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Track gauge
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Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (1 ft 3 in)   Narrow   600 mm 600 mm (1 ft11+5⁄8 in) Two foot 610 mm (2 ft) Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm 750 mm (2 ft5+1⁄2 in) Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft5+15⁄16 in) Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three-foot 891 mm (2 ft11+3⁄32 in) 900 mm 900 mm (2 ft11+7⁄16 in) Three-foot 914 mm (3 ft) Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft3+3⁄8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft8+3⁄8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft8+1⁄2 in)   Broad   Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft8+7⁄8 in) Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft9+3⁄32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft9+13⁄32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft10+7⁄8 in)   1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft11+27⁄32 in) Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft2+1⁄4 in) Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft2+1⁄2 in) Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft4+1⁄2 in)   Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft5+21⁄32 in) Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft1⁄4 in)   Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 101⁄8 in)
Change of gauge
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Track gauge conversion is the changing of one railwaytrack gauge (the distance between the running rails) to another. In general, requirements depend on whether the conversion is from a wider gauge to a narrower gauge or vice versa, on how the rail vehicles can be modified to accommodate a track gauge conversion, and on whether the gauge conversion is manual or automated.

If tracks are converted to a narrower gauge, the existing timbersleepers (ties) may be used. However, replacement is required if the conversion is to a significantly wider gauge. Some sleepers may be long enough to accommodate the fittings of both existing and alternative gauges. Wooden sleepers are suitable for conversion because they can be drilled for the repositionedrail spikes.

Concrete sleepers are unsuitable for conversion. Concrete sleepers may be cast with alternative gauge fittings in place, an example being those used during the conversion of theMelbourne–Adelaide railway from1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) to1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). Steel sleepers may have alternative gauge fittings cast at production, may be drilled for new fittings or may be welded with new fittings.

Conversion from a narrow to a wider gauge may require enlargement of thestructure gauge of the bridges, overpasses and tunnels,embankments andcuts. Theminimum curve radius may have a largerradius on broader gauges requiring route deviations to allow the minimum curve radius to be increased.Track centers atstations with multiple tracks may also have to be increased. Conversion from narrow to standard gauge can cause several changes not because of the gauge itself, but in order to be compatible with thestructure gauge of standard gauge track, such as height of overpasses so that trains can be exchanged. The choice oftrain couplers may be a factor as well.

Where vehicles move to a different gauge, they must either be prepared forbogie exchange or be prepared forwheelset exchange. For example,passenger trains moving between the1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) in France and the1668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) gauge in Spain pass through an installation which adjusts their variable-gauge axles. This process is known as "gauge change".Goods wagons are still subject to either bogie exchange orwheelset exchange.

Somesteam locomotives were constructed to be reconfigured to a different gauge: for example, someEast African Railways locomotives;Garratts; the large500,600 and700 class locomotives of theSouth Australian Railways introduced byWilliam Webb in 1926;^[1] and theVictorian RailwaysJ,N andR classes. In the Australian instances, conversion was anticipated from1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge to1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge. Conversion to a wider gauge was similarly anticipated for the large1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gaugeWestern Australian Government Railways V class locomotive (to standard gauge).^[2] Of these locomotives, only one R class was converted (when in preservation).^[3] Two unanticipated conversions to occur were the ten locomotives of theSouth Australian Railways 740 class (from standard to broad gauge) and five1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gaugeT class locomotives, which became the Tx class on the broad gauge before they were eventually converted back again.^[4]

Gauge-change in steam locomotives has a long lineage. In about 1860, theBristol and Exeter Railway converted five1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) locomotives to7 ft 1⁄4 in (2140 mm) gauge, and later converted them back again. Also in the 19th century, in the United States, some5 ft (1524 mm) broad-gauge locomotives were designed for easy conversion to1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge, and in the United Kingdom some7 ft 1⁄4 in (2140 mm) broad-gauge locomotive classes of theGreat Western Railway were designed for easy conversion to1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge.^[5] AfterWorld War II, a number of capturedGerman 03 classPacifics locomotives were re-gauged to the5 ft (1524 mm)Russian gauge.

Most diesel and electric rolling stock can undergo gauge conversion byreplacement of their bogies. Engines with fixed wheelbases are more difficult to convert. In Australia, diesel locomotives are regularlyre-gauged between broad, standard and narrow gauges.

Gauge conversion of wagons and coaches involves the replacement of thewheelsets or thebogies. In May 1892, wagons and coaches were converted when the7 ft 1⁄4 in (2140 mm) gauge of theGreat Western Railway was abandoned.

During or after gauge conversion work, some stations and branch lines may become "gauge orphans". This occurs especially when it is not considered economically worthwhile to go to the expense of gauge conversion. For example, after the main line of theAdelaide–Wolseley railway line between Adelaide and Melbourne was converted in 1995 to standard gauge, the broad gaugeVictor Harbor branch line became a gauge orphan because it was too lightly trafficked to be converted; it now prospers as a heritage line,SteamRanger.

• Rail transport
• List of gauge conversions
• Break-of-gauge
• Dual gauge

Notes

Citations

Wikimedia Commons has media related toManual gauge changing.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAutomated gauge changing.

• Track gauges

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