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Re: (erielack) The Piermont Branch

So you see "Military Specifications" last a LONG Time!

Warren W.


At 01:02 AM 1/16/00 -0500, Bill K. wrote:
>I recall some TV show on the History Channel I think..   That explained the
>reason for the use of the odd 4' 8.5" guage used by modern railroads.
>Seems that the English built the earliest rail systems to use existing
>carriages (or on existing roads), which were built to use the roads that
>existed at the time.  The roads were rutted from use so most carriages had
>to have the wheels spaced to fit them.   It seems they got this way during
>the Roman invasion (or attempt thereof, my memory on this part of history
>is fuzzy) from the Roman chariots.  Those chariots were built to their
>width - so that 2 horses would fit between the rails and wheels.    So the
>modern track guage is the width of two horses' asses, side by side.
>
>(apologies if this is a repetition of something posted in the past) ....
>
>Now where did the 6' guage come from I wonder?
>
>
>Bill K.
>
>
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>----------
> > From: Schuyler G Larrabee <"sgl2_@_ix.netcom.com">
> > To: "STGCOMM_@_aol.com"; erielack@internexus.net
> > Subject: Re: (erielack) The Piermont Branch
> > Date: Friday, January 14, 2000 11:41 PM
> >
> >
> > "STGCOMM_@_aol.com" wondered:
> >
> > >  Why did the Erie go with 6' gauge to begin with
> > > (Was standard gauge not established in the US yet)?
> >
> > Um, yeah.  You DO know, don't you, that the Erie was one of the first
> > railroads in the US?  In the 1830's, they didn't know from standard gauge
>
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