Railway track. Railway track width

rail gauge- two parallel rail threads laid on the base (sleepers, beams, blocks) and fixed at a certain distance from each other. Purpose rail gauge(RK) - the direction of the wheels of the rolling stock when driving on straight and curved sections. The main parameters of the RC include: track gauge, position of the rail threads in terms of level and rail underslope. The most important parameter is the track width - the distance between the working edges of the rail heads, measured in the calculated plane of the most probable contacts of the rail heads with the working edges of the wheel flanges (about 13 mm below the rolling surface of the rail heads). In the period of preparation for the construction of the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway, a decision was made to establish a single gauge for the dew. and. d., equal to 5 feet, which corresponds to 1524 mm; although on the first Tsarskoye Selo road in Russia, the gauge was 6 feet or 1829 mm, and on Sakhalin - 1067 mm.
On the majority of countries of Europe, the gauge is 1435 mm, in Central and South America from 1676 to 1435 mm, in China mainly 1435 mm, in India 1676-1667 mm, Japan 1435-1067 mm, Africa 1676 mm, Australia 1600-1087 mm. The given dimensions of the RK are usually called the broad gauge. The narrow gauge according to European standards has a width of 600, 750, 1000 mm, although in practice on narrow gauge railways. e. the track width is from 420 to 1000 mm. In general, on the globe, 62% of the length of the railway. networks have a gauge of 1435 (1430) mm, 10% - 1524 (1520) mm, 6% - 1675 mm, 8% -1067 mm, 9% - 1000 mm, 5% - less than 1000 mm.
The parameters of the wheel set are directly related to the dimensions of the wheel sets, the most important of which are: the width of the wheel set (the distance between the working faces of the wheel flanges in the design plane) q, the size of the wheel attachment (the distance between the inner edges of the wheels) T, the thickness of the wheel flanges in the design plane h, wheel width a (Fig. 3.76). The width of the wheelset is: q = T + h\ + L2 + 2c + e; here, e takes into account the change in the width of the wheelset during its elastic bending under load (for loaded cars, the narrowing is 2–4 mm, for locomotives, the broadening is 1 mm). The width of the wheelset is less than the track width. On a straight line, gaps are formed between the rail threads and the wheel flanges, which provide the possibility of a “wagging” movement of the wheelset. With a decrease in the gap to the optimum value, the lateral effect of the rolling stock on the track decreases. With very small gaps, the resistance to train movement increases. A minimum clearance of 7 mm for locomotives and 5 mm for freight wagons is allowed, optimal size is 14 and 12 mm, respectively, and the maximum is -31 and 29 mm. The wobbling movement of the wheelset is facilitated by the conicity of the rolling surface of the wheels. The rails are also placed not vertically, but with an inclination V20 inside the track.

