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What is considered narrow gauge?

A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1/2 in) standard gauge. Most narrow-gauge railways are between 600 mm ( 1 ft 11+5/8 in) and 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in).



Narrow gauge refers to any railway track where the distance between the inside edges of the rails is less than the international "standard gauge" of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in). Most narrow-gauge systems worldwide range between 600 mm (1 ft 11.6 in) and 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). These systems are historically popular in mountainous or difficult terrain because they allow for tighter curves and smaller tunnels, significantly reducing construction costs. Famous examples include the Disneyland Railroad (3 ft gauge) and the extensive 3 ft 6 in networks in Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. While they are more cost-effective and charming, narrow-gauge trains are generally limited to lower speeds and have reduced stability compared to standard or broad-gauge trains, which is why they are often used today for heritage lines, industrial mining, or regional transit in geographically challenging areas.

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Clearly, it is safe to assume that Japan's choice of the 3'6 narrow gauge was based more on the cheaper construction cost than on the demands of topography. Norway gradually replaced its narrow gauge track with standard gauge but Japan did not take this road because of economic and military considerations.

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An example of a meter is a parking meter where it shows you how much time you have left. Gauges also measure how much of something we have. Gauges are most often used in situations where the thing we are measuring changes all the time, such as in the measuring of volume of something we are using.

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