Broad gauge
A broad gauge railway is a railway with a track width which is greater than 1435 mm, the standard in Europe, North America and China standard gauge.
- 3.7.1 Southern United States
- 3.7.2 Baden State Railways
- 3.7.3 The Netherlands
History
The gauge differences emerged in the early days of railways, when there were only a few contiguous networks or no agreements could be reached on a standardization. The trend towards passing between different networks trains has caused in many cases favor bringing the gauges. In some cases, play or geostrategic aspects also played a role, to hold on to different gauges: So the more difficult by different gauges transition between the rail networks should hinder its use as a means of rapid military invasion. The track width and the loading gauge of a railway transportation affect performance and efficiency on the one hand, on the other hand, effort and money for the construction of the railway line.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The major vehicle manufacturers can now provide light rail vehicles for every required gauge, each gauge and any country-specific additional requirements. Increasingly, comes to the modular design used: Vehicles are composed of relatively arbitrary components.
Transport links across network boundaries are considerably more difficult if a gauge changes prevents the car run. Passenger trains can be umgespurt in specially equipped border stations, this possibility is especially used in the traffic between France and Spain, and between Central Europe and the power of the Russian broad gauge. Freight routes are reloaded at boundary stations usually.
A wider track of the vehicles generally provides smoother running of the train and load efficient railroad in bad ground. In general, higher speeds can be driven.
The most significant disadvantage of the broad gauge is the more difficult or more expensive route over rough terrain, especially in the highlands, as larger arc radii or " flatter " arcs are required to avoid derailment of the vehicles at a higher speed or course. A secondary consequence of this is again significantly higher costs.
In this Vorteil-/Nachteils-Bilanz needs to be taken into consideration that the track widths of the major, still existing broad gauge systems differ only relatively small (85 to 240 mm difference ) from Normalspurmaß.
Narrow- gauge tracks deviate from a rule to a far greater extent on the standard gauge. The very widespread meter - and - Cape gauge tracks are about 400 millimeters ( and opposite the broad gauge to about 600 mm) narrower. Pros and cons of the broad gauge must therefore be discussed more in relation to the narrow gauge as compared to the normal track.
Dissemination
Broad-gauge railway networks in Europe there are in Ireland (1600 mm ), Spain and Portugal (both with 1668 mm) and especially in the former influence of the Soviet Union in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Finland and the Baltic States (1520 mm). Relatively short broad gauge tracks can be found in Slovakia ( 100 km) in Poland (400 km) and in Romania.
On the other continents there are extensive broad gauge networks with a track width of 1676 mm in India ( 54,000 km length), in Argentina ( 26,500 km ) and in Chile ( 3400 km ). More broad gauge railways with a gauge of 1600 mm exist in Brazil ( 5600 km ) and Australia ( 3500 km ).
In rare cases, trams run on broad gauge tracks.
Broad gauge in Germany
In Germany there is the broad gauge railway in Oberweißenbach ( funicular with 1800 mm gauge ) and, since 1986, yet built in the GDR Umspuranlage of standard gauge on Soviet broad-gauge in the then newly built ferry port Mukran on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen / Prorer Wiek. The Umspuranlage is the loading of the railway ferry on the ferry Mukran into Lithuanian Klaipeda.
Formal " broad-gauged ", but only slightly different from the normal track, the Leipzig Tram 1458 mm and the Dresden tram have 1450 mm gauge.
Hitler's three- meter gauge
In the era of National Socialism plans for a broad-gauge railway with 3000 mm track width were created. You should also connect in addition to the standard gauge Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Linz, but especially for the development of the newly conquered " Lebensraum in the East" to contribute. The route this should lead to Rostov-on- Don.
Russian broad gauge
The first Russian railway between Saint Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo, which was opened in 1837, had a great gauge of six Fuß/1829 mm. This very wide track proved to be too uneconomical, therefore, was chosen on 12 September 1842, the time used in the southern United States track of exactly five English feet ( 1524 mm ). In the period from May 1970 to 1990 the regularity of the Russian broad gauge was reduced gradually to reduce wear by reducing the track clearance by 4 mm to 1520 mm. Finland, which his railway network in 1862 also executed as part of the former Russian Empire in Russian broad gauge, already presented in 1959 as a new nominal track gauge 1520 mm fixed.
A full-length trains from stations that were in the other gauge network, initially was not possible. With various technical systems, this problem was overcome. There are systems on the transitions in which the wheelsets or bogies can be changed as well as rolling stock with variable gauge, which can be umgespurt to gauge changeover. The whole process takes only a few minutes, while the wheels are moved to the axes in the new position. Passengers can sit there in the car. Gauge changeover, however, (as of 2010 ) in control mode are hardly used.