Based on scientific research as well as accounting foreign experience in 1970 in Russia it was decided to switch to a reduced gauge of 1520 mm. Studies have shown that with a knee width of 1520 mm, with a decrease in the gap to the optimum value of 14 mm for locomotives and 12 mm for cars, the transverse force effects of rolling stock wheels on the track are reduced to 94%. The least resistance to movement also turned out to be with a track width of 1520 mm. Permissible deviations of the track width from the norm are taken no more than +8 (by broadening) and -4 mm (by narrowing), and in sections where speeds of 50 km/h or less are set - no more than +10 and -4 mm. In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Railways No. 6 Ts, the track width less than 1512 mm and more than 1548 mm is not allowed. With a track width of less than 1512 mm, it is possible for a wheel pair with its maximum dimensions to jam in the design plane. With a track width of more than 1548 mm, there is a danger of the wheels falling into the track when the wheel rolls along the rail head with that part of the bandage that has a conicity of 1/7 (and not 1/20th) - this will cause additional expansion of the track even if the track is in poor condition the rail can be pressed outward.
The position of the rail threads along the top of the rail heads in straight sections should be at the same level; deviations of ± 6 mm are allowed. It is allowed to contain one rail thread 6 mm higher than the other throughout the straight sections. On double-track lines, the outer (edge) thread is placed higher, since it is less stable than the inter-track; on single-track - every 4-5 years they change the thread located above the other (for less weakening of the ends of the sleepers due to alterations). Deviations from the normative position of rail threads both in gauge and in level should not exceed 1 mm; per 1 m of track length at speeds up to 140 km/h and 1 mm per 1.5 m at speeds over 140 km/h.
The rail sloping is called their inclination into the track with respect to the upper plane (bed) of the sleepers. A 1:20 inclination corresponds to the conicity of the main rolling surface of the wheels. The slope of both rails in straight lines, and of the outer rails in curved sections, should be at least 1:60 and not more than 1:12, and the inner thread in curves with the elevation of the outer rail of St. 85 mm - not less than 1:30 and not more than 1:12. On wooden sleepers, the sloping of the rails is provided, as a rule, by laying wedge-shaped linings, and on reinforced concrete bases, by sloping the supporting under-rail platform of the sleepers or block.
During the movement of the rolling stock, additional transverse forces appear in the curves - centrifugal, guides, side, frame. Therefore, the RC in curved tracks has the following features: widening of the track with a curve radius of less than 350 m and laying counter rails, if necessary, elevation of the outer rail, arrangement of transition curves, laying of shortened rails on the inner thread, increasing the distances between adjacent tracks.
There are minimum, optimum and maximum track widths in curves. The minimum allowable track width should ensure the technical possibility of fitting into the curves of vehicles with a large rigid base. With the optimal track width, there is a free inscribing of mass carriages (cars). The maximum track width is determined from the condition of reliable prevention of rolling stock wheels falling into the track. In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Federation No. 6 Ts dated March 6, 1996, the nominal size of the gauge between the inner edges of the rail heads on straight sections and in curves with a radius of 350 m and more than 1520 mm, with radii of 349-300 m -1530 mm (including hours on reinforced concrete sleepers -1520 mm), with radii of 299 m and less -1535 mm.
On the sections where a comprehensive replacement of the rail-sleeper grid has not been carried out, it is allowed on sections of the track with wooden sleepers in straight lines and curves with a radius of more than 650 m, the nominal gauge is 1524 mm. At the same time, on steeper curves, the track width is taken: with a radius of 649-450 m - 1530 mm, 449-350 m - 1535 mm, 349 and less -1540 mm. Permissible deviations from the nominal dimensions should not exceed +8 mm in broadening and 4 mm in narrowing at a speed of 50 km/h or more; respectively +10 and -4 mm - at a speed of less than 50 km / h. When retracting the track widening, the slope should not be steeper than 1 mm/m.
When the rolling stock passes along the curves, centrifugal forces arise, tending to overturn the carriage outside the curve. This can only happen in exceptional cases. However, the centrifugal force adversely affects passengers, causes lateral impact on the track, redistribution of vertical pressures on the rails of both threads and overload of the outer thread, which leads to increased lateral wear of the rails and wheel flanges. In addition, it is possible to skim the rails, widen the track or transverse shift of the rail-sleeper grid, i.e., the disorder of the position of the track in the plan. In order to avoid these phenomena, the outer rail thread is elevated above the inner one. The elevation of the outer rail is calculated on the basis of two requirements: ensuring the same pressure of the wheels on the outer and inner rail threads, and therefore, the same vertical wear of both rails; ensuring the comfort of the ride of passengers, characterized by the allowable outstanding centrifugal acceleration. According to the norms of the Ministry of Railways, the permissible value of outstanding acceleration is 0.7 m/s2 for passenger trains (in some cases, with the permission of the Ministry of Railways - 1 m/s2), and for freight trains - +0.3 m/s2. The elevation of the outer rail is arranged in curves with a radius of 4000 m or less. The calculation is based on the desire to ensure the equality of the transverse components of the centrifugal force and the weight of the crew G, i.e. Lcosoc = Gsina (Fig. 3.77). This is achieved by changing the angle of inclination a of the calculated plane to the horizon or by raising the outer rail.

The elevation value (in mm) is determined by the formula: L= 12.5Vpriv2/R, where Vpriv is the reduced speed of the train flow, km/h; R is the radius of the curve, m. The reduced speed of the train flow where O, is the mass of a given type of train, gross tons; u - daily number of trains of each type; Vlcp is the average speed of each type of train in the curve (according to speed tapes). The elevation value is also checked from the comfort condition by the formula: hmm = (i2.5Vlaxnac/R-U5, where hmm is the minimum design elevation of the outer rail, mm; Vmax pas is the maximum allowable speed of a passenger train, km/h; R is the radius of the curve, m; 115 - the value of the permissible maximum underelevation of the outer rail, taking into account the norm of outstanding acceleration of 0.7 m / s2. From the values ​​\u200b\u200bof the elevation obtained by the formulas, the largest is taken and rounded up to a value that is a multiple of 5. The maximum value of the elevation on the railway network of the Russian Federation is 150 mm If the calculation results in a larger value, then take 150 mm and limit the speed of movement in the curve to

Usually, the elevation of the outer rail is arranged by raising it by increasing the thickness of the ballast under the outer rail thread. However, in some cases it is advisable to raise the outer thread by V2 of the calculated elevation and lower the inner thread by the same amount. In this case, the ride comfort of passengers is improved and the dynamic effects on the track are reduced.
Transition curves provide a smooth increase in the centrifugal force during the transition of the rolling stock from a straight line to a circular curve or from a circular curve of one radius to a curve of another (smaller) radius. In addition, within the transition curve, the removal of the elevation of the outer rail and the removal of the gauge broadening (with a radius of less than 350 m) are arranged. A smooth increase in the centrifugal force is ensured by a smooth change in the radius from infinity to the value of the radius of the circular curve. This condition is most satisfied by a radioidal spiral (clothoid) or its closest approximation, a cubic parabola. The length of the transition curve is determined by a number of conditions that can be divided into 3 groups. The first group requires the greatest length of the transition curve, associated with the withdrawal of the elevation of the outer rail: to prevent derailment of the wheels from the rails of the inner thread, to limit the vertical component of the speed of lifting the wheel to the elevation, to limit the rate of increase of the outstanding part of the centrifugal acceleration. The second group is associated with the presence of gaps between the wheel flanges and the rail threads, as well as with the loss of kinetic energy when the wheel of the first axle hits the outer thread rail. The third group takes into account the need to ensure the practical possibility of breaking down the transition curve on the ground and its further serviceable maintenance.
On new high-speed lines, as well as lines of categories I and II, the lengths of transition curves /0 are determined from the condition: /0 = /pcs/100, where h is the elevation of the outer rail (mm), and vm3LX is the speed of movement (km / h) the fastest train on the curve. In accordance with STN Ts-01-95, the slope of the outlet of the elevation of the outer rail is usually taken no more than 1%o, and in difficult conditions on especially loaded lines and on lines of III and IV categories - no more than 2%o, on access roads - 3%> . The lengths of transition curves are in the range from 20 to 180 m with intervals of 10 m between them (depending on the category of the line and the speed of trains along the curves). There are the following ways of splitting the transition curves’ the method of shifting the circular curve inward, the method of introducing additional circular curves of a smaller radius than the radius of the main curve; a way to shift the center of the curve and change the radius.
Due to the fact that on d. RF adopted the location of the joints along the square, each rail of the inner thread of the curve must be shorter than the corresponding outer rail. Allowing some mismatch of the joints along the square, several types of standard rail shortenings are installed: 40, 80 and 120 mm for rails 12.5 m long and 80 and 160 mm for 25-meter rails. The number and order of laying shortened rails is calculated depending on the radius of the curve, the angle of its rotation, the length and parameter of transition curves. Full shortening on the transition (21K) and circular (kk) curve is determined by the formulas:

