5 ft 3 in gauge railways#Installations

Railways with a track gauge of {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} fall within the category of broad-gauge railways. {{As of|2022}}, they were extant in Australia, Brazil and on the island of Ireland.

History

;600 BC

:The Diolkos (Δίολκος) across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece – a grooved paved trackway – was constructed with an average gauge of {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}}.{{Citation

|last=Lewis

|first=M. J. T.

|contribution=Railways in the Greek and Roman world

|title=Early Railways. A Selection of Papers from the First International Early Railways Conference

|editor-last=Guy

|editor-first=A.

|editor2-last=Rees

|editor2-first=J.

|pages=8–19 (10–15)

|year=2001

|url=http://www.sciencenews.gr/docs/diolkos.pdf

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007111319/http://www.sciencenews.gr/docs/diolkos.pdf

|archive-date=2009-10-07

}}

;1840

: The Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway was constructed in 1840–1851 to {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} gauge before being converted to {{Track gauge|4 ft 8.5 in}} in 1854–1855.

;1843

: The Board of Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after investigating a dispute caused by diverse gauges, recommended the use of {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} in Ireland.{{cite web |title=Brief history of Irish railways |url=https://www.downrail.co.uk/about-us/irishrailways/ |website=Downpatrick & County Down Railway |access-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102215015/https://www.downrail.co.uk/about-us/irishrailways/ |archive-date=2 January 2024 |language=en}}

;1846

: The Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846 made {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} mandatory throughout all of Ireland.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8758322 |title=Odds and ends |newspaper=Colonial Times |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=24 March 1846 |access-date=21 August 2012 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

;1847

: The Swiss Northern Railway was opened as a {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} line{{When|date=June 2022}} and converted to {{Track gauge|4 ft 8.5 in}} in 1854.

;1854

: The first Australian railway to operate steam-powered freight and passenger services, Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company, was built as a {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in|comma=off}} line.{{cite book|title=Victorian Railways to '62 |first=Leo J.|last=Harrigan |date=1962 |location=Melbourne |publisher=Victorian Railways |page=40}}

;1858

: The first Brazilian {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} railway was opened: the Companhia de Estrada de Ferro Dom Pedro II.

;1863

: The Canterbury Railway in New Zealand was built in {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}}. It was converted to {{Track gauge|3 ft 6 in}} in 1876.

Nomenclature

In Great Britain and Ireland, the gauge is known as Irish gauge.{{cite Hansard ||jurisdiction= United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |house=Lords |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uypDAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA967 |title=Railways (Ireland){{mdash}}resolution |column=967 |speaker=Viscount Lifford |date=24 April 1879}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishrail.ie/|title=Iarnród Éireann Heritage and Enthusiasts|first=Irish|last=Rail|website=Irish Rail}}{{Cite web |title=Irish BG |url=https://hmrs.org.uk/stewards/irish-bg |website=hmrs.org.uk}} In Ireland it is also common to hear it referred to as standard gauge or broad gauge when distinguishing it from the various 3 ft narrow-gauge railways of the island.McCormack, K. (2017). Irish Railways in the 1950s and 1960s: A Journey Through Two Decades. United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Books.Irish Builder and Engineer. (1881:58). Ireland: Howard MacGarvey & Sons..
In Australia, where the states of Victoria and South Australia have this gauge (as did Tasmania in the 19th century), it is known as broad gauge.{{cite book |first= Ron |last= Fitch |date= 2006 |title= Australian Railwayman: from cadet engineer to railways commissioner |location= Dural, New South Wales |publisher= Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd |isbn= 1877058483 }}{{rp|168}}{{cite book |title=Cast Into the Unknown |author=Mike W. Harry |page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=cqmbTRINGWwC&pg=PA30 30]| year=2008 |publisher=Little Red Apple |isbn=9781875329670}}
In Brazil, the gauge is mainly known as broad gauge ({{Langx|pt|bitola larga}}), but occasionally as Irish gauge ({{Langx|pt|bitola irlandesa}}).{{Cite web|url=https://wasaki.com.br/as-medidas-das-bitolas-mais-usadas-no-brasil/|title=As medidas das bitolas mais usadas no Brasil|first=Wasaki|last=Engenharia|date=27 October 2022}}{{Cite web|url=http://vfco.brazilia.jor.br/ferrovias/bitolas/unificacao-bitola-ferrovias-Inglaterra.shtml|title=A padronização da bitola nas ferrovias da Grã-Bretanha|website=vfco.brazilia.jor.br}}

