Petersberg Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-750: The Stockton line but mistook the parameter. Whatever the reason, he inadvertently caused huge disadvantage to the M&KR and several other coal railways in Central Scotland. The line is quoted to have opened in October 1826, but the section north of Gartsherrie at least must have opened during May 1826, although the earliest "opening" may have been for trial runs only. On 1 June 1826 a coal merchant , James Shillinglaw advertised coal from Gartsherrie for sale in Edinburgh: "The Gartshearie Coal (from

3870-402: 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

3960-457: The century, but David Mushet discovered blackband ironstone which had a much richer iron content coupled with carboniferous material and in 1828 James Beaumont Neilson invented the hot blast process of iron smelting. In the third and fourth decades of the nineteenth century the iron industry expanded hugely in the Coatbridge area. There were 17 blast furnaces in 1826 and 53 in 1843. The hot blast process consumed large quantities of local coal;

4050-467: The company's engines are not required to move, when loaded, at a greater speed than 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h) an hour. The locomotive was the first to operate successfully on a commercial basis in Scotland. The M&KR expended £5,925 on strengthening the track for locomotive operation. The same makers delivered No. 2 on 10 September 1831. These locomotives were of the "Killingworth" type, considered even at this date rather old-fashioned: Dodds had

4140-561: 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

4230-411: 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 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

4320-422: 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 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,

4410-448: 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

4500-520: The east of Bedlay, and 1 in 80 on the Kipps branch. The line crossed Main Street and Bank Street on the level at what is now the roundabout for Sunnyside Street, a little to the east of the later high level line, now which crosses Bank Street on a bridge. The canal passes under the road at this point. The level crossing at this important road junction was eliminated when the high level lattice girder bridge

4590-477: 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 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

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4680-522: The first successful such use in Scotland. Passengers were later carried, and briefly the M&KR formed a section of the principal passenger route between Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 1848 the company merged with two adjoining railway lines to become the Monkland Railways ; which in turn were absorbed by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway . A short length of the original route remains in use in

4770-404: 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 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

4860-610: 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 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,

4950-488: 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, a plateway, spaced these at 4 ft 4 in ( 1,321 mm ) over the outside of the upstands. The Penydarren Tramroad probably carried

5040-423: 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

5130-415: The journey took four hours. Passing through remote moorland with few mineral deposits actually being worked the Slamannan line was never a success, and the opening of the better engineered Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in 1842 dealt it a near-fatal blow. Technical development in iron production had a massive influence in the Coatbridge area. Iron ores had been extracted in the area since the beginning of

5220-446: The kilns and withstanding high temperatures. The M&KR found itself straddling the centre of the iron smelting industry, but aligned and engineered for carrying coal to Kirkintilloch, and not connected to the developing ironstone and coal pits. This generated huge potential, but also considerable challenges as the needs of the dominant industries developed. Other local mineral railways were constructed to access pits and works, and as

5310-459: The line continues nearly due north for a quarter of a mile, and here a small branch goes off eastwards about three-fourths of a mile, to the Colliery of Kipps [near Archibald Frew's Kippsbyre Colliery]. The line then advances northwards for about a mile, passing to the east of Gartsherrie Coal and Iron Works, and on to Gargill Colliery, where it turns nearly north for two miles; and turning again to

5400-552: 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 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

5490-475: The monopoly of the Monkland Canal . It connected with the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, giving onward access not only to Glasgow , but to Edinburgh as well. The development of good ironstone deposits in the Coatbridge area made the railway successful, and the ironstone pits depended at first on the railway. Horse traction was used at first, but steam locomotive operation was later introduced:

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5580-404: 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

5670-612: The new works. First to follow the M&KR was the Ballochney Railway , opened in 1828, and running eastwards from the end of the Kipps branch to "that part of the Monkland Coal Field to the North and East of Airdrie". The Ballochney was dependent on the M&KR for onwards conveyance of the minerals, and relations were friendly. The success of mineral railways throughout Great Britain was apparent, and before

5760-400: The north-westwards with several turns till it reaches the canal opposite Kirkintilloch. The whole length from Cairnhill Bridge to the Forth and Clyde Canal is ten miles and the fall about 127 feet. In some parts it is quite level, and in others runs with a gentle but variable declination. ... It was originally laid with a single line of rails and passing places. Ground was taken, however, to lay

5850-416: 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 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

5940-418: 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 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

6030-530: The processes previously in use had required coke, for the production of which the local coals were unsuitable. This encouraged further coal production, as well as ironstone extraction. The smelting process also required limestone, conveyed at first by horse and cart from the Cumbernauld area; and fireclay , available in the Gartsherrie and Garnkirk areas, for manufacturing refractory bricks for lining

