why do railway tracks have to be the same distance apart?

Answer 1

Nice one.
It will be intersting to see who many people are actually daft enough to reply to your question as it doesnt need an explantion to anyone over three years of age.

Answer 2

Both rails on one track have to be a constant distance apart, because the wheels on a train are a constant distance apart. A derailment would otherwise result.

Two or more tracks do not have to be the same distance apart. This is glaringly obvious when two tracks join at a junction.

In a typical layout, the space between a double track is known as the "six foot", but when there are four or more, the large space between them is known as the "ten foot", even though these measurements may not be accurate in all cases.

The area between the rails of a track is known as the "four foot".

Answer 3

The wheels (trucks) of the train are the same distance apart. There is no way to move them on the train. Therefore the tracks have to be the same distance.

But the reason that the tracks are the distance apart that they are is because when the railroad (at least in the US) was being built. The distance is the same of that of the wagon wheels. The wagons would go first (hauling the rails) and they were placed in the "tracks" of the wagon wheels.

Answer 4

It would be a site to behold, a train going down the track with it's wheels moving in and out, because the tracks are not the same distance apart. You could name this train the see saw express.. I have seen a many of dum questions, but this one takes the cake hands down. Here's your Sign. Let's call it the Red Neck express.

Answer 5

Well David P pretty much answered the question, a standard gauge was adopted so that rolling stock (freight cars etc.) could easily be interchanged from one railroad to another. If you have one railroad that uses the standard gauge of Four feet Eight and a half inches, but another uses say a Three foot gauge. Well those cars and Locomotives can't run on standard gauge track, it's as simple as that.

So if there is a car load of goods that is on a narrow or broad gauge railcar it would have to be unloaded and reloaded to a Standard gauge car for delivery to a customer. It all equals out to time and money.

Answer 6

While the rest of the country used Stephenson's 4ft 8in gauge the English Great Western Railway used a gauge of 7ft until 1892 though most of the system used double gauge.
In Europe, Spain, Ireland and Russia use gauges of 5ft and 5ft 3in.
India has systems of different gauges.
The advantage of using the same gauge on adjoining lines is to permit through running of rolling stock, that is to avoid changing trains unnecessarily but maximum height and width of rolling stock is also a consideration.

Answer 7

Train tracks are the same distance apart because it was standardized by the English who based it on the width of a standard horse drawn carriage, which was based on the width of the ruts cut in stone roads made by roman chariots. Roman chariot width was established by the needed room to accommodate two horses side by side.
So, to sum it all up. The standard was created, as is normal in this world, by a couple of old, horses @sses.

Answer 8

This is so that trains can have a standard gauge for their wheels. If there were different widths for different tracks then the same trains could not be used all over the country without causing accidents!

Answer 9

Becuase the wheels on the train are the same distance apart.

Answer 10

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