Rail gauge facts for kids

Rail gauge is the distance from the inside of one rail on a railroad track to the inside of the other. Most tracks use a standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft, 8 1/2 in). Wider gauges are called broad gauge(1676mm), smaller gauges are called narrow gauge(762mm or 610mm). Broad gauge may be used where the track needs to have big things moving on it. Narrow gauge, such as metre gauge(1000mm), is used to build railroads for less money, because the smaller track costs less. Places where different gauges meet are called break of gauge.

Images for kids

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  Map of the world's railways showing the different gauges in use. Black is standard gauge, Red is Russian gauge, Yellow is India gauge, Orange, between standard and Russian, Blue and purple, narrow gauge. (See map inset for details.)

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  Cross-section of triple-gauge track at Gladstone and Peterborough, South Australia, before gauge standardisation in 1970 (click to enlarge)

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  Mixed gauge track at Sassari, Sardinia: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge and 950 mm (3 ft 1 ³⁄₈ in)

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  Reconstructed mixed-gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge / 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) track at Didcot Railway Museum, England

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  Narrow gauge work train in an East Side Access cavern where standard gauge station for the Long Island Rail Road is nearing completion.

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  Track maintenance workers checking the gauge at Plymouth, England

See also

In Spanish: Ancho de vía para niños