6120-466: The promoters of the railway that much work had to be done on the line after opening, due to the heavy use of the line. In February 1830 it was reported that 5,320 yards (4,865 m) of track had been doubled, and that a further 2,000 yards (1,829 m) would be doubled during the subsequent Spring, and the decision was taken to raise the additional £10,000 of share capital, authorised in the 1824 act of Parliament. Thomas and Paterson imply that this work

6210-488: The railway, and the line was shifted eastwards, close to Sunnyside Street, to enable the ironworks to be expanded. When the line opened, the motive power was horses, owned by independent hauliers. However the technical developments achieved on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway were noted, and it had been announced that the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway would use locomotive power. The M&K company decided to purchase

6300-604: 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, 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

6390-416: 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

6480-553: The second locomotive was acquired, the two units operated on either side of Bedlay tunnel which had inadequate clearance; horses were used through the tunnel. In January 1832 through working was started, the line having been doubled, and the tunnel opened out. The location in question is at Bedlay, on a sharp curve immediately south of the Stirling Road, now the A80. A key factor in the ability to run locomotives at this early date

6570-406: 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 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,

6660-617: 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

6750-460: Was "making the line fit to receive" locomotives. The first locomotive ran from 1831 (see below). In 1833 the M&KR was seeking parliamentary authority for two new branches, and additional capital, the additional capital from 1830 having been used up. Operating methods were revealed when Charles Tennant used the hearing to press for an altered method of working. The M&KR was operating between The Howes (Coatbridge) and Gargill with locomotives;

6840-484: Was built in 1872. Grainger had been instructed "to fit the road for locomotive engines", although the railway passed under the Cumbernauld Road near Bedlay in a low tunnel , with only 9 feet (2.74 m) headroom . The M&KR used stone block sleepers with Birkinshaw's patent malleable iron rails. At this early date the technology of rail configuration had not matured, but John Birkinshaw had secured

6930-441: 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

7020-550: 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 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

7110-436: Was leased for 30 years from Whit Sunday 1838 to Addie and Millar [or Miller] and worked by them. In 1839 the company secured authority in the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1839 ( 2 & 3 Vict. c. lxx) for a substantial increase in its capital, to £124,000, "for the purpose of re-laying the line with heavy rails, and otherwise providing for the augmented traffic". In July 1843 further lines were authorised by

7200-540: Was made at Whifflet, when the Wishaw and Coltness Railway made a junction there, bringing pits at Coltness into the M&KR network. In 1834-5 a basin was constructed by the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch on M&KR land; originally the transshipment point had been a simple canalside wharf. The new basin was opened on 28 February 1835. In 1835 the Forth and Clyde Canal acquired a 14-ton iron boat equipped with rails and turntables to carry railway wagons. The plan

7290-402: Was much manoeuvring in the parliamentary stages. Finally the M&KR got its way, retaining segregation of horse and locomotive haulage, and the M&KR got its act of Parliament, the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4 . c. cxiv), on 24 July 1833. The additional capital authorised was £20,000 and this was obtained as a bank loan. In 1834 another connection

7380-526: 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, 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 ",

7470-532: 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

7560-405: Was the first public railway to adopt Birkinshaw's rail; the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was either the second or the third public railway. As the first railway in a rapidly developing industrial area, the M&KR soon found that industry was springing up just beyond its reach. While some short branches and extensions were built (see below), other railways took the challenge and connected

7650-498: Was the use of Birkinshaw patent 'malleable' wrought iron rails, rolled by machine to 15-foot (4.57 m) lengths. These were strong enough to bear the weight of locomotives, unlike the plateways (such as the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway , where the first, unsuccessful attempt to operate locomotives in Scotland took place) or ordinary cast iron rails, which were brittle and prone to fracture under heavy unsprung loads. In 1837

7740-470: Was to be heavily involved in Scottish railway schemes. It was built to the track gauge of 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ), and as other 'coal railways' opened up in the area in connection with the line, this track gauge became established for their use. It is not known why Grainger chose this gauge. He must have been aware of the huge success of the Stockton and Darlington Railway , built to

7830-462: Was to load wagons from the M&KR for onward conveyance to any point on the Canal; as well as factory sidings this apparently included transfer to seagoing vessels at Grangemouth, and possibly Bowling. At small locations, individual wagons were probably manoeuvred onto hard standing, not necessarily to siding tracks, and the arrangement avoided two transshipments of the material carried. In December 1835

7920-448: Was transferred between the two lines. This German rail transport related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rail gauge In rail transport , track gauge is the distance between 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

8010-556: 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 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

8100-490: Was £704 in 1826, £2,020 in 1827, and £2,837 in 1828. The price of coal in Glasgow fell markedly, as much due to the weakening of the cartel previously in force. However the bulk of coal arrived in Glasgow by the Canal—about 89% in 1830. George Buchanan, writing in 1832, described the route: The railway commences at Palacecraig and Cairnhill Collieries about a mile south-west of Airdrie, and nine or ten miles east of Glasgow in

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