Where S is the distance between the axes of the rails, 1.6 m; /0 and /kk - respectively, the length of the transition and circular curve, m; C is the transition curve parameter, m2. Estimated (standard) shortening of each inner rail in relation to the outer 25-meter rail: ^CI = S-2b/R. The value of the actual shortening is taken as standard or close to it (but not less than the standard).
On double-track lines, in order to ensure the safety of train traffic, according to the conditions of the gauge, the distance between the axes of the tracks must be increased. This increase is carried out in two ways. In the first case, an additional S-shaped curve is introduced on the straight line in front of the transition curve, due to which the axis of the path is shifted (Fig. 3.78, a). The disadvantage of this method is the appearance of two additional curves on each side of the main curve. The second way (different shifts) is preferable; consists in the fact that the length and parameter of the transition curve of the internal path are taken more than the external one, the shift of the internal path will be greater than the external path (Fig. 3.78.6). The required widening between the tracks is determined by calculation or from tables.

Our mother Russia is wide! Its vastness is vast. Therefore, the railway network, like blood vessels through which people and goods move, covers the entire space from east to west, from north to south. If you take the train from Kaliningrad to the east, to the very Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk, you will need eleven whole days of travel.

In a pleasant half-sleep, gently swaying at the junctions of the rails, few people think about the width of the wagon wheels. And meanwhile, behind this question many interesting historical facts are hidden. After all, initially the gauge corresponded to the width of the English stagecoach, which, in turn, originated from the Roman chariots. The first railway from Liverpool to Manchester was built by George Stephenson. Its track width was 1435 millimeters.

Later, Brinell made an attempt to increase the gauge to 2135 millimeters to increase freight traffic. UK has a network railways different widths. This led to such inconvenience of movement that in 1846, by decree of the English Parliament, the width of the railway track was strictly regulated.

This standard applies in European countries, North America and China.

Railway gauge in Russia

The track width refers to the distance between the inner sides-ridges of the wheel heads.

From the middle of the nineteenth century, the gauge in the Russian Empire was five English feet or 1524 millimeters. The same standards were adopted in Finland and later in Mongolia. In the twentieth century, it was necessary to increase the stability of freight transport with increasing speed, and since 1970, in twenty years, the accepted size has been reduced by four millimeters and today is 1520 millimeters.

In our country, on some tram lines and metro lines, there are tracks with a gauge of 1524 millimeters.

This innovation practically does not interfere with the movement of trains in Finland. The wagon wheel has two protrusions, the inner one is called a flange and protects the wheel from going beyond the track. Changing the size by 4 millimeters initially brought a lot of trouble due to abrasion of the wheels. But the conducted studies did not confirm the connection between the change in the gap and the abrasion of the wheelset.

How trains are refurbished

Throughout the entire journey across Russia, you continue your journey without any hassle. But other standards of ways are accepted abroad. For a further trip, the train has to change shoes, changing wheelsets or transfer passengers to other cars.

In long-distance and freight trains, if the movement of cargo is unprofitable or dangerous, the wagon bogies are reinstalled for unhindered passage of the further route.

For the first time, the change of wagon bogies was done in Australia. The wagon is lifted by a special lift, wagon bogies of the same width are rolled out, and wheelsets of a different width are installed in their place. The whole process is quite time-consuming and requires material costs with visible time savings. At the end of the twentieth century, there were five points for the replacement of wheeled carts on this distant continent. In one of them, the largest, 66 wagons were changed a day. This work was carried out by eighteen people.

Why is the railway track in Russia wider than in Europe

In the Russian Empire, the first built Tsarskoye Selo railway had a gauge of 1829 millimeters.

In 1843, the engineer Melnikov designed a railway from St. Petersburg to Moscow, it was called the Nikolaev road. The gauge was five English feet. Which was convenient to measure. The advantages over the Jefferson project were:

• in increasing the stability and speed of the rolling stock;
• in increasing the amount of cargo;
• in a convenient location of the mechanisms of the steam locomotive and the boiler.

