The4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) track gauge, also called theScotch gauge, was adopted by early 19th century railways mainly in theLanarkshire area ofScotland. It differed from thegauge of4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) that was used on some early lines inEngland. Early railways chose their own gauge, but later in the century interchange of equipment was facilitated by establishing a uniform rail gauge across railways: the 'standard gauge' of4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm). In the early 1840s standard gauge lines began to be constructed in Scotland, and all the Scotch gauge lines were eventuallyconverted to standard gauge. The building of new Scotch gauge railways was outlawed in Great Britain in 1846 by theRegulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846. From 1903,tram lines of Tokyo adopted this gauge.
A section of original 1831 Scotch gauge track relaid atEglinton Country Park in North Ayrshire.A 15-foot (4.57 m) length of flat-bottomedVignoles rail from the Scotch gauge Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway
A small number of early to mid-19th century passenger railways were built to4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) Scotch gauge including:
Authorised on 17 May 1824 and opened on 1 October 1826.[3] The engineer wasThomas Grainger.[4] The M&KR altered its track gauge to standard on 26 and 27 July 1847.
Incorporated on 26 May 1826 and ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineers wereThomas Grainger andJohn Miller fromEdinburgh.[1][4] Converted to standard gauge before 1847.
Authorised on 21 July 1835 and opened on 3 April 1837 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineer wasThomas Grainger.[4] Converted to Standard Gauge 1866.
In addition to the above lines, there were three railways, authorised between 1822 and 1835, that were built in theDundee area, to a gauge of4 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1,384 mm). They were:
Grainger and Miller built another two railway lines in the same area to a gauge of5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm).Thomas Grainger is said to have chosen this gauge, since he regarded4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge as being too narrow andIsambard Kingdom Brunel's7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm)Brunel gauge as being too wide.[1] They were:
TheLee Moor Tramway operated a Scotch Gauge line from 1899 to the early 1960s,[5] with the two 0-4-0ST locomotives built byPeckett and Sons to their M4 Design. LEE MOOR No.1 (works number 783) is preserved at the Wheal Martyn Museum nearSt. Austell and LEE MOOR No.2 (works number 784) is preserved at theSouth Devon Railway, neither are operational. Both locomotives were originally preserved by the Lee Moor Tramway Preservation Group.[5]
Thestandard gauge of4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm), also known as theStephenson gauge afterGeorge Stephenson, was adopted inGreat Britain after 1846 after the passing of theRegulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846.[6] A few remnants of old lines remain, but are non functional with the exception of one example of theSt Michael's Mount Tramway atSt Michael's Mount inCornwall. It is a partial underground railway that used to bring luggage up to the castle. It occasionally operates, but only for demonstration reasons and is not open to the general public, although a small stretch is visible at the harbour. It is therefore believed to be Britain's last functionally operationalScotch gauge railway.[7][8]
Keiō Line1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) gauge tracksMap of railway lines with 1,372 mm gauge in Tokyo area
After the end of the Scotch gauge in Britain, the gauge was revived in Japan. Its origins date back to theTokyo Horsecar Railway, one of former horsecar operators in Tokyo, adopted4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) gauge in1887.[9] Since1903, most of thetram network in Tokyo was built with4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) rail gauge, called "coach gauge" (馬車軌間,Basha Kikan). The use of this gauge extended to other suburban lines that through-operated onto the city tram network. Although Tokyo has abolished its major tram network (except the Arakawa Line), as of 2009 the following lines still used this gauge:
TheKeiō Line and its branches (excluding theInokashira Line). The reason to use 1372 mm in 1915 was to provide through service with the now-abolished Tokyo city tram.[10] Length: 72.0 km (44.7 mi). Commuter railways connecting Tokyo and its suburb operated byKeio Corporation.
TheToei Shinjuku Line.[10] Length: 23.5 km (14.6 mi). One of rapid transit lines in Tokyo, built to provide through service with the Keiō Line. Originally the Ministry of Transport intended the Keiō Line to convert to1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (so that the Shinjuku Line would have the same gauge as theAsakusa Line for maintenance convenience), but the service area as of late 20th century was too densely populated to risk a massive disruption of the Keiō service, and the Shinjuku Line was constructed in 1372 mm instead.
TheToden Arakawa Line.[10] Length: 12.2 km (7.6 mi). Only surviving line of Tokyo municipal tram.
^abcdefghijklPopplewell, Lawrence (1989).A Gazetteer of the Railway Contractors and Engineers of Scotland 1831–1870. (Vol. 1: 1831–1870 and Vol. 2: 1871–1914). Bournemouth: Melledgen Press.ISBN0-906637-14-7.
