What is the standard gauge for tracks in North America?

Answer 1

Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a gauge of 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in), which is known as the standard or international gauge.

The stuff about Ancient Rome setting track width in North America is poppycock.

Early origins of the standard gauge

There is a story that rail gauge was derived from the rutways created by war chariots used by Imperial Rome, which everyone else had to follow to preserve their wagon wheels, and because Julius Caesar set this width under Roman law so that vehicles could traverse Roman villages and towns without getting caught in stone ruts of differing widths.

A problem with this story is that the Roman military did not use chariots in battle. However, an equal gauge is probably coincidence. Excavations at the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum revealed ruts averaged 4 ft 9 in (1448 mm) center to center, with a gauge of 4 ft 6 in (1372 mm). The designers of both chariots and trams and trains were dealing with a similar issue, namely hauling wheeled vehicles behind draft animals.

A more likely theory why the 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) measurement was chosen is that it reflects vehicles with a 1524 mm (5 ft) OUTSIDE gauge.

Answer 2

The Romans, Railroads and the Space Shuttle
The vast Roman empire created a network of roads for legions and trade which which are still is use today throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Thus, the old saying, "All roads lead to Rome."

The standard wheel spacing of an Imperial Roman war Chariot was 4 feet, 8.5 inches. (approximatley the same with of two horses' behinds) Those ancient wheels dug deep ruts into the roads. In England, wagon makers continued using the ancient Roman's wheel spacing throughout the ages, because changing the spacing would cause wheels to break when they dropped into an ancient Roman Chariot rut.

Later, English engineers working on their railroads used the same jigs and tools that were used for building wagons which required the ancient Roman wheel spacing. The US railroads were also engineered by English immigrants using those same time honored tools. Which explains the unusual US standard railroad gage width of 4 feet, 8.5 inches between rials.

NASA Engineers in Utah working on the solid rocket boosters, or SRB's for the space shuttle, wanted the diameter of the boosters to be significantly larger, but they were forced to design longer thinner SRB's, because the railroad line transporting the SRB's to the launch pad in Florida had to pass through a narrow mountain tunnel which was slightly wider then the tracks.

Thus, the design one of the most advanced forms of transportation, heading into one of the great last frontiers was determined more then 2000 years before, by width of a horses ***. Rome is truly an "Eternal City."

Answer 3

I don't know the actual distance between the tracks but have read that it is the same distance between the wheels of a Roman chariot. One of the many things that the ancient Roman empire influences to this day!

Answer 4

Track guage is simple the distance from the inside of one rail to the inside of the other rail.... as stated about its 56.5 inches or 1435 MM

Answer 5

4' 81/2"

Answer 6

56.5 inches