Rules for the technical operation of railways of the Russian Federation

The rules of Russian Railways are developed for the construction and operation of the infrastructure of the railway network and ensure the uninterrupted movement of trains.

Accepted gauge standards depend on the radius of the railway track, the steeper the turn, the wider the track:

• on flat areas and on turns with a radius of 350 meters or more, the standard is 1520 millimeters;
• with a turning radius from 300 meters to 349 meters, the standard increases to 1530 millimeters;
• If the turn is steeper than 299 meters, then the increase will be 1535 millimeters.

Since it is impossible to achieve ideal dimensions, there are tolerances that do not require repair of communication lines. In terms of narrowing, the deviation should not exceed -4 millimeters, in terms of expansion, no more than +8 millimeters. But in sections where the speed limit of trains is set to 50 kilometers per hour, the expansion allowance is increased to +10 millimeters.

The elimination of deviations from the standards is entrusted to the owners of communication lines or infrastructure owners.

Track widths less than 1512 mm and more than 1548 mm are not allowed.

What is this profession "switchman"? You will learn about this from the video.

There is another important parameter of communication paths. The railway track consists of two rail tracks parallel to each other. They rest on a base formed from blocks, beams and sleepers. Previously, sleepers were made of wood, preferring pine. Now more and more wood is being replaced with reinforced concrete. The slope of the inner side of the rail to the surface of the sleeper is called the underslope. The value is also strictly regulated.

There is an anecdote that during the construction of the first railway, Emperor Nicholas I himself, with the help of a ruler, outlined the path on the map, but in the area locality Bologogo, his finger got under the pencil. The decree of the emperor is the law, so a detour was made with the Oksochi station. But, most likely, this is a bike. In this area, the natural change in the relief would not have allowed the locomotive to pull the train without additional traction. For a long time now, the power of diesel locomotives has made it possible to pull trains even on steeper bends, there is no need for a detour. And the path from St. Petersburg to Moscow became direct, as the emperor wanted ...

Another legend explains why the gauge of Russian railways differs from the standards of almost 60 percent of the countries. The increase from the accepted European standards is 89 millimeters.

This strategically important decision was made by Nicholas the First to create a barrier in the path of the enemy when invading the vast borders of Russia. Which was confirmed during the hostilities.

It was not economically feasible to make the gauge larger than that of the Americans, less than the European one would lead to a decrease in stability, and with it a loss of speed. And the accepted value corresponded to the size of the Russian cart.

Here are some interesting facts hidden behind our daily movements by rail.

Video

From this video you will learn how the width of the railway track was set.

Good day! Dear readers, what do you know about the railway? Do you know all the details? Perhaps many of the nuances were missed in your "lost and found"? I invite everyone to dive into long-distance navigation to study, supplement and develop your knowledge in order to catch up, learn a lot of new, exciting and interesting things about the railway world. So to speak from A to Z.

Each of us was on the train platform, got into the same compartment with a noisy company that sang songs all night long, laughed and did not let us fall asleep until dawn. I was influenced by these very feelings of the trip - lightness, freedom and mystery. Made friends who, like you, along the way. I wondered where and from where these railway cars were going, how the driver feels when he comes to the station, or vice versa, he just started moving ...

The railway gauge in Russia is an integral part of the entire railway world, not only the timeliness and safety of the trip depends on it, but also right job the train itself. The track consists of two, parallel placed, rail threads, which are located at a certain distance from each other. This is the width of the path - the distance between two parallel threads. In simple words this is the distance between the tracks.

Rail line dimensions

The railway line in Russia and Europe is completely different (the European railway line is 1435 millimeters wide, while in Russia it is 1520 millimeters), this is accompanied by a lot of different reasons - strategic and historical. To date, only 60% of the roads in Europe have a European gauge. As such, there are no advantages of a width of 1520 units over a width of 1435 units, because the difference is not so big, some 85 millimeters, or 8 half centimeters, the only difference is stability, since in a width of 1520 millimeters, stability is more reliable. Tolerances allowed +6 -4 mm.

The size of the wheelsets is related to the width of the track, because they must fit and match each other. I wonder why the gauge is so important in the operation of a railway machine? The wider the track, the more mass can be transported by a truck or passenger train. No matter how strange it may sound, but even a minimal difference in changing the width of the line can affect passenger and freight transport, because the smaller the width, the less mass the train will take with it.

On this moment the width of the railway line in Russia is 1520 millimeters, and is the second total length of the laid tracks in the world, by the way, it has practically not changed for several centuries. Not only in Russia, the gauge has such a length, also in countries former USSR, Finland and Mongolia.

Width at 1524 mm VS Width at 1520 mm

A width of 1524 units or 1520, as for me, of course, a difference of some 4 mm is practically not noticeable, and does not carry horrific consequences. Re-equipment of the composition is not required, and changes in small nuances. But, during the transition phase, serious problems with wheel set wear were caused. Wheel sets - one of the foundations of the chassis railway transport. The width of 1524 units became relevant during the construction of the Nikolaev railway, in the period of the 19th century, but was changed to a width of 1520 mm in the 70s of the 20th century.