For cross- border traffic between Central Europe and Sweden and Finland freight cars are built with interchangeable axles or bogies.
Both car types shown in the image (RIC, long distance car) are re-gauged. Last type is permitted to a maximum of Poland to the west. The Warsaw from trains to the east are usually formed from long distance car. Until the mid- 1990s, these cars went to Berlin and military passenger trains for the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany to Dresden, Erfurt, Magdeburg, Schwerin and Wunsdorf. Only the platform conversion in Brandenburg prevented the onward journey from Frankfurt (Oder ) to Berlin for the larger car bodies.
The network with the Russian broad gauge and westbound networks with standard gauge each other in the following borders with Poland - Belarus, Poland - Ukraine, Hungary - Ukraine ( only 105 km short level section ), Romania - Ukraine, Romania - Moldova ( see also Moldavian railway Company, Ukrainian railways, White Russian Railways / Train Station Brest). For the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast ( between Poland and Lithuania ) with its important (as ice applicable ) Baltic port see railway Königsberg - pillau and the category "Transport ( Kaliningrad Oblast ) ."
Iberian broad gauge
The Iberian broad gauge of 1668 mm was obtained by averaging the Spanish ( 1672 mm) and Portuguese (1665 mm) broad gauge to facilitate inter-vehicle gangways.
Track conversion in Spain
Meanwhile, the standard gauge has proven to be a good compromise and broad-gauge railway lines are in some cases (as in Spain) converted to standard gauge, partly simplified Umspureinrichtungen be installed at transition stations. Examples include the SUW 2000 system and the Talgo system.
The Spanish government has commissioned a report which would identify the costs and benefits of a nationwide rail gauge conversion of currently 1668 mm on the European standard gauge ( 1435 mm). The newspaper El País estimates that the adjustment of the 12,000 km -long rail network would last until about 2020.
Given the high public debt, a banking crisis and an economic crisis since about 2007/2008 ( bursting of a housing bubble), this date is questionable.
Future in Spain
Future high-speed lines on the Iberian Peninsula, such as the quick route Lisbon -Madrid or the quick route Lisbon - Porto and existing high-speed lines such as the high-speed line Madrid- Barcelona, the high-speed line Madrid- Seville and the high-speed line between Madrid and Valladolid are, or are in European standard gauge ( 1435 mm) built.
Indian broad gauge
The "Indian broad gauge " or " colonial track " called gauge of 1676 mm is used primarily in the Indian subcontinent as well as in Argentina and Chile.
Brunel broad gauge
1838, introduced by Isambard Kingdom Brunel broad gauge dimension of 7 feet ¼ inch or 2140 mm was used in the created also from Brunel Great Western Railway in Britain. After Brunel's design, it was designed in a material-saving " Baulk " design on wooden stringers with cross bars at longer intervals for distance stabilization.
Broad gauge on Ilha do Faial
On the Azores island of Ilha do Faial still exist remnants of a broad- gauge railway track gauge 2134 mm (7 feet ) and two steam locomotives that track. A short tourism enterprise is discussed.
Former broad gauge railways
Southern United States
In the early days of rail transport in the United States the railways of southern broad gauge tracks were mainly with the level of 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ), while in the northern states, the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 ½ in ( 1,435 mm) was widespread. After the end of the civil war in 1865 it became apparent that a common, same gauge was an economic necessity for the development of the states. So it was decided to put the tracks in the southern states on standard gauge. 9 used on appeal and the request of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which ft a slightly different from the standard gauge track width of 4 inches ( 1448 mm), it was decided to use this measure instead of the exact English measure. On Monday, May 31, 1886, respectively the west rail of the broad gauge tracks were then added to 76 mm inward and moored again within 36 hours of tens of thousands of workers. At the same time took place after a long preparation anywhere a Umspuren the wheels, axles and brakes on the vehicles.
Baden State Railways
In the Grand Duchy of Baden were the Baden State Railways, - especially from 1840 onwards in the Upper Rhine from Mannheim via Heidelberg and Offenburg to Basel - operated with a track width of 1600 mm, 1855 converted to standard gauge due to the single position in Germany.
Netherlands
The first railways in the Netherlands ( railway Amsterdam -Rotterdam and Amsterdam -Utrecht - Arnhem ) were created 1839-1847 with a track width of 1945 mm and later converted ( to 1866 ) to standard gauge.