Interesting reading from the European train world.
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interesting stuff. Didn't Spain already have something like this?
@mike.caruso posted:
Interesting reading from the European train world.
We had it in the States as well during the early steam era.
Yes and yes . . . Spain had some equipment with special axles and wheels that could allow adjusting between standard gauge (4 ft 8-1/2 in) and 5 ft gauge.
The East Broad Top used to take standard gauge cars in interchange, lift them off of their standard gauge trucks, and then roll narrow gauge trucks under them for operation on EBT. When returning them by reverse route, the original trucks were reapplied to the cars.
Interesting, I guess they never went the route of using standard gauge over the whole route because it wouldn't work given the narrow gauge tunnels and such?The ramp they use kind of sounds like one of those old rerailers you use in HO or N gauge, where it forces the wheels wider/narrower depending which way you go.
In the US as someone else mentioned if they didn't want to offload freight, they would literally move the car chasis from narrow gauge to wide gauge trucks. That was done in Europe as well, especially with trains travelling into Russia. The Russians at some point went to weird track gauges, with the specific intent of making it hard for invaders to use their rail network. Given how many times it was invaded, kind of made sense. In any even, I seem to recall they did the same thing when trains came from outside, switch trucks
@bigkid posted:Interesting, I guess they never went the route of using standard gauge over the whole route because it wouldn't work given the narrow gauge tunnels and such?
I think the economics couldn't support the cost. They had a lot invested in narrow gauge equipment and it was a fairly marginal operation anyway.
According to this video, Spain has been successfully dealing with multiple gauges since 1969.
(YouTube, about 6 1/2 minutes. )
I was in europe in the 80s and made a couple train trips into switzerland rode the narrow gauge trains in the swiss alps. On one trip we passed a lumber facility on the narrow gauge a few miles from the standard gauge interchange. There were some standard gauge cars in there that were riding on narrow gauge trucks with cradles to hold the standard gauge wheels sort of like logging disconnect trucks. The narrow gauge trucks were low or had a small depressed platform and the standard car truck sat on it.
The Rio Grande converted their line between Alamosa and Antonito Colorado to dual gauge track, with both standard gauge and 3' gauge sharing a common rail. They used special flat cars with couplers that could mate with either standard gauge or narrow gauge equipment. As a result you could have a train with both gauge equipment operating together.
Stuart