It is known that the gauge is used not only in the territory of the railway, but also in subways and in most tram systems. All this, for a second, is 11% of the railways. As far as we know, this value of the track width is not only standard, but also the most optimal: an increase in the stability of the tracks when using trains and locomotives, as well as a decrease in the wear of rails and wheelsets, and an increase in the speed of the railway animal. I think those are pretty good factors.

Exists interesting fact that the track width of 1524 units was created because it was easy to remember and expressed as a round number, 1524 mm - 5 feet. According to historical data, these very 5 feet played a rather important role during the Second World War, because the standards of Russian lines differed from the standards and internal differences of European railway gauges. That is, it would be difficult for the enemy to transport his troops and military cargo, since he would have to change his own track width.

There is another type of railroad tracks. Narrow gauge railway or narrow railway. It is remarkable in that it has a width of only 600 - 1200 mm. There are tracks with an even smaller width, for example, the Dekalievskaya track, which is 500 millimeters wide!

The great advantage of narrow gauge railways is that they are not as expensive to build and not as difficult to use as standard gauge railways. If standard gauges are suitable only for freight and passenger traffic, then narrow-gauge ones are aimed at working and maintaining mines, cutting areas, peat extraction, and mines.

And of course, how not to touch the topic of children's railways. This is not only fun and exciting, it is very entertaining and informative not only for your crumbs, but also for parents. Just imagine what kind of work the workers of the children's railway do, in order to satisfy our desires and whims, so that when we leave this place we would look after those memories and promise ourselves to come back here again! The gauge of the children's road is 750 millimeters, and yes, it belongs to the narrow gauge category.

Not many people know that the very first road in Russia was Tsarskoselskaya, which had the largest line width - 1829 units.

Today, the railway is an integral part in case of travel, business trip or a simple move from one place to another.

For example, let's give an elementary comparison, imagine a car without one, fourth wheel, will it start moving? I’ll be Captain Obvious, she won’t even stand still and will simply collapse to the ground without standing for a second. So is the railway, without one thing, be it wheelsets, or some internal mechanisms, in the end - after all, it will not be able to exist, but will simply occupy a certain territory, fall down with dust, and catch glances of pity and contempt from people passing by.

I hope that my article was not only interesting, but also to some extent informative and exciting, perhaps you learned a lot of new things for yourself, perhaps you made some certain conclusions, discoveries, drew new knowledge in the field of railway life from the inside. I think that your friends, or colleagues, or maybe one of your relatives are also interested in the life of the railway?! Therefore, it would be nice if you shared the article in in social networks Let everyone know and learn.

Of course, subscribe and subscribe friends to update the blog.

“When so much is behind, especially grief, don’t wait for someone’s support, get on the train, land by the sea ...” - Joseph Brodsky

The railway gauge in Russia and in all countries of the former Soviet Union differs from the European one. Most likely, many people know about this, especially those who traveled to Europe by train. And those who did not travel, still heard about this fact. But it turns out that there are other railway gauge standards in the world, besides “Russian” and “European”.

In Russia and neighboring countries, the width of the railway track (the distance between the inner edges of the rail) is 1520 mm, although until the 1970s it was 4 mm more. In European countries, this figure is 1435 mm.

It is known that the very first railways in the world appeared in England at the beginning of the 19th century. Both rails and wagons for the newfangled mode of transport were first made at those enterprises that already produced tram cars. And the first trams in England were horse-drawn, and they used the traditional axle width for horse-drawn vehicles - 4 feet and 8.5 inches or 1435 mm.

Opening of the world's first Liverpool-Manchester railway, where the movement of the train was completely provided by a steam engine

But this is not the end of the historical chain. It turns out that a similar axle width for horse-drawn carts was also not taken “out of the blue”. On the rocky streets of English cities, there have long been deep ruts, knocked out by cart wheels. The depth of such ruts in some places reached 20-30 cm, or even more. In order to avoid wear on the wheels, they have been made for centuries so that they fall exactly into the existing track. And a rut on English roads first knocked out ... the ancient Romans! It was these tireless conquerors who began to build permanent roads on the lands of Foggy Albion. They were built to make it easier to supply the legions with provisions, carrying it on carts, the axle width of which, as you might guess, corresponded to approximately the same 4 feet and 8.5 inches. But the Romans did not come up with such a size arbitrarily: they chose it in such a way that two croups of war horses were conveniently placed in front of the chariot.

So, the British chose not a random size for their new railway lines, but dictated by economic considerations. At the same time, one does not need to be an engineer to understand: the wider the track between the rails, the more stable the train will be, and the more cargo can be transported by one car. And so, when George Stephenson, an English engineer, built the world's first railway line from Stockton to Darlington in 1825, he was immediately criticized. Many felt that the track was too narrow and should be made wider. Perhaps the main critic of the "Stephensonian" size was the engineer's own son, Robert. He insisted on a size of 1600 mm, and he explained this not so much by the convenience of transportation, but by the fact that with such dimensions inside steam engine easier to place structural parts.

Other engineers had other reasoning, and all this led to the fact that soon railway tracks were built on the lands of England with four different sizes between the rails! However, in the early years, this fact did not particularly bother anyone, because the roads were not connected in any way, and it seemed that this state of affairs would remain for a long time.

