The Damn Trains!

[graysev]

I have several videos from European countries.Between them and what I have read in Trains magazines,they say they are wider than American rails. 

[marmota-b]

I have several videos from European countries.

What countries are those?

(I now have a feeling that they might be just a smidge wider as a result of inches/metric, but that's just my feeling. After all, father often uses inches when he talks about gauges.)

As far as I know, from France through Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein (which is practically only one Austrian railway) to Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland it's all standard gauge. It's wider in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and Russia, too. I don't know for sure about all the other countries, but, as I mentioned in my previous post, I suppose it's standard in Hungary as well. And so are, I believe, Netherlands and Belgium (because I don't recall anyone talking about gauge problems when travelling from Germany to Netherlands).
Switzerland, from what I know from my father (and my own journey to Liechtenstein), has many railways, some standard, some narrow and who knows what else.

I suppose Chinese railways are similar to Russian ones.

[graysev]

China and Russia are the same.  There is one track in China,can't remember where right now,but the track is on an extremely high bridge.It seems as though the bridge is very skinny,at least to the viewer,but,in reality,it is wide.

[marmota-b]

OK:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Rail_gauge_world.png
I think it's proven that most of Europe has standard gauge.
Unless you count Russia as most of Europe just because of its land area.

[graysev]

You've done your homework. Good for you!

[marmota-b]

Father was on one of his railway trips, so I had to figure it out myself.

[graysev]

Sometimes that's the best way. 

[UNKNOWN Next to Arch Stanton]

Russia uses 5-foot gauge, although China is standard gauge like the U.S. Western Europe, however; meaning Spain and Portugal, use 5-foot guage. This slight difference in distance between the rails is noticeable in both FOFDM and TGTBATU.

[cigar joe]

Yea you do notice it if you look at trains a lot.

I see that a lot of images that I posted when this was a new topic are history.

[Cusser]

Durango to Silverton Coloado (still running) is a narrower gauge, built that way because of the terrain, for mining.

Of course, the ONLY time I was in Durango I actually had tickets for this, but starting THAT DAY the railway was closed due to fire threat.  We drove up, saw flames maybe about 1 mile from the raod; fear was that a coal could spark another fire (early 2000s).  So we went on a 4-hour "City Slickers" cattle round-up with the refund money (the girls all ride super well, I'm the greenhorn).

[UNKNOWN Next to Arch Stanton]

Supposedly, the tracks in FAFDM are  now gone, as are the tracks during the chain-cutting scene from TGTBATU.

[Senza]

Speaking of the damn trains, does anyone else crack up at Clint's reaction when the old man says "You better get outta here before I lose my temper!"?

[marmota-b]

I see that a lot of images that I posted when this was a new topic are history.

Unfortunately, so are apparently A1's posts...
If you've lost those pictures, I think I still have them all saved from when I was writing that paper. I'm a hoarder of pictures.

[cigar joe]

Unfortunately, so are apparently A1's posts...
If you've lost those pictures, I think I still have them all saved from when I was writing that paper. I'm a hoarder of pictures.

Thanks

[emiliaclarke]

Thanks for the great info