Installations

class="wikitable"
Country/region ! Railway
id=Australia \|Australia \|{{Main article\|Rail transport in South Australia\|Rail transport in Victoria}} Currently, the suburban rail networks in Adelaide, Melbourne, and most regional lines in Victoria (including some that cross the border into New South Wales) use {{RailGauge\|5ft3in}}. The {{convert\|828\|km\|mi\|1\|abbr=on}} long Melbourne–Adelaide rail corridor linking South Australia and Victoria, and some associated branch lines, was converted to standard gauge in 1995. The final {{convert\|200\|km\|mi\|1\|abbr=on}} section of the North East line, Victoria and the {{convert\|125\|km\|mi\|1\|abbr=on}} long Oaklands railway line, which runs into New South Wales from Victoria, were converted to standard gauge in 2008–2010. The Mildura and Murrayville railway lines were converted to standard gauge in 2018.
Brazil \|{{Main article\|Rail transport in Brazil}} Lines connecting the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais; E.F.Carajás in Pará and Maranhão states, and Ferronorte in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. Used in older Metro systems. Although the metre-gauge network is almost five times longer,Rail_transport_in_Brazil Irish gauge is considered the standard by ABNT.Newer Metro systems use {{RailGauge\|sg}} standard gauge. The current{{when\|date=August 2021}} network is {{convert\|4057\|km\|mi\|0\|abbr=on\|disp=or}}, 15% of the total Brazilian network.
Germany \|Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway 1840–1855{{cite web\| url=http://www.breitspurbahn.de/\| title=Breitspurbahn\| author=Rieger, Bernhard\| date=2006-04-23\| access-date=2007-11-29\| archive-date=10 September 2014\| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910031644/http://www.breitspurbahn.de/3000.html\| url-status=dead}}
Island of Ireland \|{{Main article\|Rail transport in Ireland}} Following proposed projects of the Ulster Railway and Dublin and Drogheda Railway companies (using {{RailGauge\|6ft2in}} and {{RailGauge\|5ft2in}}, respectively), and existing issues of competing gauges in Great Britain, in 1843 the Board of Trade (with the advice of engineers Charles Pasley and George Stephenson) introduced the gauge as a compromise. The Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846 was passed to formalise the gauge used on the island of Ireland to 5 feet 3 inches (1600mm). {{As of\|2013}} the network totals over {{convert\|2730\|km\|mi\|0\|abbr=on\|disp=or}}, {{convert\|2400\|km\|mi\|0\|abbr=on\|disp=or}} in the Republic of Ireland{{cite web\|url=http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=115&n=126\|title=Infrastructure\|work=Irish Rail\|access-date=2013-05-03\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507035058/http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=115&n=126\|archive-date=2013-05-07\|url-status=dead}} and {{convert\|330\|km\|mi\|0\|abbr=on\|disp=or}} in Northern Ireland.
Switzerland \|Swiss Northern Railway between 1847 and 1854, converted to {{RailGauge\|sg\|allk=on}}. Fun'Ambule Funicular in Neuchâtel, 330 m long, opened 27 April 2001.
New Zealand \|Canterbury Railways from 1863; all were routes converted to {{RailGauge\|3ft6in}} by 1876.

class="wikitable"

Country/region

! Railway

id=Australia

|Australia

|{{Main article|Rail transport in South Australia|Rail transport in Victoria}}

Currently, the suburban rail networks in Adelaide, Melbourne, and most regional lines in Victoria (including some that cross the border into New South Wales) use {{RailGauge|5ft3in}}.

The {{convert|828|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long Melbourne–Adelaide rail corridor linking South Australia and Victoria, and some associated branch lines, was converted to standard gauge in 1995. The final {{convert|200|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} section of the North East line, Victoria and the {{convert|125|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long Oaklands railway line, which runs into New South Wales from Victoria, were converted to standard gauge in 2008–2010. The Mildura and Murrayville railway lines were converted to standard gauge in 2018.

Brazil

|{{Main article|Rail transport in Brazil}}

Lines connecting the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais; E.F.Carajás in Pará and Maranhão states, and Ferronorte in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. Used in older Metro systems. Although the metre-gauge network is almost five times longer,Rail_transport_in_Brazil Irish gauge is considered the standard by ABNT.Newer Metro systems use {{RailGauge|sg}} standard gauge. The current{{when|date=August 2021}} network is {{convert|4057|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}, 15% of the total Brazilian network.

Germany

|Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway 1840–1855{{cite web| url=http://www.breitspurbahn.de/| title=Breitspurbahn| author=Rieger, Bernhard| date=2006-04-23| access-date=2007-11-29| archive-date=10 September 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910031644/http://www.breitspurbahn.de/3000.html| url-status=dead}}

Island of Ireland

|{{Main article|Rail transport in Ireland}}

Following proposed projects of the Ulster Railway and Dublin and Drogheda Railway companies (using {{RailGauge|6ft2in}} and {{RailGauge|5ft2in}}, respectively), and existing issues of competing gauges in Great Britain, in 1843 the Board of Trade (with the advice of engineers Charles Pasley and George Stephenson) introduced the gauge as a compromise. The Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846 was passed to formalise the gauge used on the island of Ireland to 5 feet 3 inches (1600mm). {{As of|2013}} the network totals over {{convert|2730|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}, {{convert|2400|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}} in the Republic of Ireland{{cite web|url=http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=115&n=126|title=Infrastructure|work=Irish Rail|access-date=2013-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507035058/http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=115&n=126|archive-date=2013-05-07|url-status=dead}} and {{convert|330|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}} in Northern Ireland.

Switzerland

|Swiss Northern Railway between 1847 and 1854, converted to {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}.

Fun'Ambule Funicular in Neuchâtel, 330 m long, opened 27 April 2001.

New Zealand

|Canterbury Railways from 1863; all were routes converted to {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} by 1876.

Similar gauges

The Pennsylvania trolley gauges of {{RailGauge|5ft2.5in|lk=on}} and {{Track gauge|5ft2.25in}} are similar to this gauge, but incompatible. There is also a SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines gauge. See: Track gauge in Ireland.

Locomotives

File:Steam train leaving Great Victoria Street station - 1975 (geograph 3393960).jpg Steam train leaving Great Victoria Street station, 1975]]

Before the advent of diesel and electric traction, one of the advantages of the broader {{Track gauge|5 ft 3 in}} Irish gauge compared to {{Track gauge|4 ft 8.5 in}} was that more space between steam locomotive frames allows for a bigger firebox, enabling generation of more steam.

References

Category:Track gauges by name