But only 20 years have passed, and the issue of unifying the railway gauge has become extremely acute. Railways proved to be a very profitable business, their network developed rapidly, but differences in width led to huge economic losses. Real "railway wars" began, when each owner of a separate branch insisted that the neighbor switch to his size. It got to the point that it was decided to bring the issue to a meeting of the British Parliament. Parliamentary officials created a broad expert commission, on the basis of the conclusions of which they adopted a bill on the gauge. According to him, the whole country was obliged to switch to the "Stephensonian" size. The landmark decision was signed on August 12, 1846.

Russia, lagging behind in the development of railways, these "railway passions" at first did not hurt. And when in 1836 they began to build the first road from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo, the track was made with an internal size of 1829 mm, guided by the technical conveniences in the design of the locomotive. In addition, not the last role was played by the fact that in England at that time there were also many roads, much wider than the "Stefanson" ones.

In 1843, the construction of the Nikolaev railway from St. Petersburg to Moscow began. One of its builders, engineer Melnikov, studied the accumulated experience for a long time not only in England, but also in America. It was the study of the American experience that prompted him that the distance between the track in Russian conditions should be wider than in England. The engineer Whistler, invited to Russia from the USA as a consultant on railways, was inclined to the same decision. He argued that the movement along such a track would be safer, and the carrying capacity of the wagons would be greater. After long hesitation, they took the size equal to 1524 mm. In fairness, you need to remember about another version. Allegedly, the decision to build just such a road was made under pressure from the “merchant lobby”. The merchants of Russia feared that European goods would overwhelm the markets of their homeland, and so there remained a serious transport obstacle. Since 1970, the entire railway network Soviet Union it was decided to switch to a gauge of 1520 mm in order to increase the stability of the track during the operation of freight trains and their speed.

Modern countries, like a web, are intertwined with hundreds of thousands of kilometers of railway tracks. About 60% of them are the European, "Stefanson" gauge. Another 17% is occupied by the “Russian” gauge, which, as already noted, now corresponds to 1520 mm.

What about the other 23 percent? They are distributed as follows.

Cape track. Has a size of 1067mm. It got its name from the Cape region in South Africa, where it was widely used by the British. Now it operates in Australia, New Zealand, several African countries, the Philippines, Indonesia, and some parts of Japan. By the way, the Sakhalin Railway in Russia, which was "inherited" from Japan, had the same size. True, since 2004 it has been altered to the "Russian" gauge. The Cape Gauge currently occupies approximately 9% of all world railway lines.

Replacement of "Cape gauge" with "Russian" |

Meter track. The fourth place in the world, about 7% of all roads. The width speaks for itself - 1000 mm. Most used in Brazil, India, Southeast Asia, northern Chile, some African countries. There is a similar track in Europe, especially for the movement of suburban trains, as well as for tram traffic.

Indian gauge, 1676 mm wide. In addition to India, it can be seen in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It occupies about 6% of all world railway lines.

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The rolling stock itself. After the collapse of the USSR, this is the standard for the gauge on the railways of all countries formed in its place. Finnish railways and the Helsinki metro continue to use the old standard - 1524 mm.

The difference of 4 mm does not require the re-equipment of the rolling stock, but at the transitional stage it caused serious problems with a sharply increased wear of the rolling stock wheelsets.

However, until the end, the relationship between the track width or, more correctly, the gap between the inner edge of the rail head and the wheel flange (flange) of the wheelset with the intensity of their wear could not be established.

The same gauge (1520 mm) is used in all subways in Russia and the CIS. Most tram lines in the CIS use 1520 mm gauge (although there are also narrow-gauge tram systems with a gauge of 1 meter, for example, in Kaliningrad, Pyatigorsk, Lvov, Vinnitsa, Zhytomyr, Evpatoria, in the village of Molochnoe and in Liepaja). The tram in Helsinki also has a meter gauge.

Until 2019, Sakhalin Island also used the 1067 mm gauge as in South Africa, Japan or Indonesia, but by the end of the summer of 2019, all lines were changed to the standard 1520 mm for Russia.

It is interesting to note that the very first railway in Russia - Tsarskoye Selo - had an even wider gauge: 1829 mm.

The track gauge of 1524 mm was first used in Russia during the construction of the Nikolaev railway (mid-19th century). There is an opinion that this was due to the work of consultants from the United States on the construction of roads, and above all J. W. Whistler (at that time this gauge was popular in the southern states of the USA). It is also possible that Russian engineers P. P. Melnikov and N. O. Kraft, who visited America before the start of construction of the Nikolaev railway, suggested using this gauge. In addition, this gauge was convenient in that it was expressed as a round number - 5 feet.

There is a myth that the military aspect played a role in choosing the gauge - a gauge different from the European one would make it difficult for a hypothetical enemy to supply troops in the event of an invasion of Russia. In fact, Nicholas I and his entourage did not assume that the troops would move at the speed of a steam locomotive, and changing the gauge would slow down the enemy’s movement (by the beginning of the construction of the Nikolaev railway, it was already known that a horse loses to a steam locomotive in speed over long distances). The choice is due to the fact that in the second third of the 19th century the United States was the leader in the construction of railways. Among the people, in favor of the myth, the facts played that during the Great Patriotic War the advancing troops did have to change the gauge for their rolling stock. According to various estimates, the speed of changing the gauge by the railway troops is up to 20-50 km per day.

In addition, at the time the standard for a single gauge was established in Russia, there was no pan-European standard. By itself, the 1520 mm gauge does not have major advantages over 1435 mm, except for slightly greater train stability, the difference between them is small - 85 mm (≈6%). The gauge of the 1520 mm gauge rolling stock is significantly wider and higher than in Europe, but this is not due to the gauge, but to historical reasons. In China, the USA, Korea and Australia - where the European gauge is used - the dimensions of the rolling stock are comparable to those adopted for the 1520 mm gauge.

Until the early 1980s, the second most common gauge in the USSR was 750 mm, used for industrial, peat and timber narrow gauge railways, as well as on children's railways. The construction and maintenance of narrow gauge railways is much cheaper. In addition, narrow-gauge railways allow for tighter turns, but train speeds are much slower. Therefore, over the past decades, the length of railways of this gauge has sharply decreased. Some of the busiest narrow-gauge railways were converted to standard gauge, but most narrow-gauge railways were simply closed, often due to the bankruptcy of service enterprises or the replacement of technological railways with motor vehicles and industrial conveyors.

European gauge

Combined three-rail track with standard and broad gauge in England

The most common track gauge in the world is 1435 mm (4 English feet and 8.5 inches). This gauge is used by the railways of North America, the Middle East, North Africa, Australia, China, Korea and Europe (with the exception of the CIS countries, the Baltic States, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal). It was this gauge that was adopted for the construction of the first passenger railway line Liverpool - Manchester by engineer George Stephenson. In fact, this gauge was the narrowest of all the many options for broad gauge, chosen so that the rebuilding of the railways did not require investments to rebuild bridges, embankments and cuts [ ] . 20 years later (in 1846), this gauge was recognized as the standard by the English Parliament and was to be used in the construction of new railways.

It should be noted that one of the first British railway companies Great Western Railway used a wide gauge of 2140 mm. In 1866, the length of roads on the broad gauge of this company was 959 km. The struggle between different gauge standards in 1844-1846 in England resulted in the so-called "gauge wars" ( Gauge Wars), however, in the future, lines with a wide gauge of 2140 mm were changed to a standard gauge.

In border areas where different gauges are used, sometimes combined gauge tracks are used, in particular, from Kaliningrad (Russia) to Braniewo station (Poland). Then the European track continues.

Railway in Poland

The first railway line on the territory of Poland as part of the Russian Empire was built with a European gauge. It was the Warsaw-Vienna railway, opened in 1848. Railways with a gauge of 1524 mm began to emerge in subsequent years: the St. Despite this, at the same time railway lines were built using European widths, as was the case with the Warsaw-Bromberg Railway (1862). After Poland gained independence, the process of modernizing the railway network began, and eventually, by 1929, all railway lines with Russian broad gauge in Poland were converted to a width of 1435 mm.

Common gauges

Common gauges by country

Track, mm	Name	Length, km	use
1676	Indian gauge (5½)	over 78 500	India (Unigauge Project - 42,000 km), Pakistan (7,500 km), Sri Lanka (1,508 km), Argentina (24,000 km), Chile, Bangladesh (950 km). (5th place by prevalence in the world - 6% of the total length of all railways.)
1668	Iberian gauge	15 394	Portugal, Spain
1600	Irish Gauge (5¼)	9 800	Ireland, partly Australia - "Victorian gauge" (4017 km - suburban and local roads of the state of Victoria), Brazil (4057 km).
1524	Russian gauge (5)	7 000	Finland, partly Estonia (1520 mm also used).
1520		220 000	CIS countries, Georgia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, partly Estonia (1524 mm is also used), Mongolia, Finland, partly Afghanistan. (2nd place in terms of prevalence in the world, it occupies the “Russian gauge” - 17% of the total length of all railways.)
1435	European gauge	720 000	Central and Western Europe, USA, Canada, China, North Korea, South Korea, Australia (except for local 1600 mm gauge roads in Victoria), Middle East, North Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Uruguay. (1st place by prevalence in the world - up to 60% of the total length of all railways.)
1067	Cape Gauge (3½)	112 000	South and Central Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, New Zealand, parts of Australia. (3rd place by prevalence in the world - 9% of the total length of all railways.)
1000	Meter gauge	95 000	Southeast Asia, India (17,000 km), Brazil (23,489 km), Bolivia, northern Chile, Kenya, Uganda. (4th place by prevalence in the world - 7% of the total length of all railways.)

Application of different track widths

Extra wide track

• 3000 mm: Germany (late 1930s) - A project was developed in the Third Reich to build a network of ultra-wide gauge high-speed railways, the so-called Breitspurbahn. This network was planned in Europe, and in the future in Asia, the roads were supposed to connect Japan and India with Europe. A demonstration section was built, steam locomotives, diesel locomotives and wagons were developed. The project was not implemented.
• 2140 mm: England (from 1833 to 1892) - Great Western Railway
• 2000 mm: England (since 2001) - Cairngorm Mountain Railway(mountain funicular road for lifting skiers)
• 1945 mm: Netherlands.
• 1880 mm: England.
• 1829 mm: Russia - the first Russian railway (Tsarskoye Selo Railway)
• 1750 mm: France.

wide gauge

• 1676 mm ("Indian Gauge"): India; Pakistan; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka ; Canada; United States (San Francisco metro). Also found in Argentina and Chile.
• 1668 mm ("Iberian gauge"): Portugal; Spain. The rolling stock of this standard is also suitable for use on the Indian gauge of 1676 mm.
• 1665 mm: Portugal. Old standard before unification with Spain.
• 1600 mm ("Irish gauge"): Australia (suburban roads of the state of New South Wales); Brazil; Ireland; New Zealand ; Canterbury Provincial Railways.
• 1588 mm: USA
• 1581 mm: USA. Used for trams in some cities.
• 1575 mm: Ireland.
• 1524 mm (historical "Russian gauge"): Russian Empire and the USSR (1851-1970); Finland; Estonia (after the collapse of the USSR - unification of standards with Finland); USA (completely replaced by 1435 mm gauge, there are short tracks for technical needs); Panama Canal (completely replaced by 1435 mm gauge).
• 1520 mm (new "Russian gauge"): USSR since the 1970s; CIS, including Russia; Latvia; Lithuania; Mongolia; some other countries. In practice, 1524 mm and 1520 mm gauge railway rolling stock is compatible. Technical requirements for the Allegro train (route: St. Petersburg - Helsinki) includes the number 1522 mm.
• 1495 mm: Canada. Used for streetcars and subways in Toronto.
• 1473 mm: USA.
• 1435 mm (so-called "Stephenson gauge"): The main gauge of railways in the world (also often referred to as "European", "normal", "standard" or "international" gauge); Shinkansen; Australia (17678 km - all interstate roads, part of local and suburban roads)

603 mm track

narrow gauge

• 1372 mm: Japan. Trams.
• 1220 mm: Scotland; Glasgow underground; The Swansea and Mumbles Railway to 1855.
• 1100 mm: Brazil. Trams.
• 1093 mm: Sweden.
• 1067 mm (the so-called "Cape Gauge"): Angola; Australia; Botswana; Ghana; Ecuador; Indonesia; Japan (excluding high-speed Shinkansen lines); Republic of South Africa; Canada (until 1880-1930); Congo; Costa Rica; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; New Zealand ; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Sudan; Taiwan; Tallinn; Tanzania; Honduras; Sweden. Snaefell Mountain Railway, Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority;
• 1050 mm: Jordan; Syria. Hejaz Railway
• 1009 mm: Sofia tram
• 1000 mm: (so-called "meter gauge"): Argentina; Bangladesh; Benin; Brazil; Bolivia; Burkina Faso; Burma; Vietnam; India; Cambodia; Cameroon; Kenya; Laos; Malaysia; Mali; Myanmar; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Senegal; Tanzania; Thailand; Tunisia; Uganda; Spain; Switzerland ; Russia ; Jungfrau railway; Germany-Museum Railway Bruchhausen Wilsen.
• 950 mm: Italy; Eritrea.
• 914 mm: Columbia; Peru; Canada; El Salvador; Guatemala; USA; Spain; Abkhazia; New Athos Cave Railway, Isle of Man Railway, White Pass and Yukon Railway
• 891 mm (known as "Swedish three-foot gauge"): Sweden. Roslagsbanan
• 883 mm: Russia. Bogoslovsko-Sosvinskaya Railway, Nadezhda Steel Rail Plant [ ]
• 800 mm: Usually prom. lines - Wales; Switzerland ; Snowdon Mountain Railway
• 762 mm: Australia; Chile; India; Sierra Leone; USA
• 760 mm: Brazil; Austria; Bulgaria (125 km)
• 750 mm: Belarus. Minsk. "Toy railway"; Greece; Poland; Russia ; Switzerland and other countries. In practice, 750, 760 and 762 mm gauge railway rolling stock is often compatible. Alapaevskaya narrow-gauge railway
• 700 mm (the so-called "Decaville gauge": Argentina, Denmark, Indonesia (sugar factories, salt works), Spain, the Netherlands (industrial lines), France (Chemin de fer d'Abreschviller),
• 686 mm: Wales. Corris Railway, Talylly Railway
• 610 mm: Australia; India; Republic of South Africa - two roads: 248 km and 122 km; England; USA . Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Leighton Buzzard Light Railway, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• 603 mm: Wales; Brecon Mountain Railway, Vale of Rheidol Railway
• 600 mm: Military and industrial. lines in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century: France; Greece; Poland; Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden; England. Yaxham Light Railway The Maltanka Children's Railway in Poland. In Russia it is sometimes used for mine roads. The rolling stock of 597, 600, 603, 610 mm gauges is fully compatible.
• 597 mm: Wales; Festiniog Railway, Welsh Highland Railway, Welsh Highland Museum Railway, Llanberis Lakeside Railway
• 578 mm: Wales; Penrhyn Quarry Railway
• 508 mm: Russia; Krasnoyarsk Children's Railway (since 1961)
• 457 mm: England; Steeple Grange Light Railway
• 410 mm: Germany; Frankfurt am Main Children's Tram
• 381 mm: USA to Wisconsin Dells;