# How did railroads re-gauge?



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

A lot has been written about railroads re-gauging from various gauges to standard gauge. It is easy to see how the tracks could be re-gauged and they were often re-gauged virtually overnight but how did the railroads re-gauge their locomotives and rolling stock?

I can understand how a minor gauge difference might be possible but even then how would the wheels (especially of a locomotive) be re-gauged?

It would seem that to re-gauge from narrow gauge to standard gauge with the same locomotives and rolling stock would be almost impossible. Granted the trucks on rolling stock could be replaced with trucks with longer axles but even then it is hard to imagine.

For a railroad to replace all its locomotives and rolling stock with the same in a different gauge would seem almost impossible both financially and physically.

How did they do it?

Jerry


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

It would seem that to re-gauge from narrow gauge to standard gauge with the same locomotives and rolling stock would be almost impossible 
To true. They went out and bought some new ones to replace the old.


----------



## msimpson (Jan 5, 2009)

Don't forget that many of the narrow gauge railways, both in the US and the UK, dealt heavily in the used equipment market. A line going standard gauge could either sell off it's narrow gauge stock or transfer it to a related narrow gauge entity. A new or expanding narrow gauge concern was likely to find used equipment markedly cheaper, although perhaps in need of substantial repairs. A multi-gauge builder, like Baldwin or Lima, might take a trade in. 

Thus, if you go to the California Railroad Museum at Sacramento, you will see the Nevada Northern three foot business car, converted to luxury living by authors Beebe and Clegg. Except, under the paint, it revealed that it was originally on the Live Oak, Perry, and Guld (Florida) three foot, the old "Lopping Gopher." 

The Uintah (Utah-Colorado) Mallets ended up on the Sumter Valley (Oregon). Several of the early Gilpin (Colorado) two foot Shays went to the Silver City, Los Altos, and Mogolloon (New Mexico). 

Wales had a number of "nominally" two foot railways -- For obscure reasons, the guage might be anywhere from 1'10 1'2" to an even two feet. When equipment moved from one gauge to a not-exactly other gauge, they were sometimes re-gauged by driving the tires in or out on the wheel. The tire -- the outer flanged part of the wheel -- is separate, a tight friction fit, I assume so the whole thing did not have to be replaced when it wore. Knock the tires on each side out another 1/2 inch and the gauge is now an inch wider. Limited to relatively small adjustments, of course. 

Also, there are numerous instances when rolling stock was moved from one set of trucks to another. This allowed relatively large gauge adjustments. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Narrow gauge is the land of idiosyncracies, eccentrics, and cheapness. Whenever a little hired sweat could substitute for money, someone was liable to try it. 

Best regards, Mike


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Here a few accounts of gauge change.

The Days They Changed the Gauge[/b]

The 'ERIE' Goes Standard[/b]

The Day They Changed the Gauge[/b]


----------



## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

They fired up the computer, went on-line, ordered a Patented Re-Gauger, when it cam in, they applied it to the rails, and (before 1920) hand-cranked it, and after 1929 used their cordless regauging driver. 

Whatreya, new?


----------



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

There's a large Kirow hydraulic rail crane that is currently used between the standard gauge and metre gauge lines in Switzerland, and to switch they use the hydraulic stabilizers to jack each end up, roll out the trucks, and roll in the alternate trucks. 

Keith


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Some stuff just got standard guage trucks put under it, some looked good, other bits looked daft. 

The NC&StL regauged some 3' gauge 2-8-0 Baldwins from the Nashville and Tuscaloosa here in Nashville, becoming N&C class H1. Looked tiny, kind of like a Glover loco. See description and pix here: 

http://books.google.com/books?id=Km...v=onepage&q=NC&StL centerville branch&f=false 

TOC, I remember a tube re-gauger, had a normal keyboard interface. These were before the solid state ones that had built in card readers tho.


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are some converted cars. Honestly, they remind me of the "O" gauge version of the American Flyer "flyer" passenger cars. Just the S ones with new trucks! 

http://www.taplines.net/floridarailway/part2/flary2.html


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I appreciate everyone's comments.

It appears that regauging was more common from broad gauge to standard gauge and not very common from narrow gauge to standard gauge.

I was aware that the South had a gauge incompatible with the North (somewhat like the USSR had a gauge incompatible with their neighbors). I believe the USSR did it to complicate any invasion plans and had trucks available in different gauges to get their rolling stock from one country to another.

It must have been a major challenge to regauge a locomotive. The stories were interesting.

Any additional information/stories would be appreciated.

What had started my curiosity was a photo of NYC flatcars with loads of narrow gauge coaches to deliver.

Thanks,

Jerry


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Actually Jerry, there were a LOT of NG lines converted to standard gauge. Not sure where you got your assumption?


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 26 May 2010 05:57 PM 
{snip...} I was aware that the South had a gauge incompatible with the North (somewhat like the USSR had a gauge incompatible with their neighbors). I believe the USSR did it to complicate any invasion plans and had trucks available in different gauges to get their rolling stock from one country to another. {snip...}[/i]
As did Canada at the beginning (e.g. a gauge of 5'-6"), because of fears of war between England and the U.S. 


Posted By Jerry McColgan on 26 May 2010 05:57 PM 
{snip...}[/i] Any additional information/stories would be appreciated. {snip...}[/i]
Here's a link to a previous MLS topic where this was discussed.

Beginner's Forum/Topic: why the different sizes of G scale trains[/b]

Other suggestions would be to use Google and search using 'change of gauge', and don't forget Google Books, there's a lot of information. In many cases there was great opposition to the changing of the gauge (e.g. The Erie change).


Posted By Jerry McColgan on 26 May 2010 05:57 PM 
{snip...}[/i] What had started my curiosity was a photo of NYC flatcars with loads of narrow gauge coaches to deliver. {snip...}[/i]
An interesting fact that I ran across when doing research on the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn RR, was that although it was a narrow gauge road all of the cars they purchased were built to Standard Gauge dimensions, as were the ties they laid their rail upon. Simply because it was less expensive, than if they had had them built to narrow gauge dimensions.


----------



## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

We don't need to re-gauge. We are large scale. We just change the scale from 1:20.3 to 1:32. 

Actually, I live on the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR. R-O-W. It was changed from 3'-0" to 4'-8-1/2" at the turn of the century 1901. I have narrow gauge spikes and standard gauge spikes which we have dug up along the driveway. I have dozens of photos of my backyard 100+ years ago. According to the book, it was change gauge 8 years prior to a major realignment to straighten out the narrow gauge curves. New equipment was purchased as this was incorporated as a new railroad due to accidents, trestle collapse, and financial failures of the past. The railroad on the north side of the Mason-Dixon Line was converted 5 years prior as a part of the separation of the railroad under a bankruptcy. No details are given on widening the railroad. The same trestles was used.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By Spule 4 on 26 May 2010 06:50 PM 
Actually Jerry, there were a LOT of NG lines converted to standard gauge. Not sure where you got your assumption? 
Hi Garrett,

I was referring to the conversion of narrow gauge locomotives to standard gauge locomotives - not the rails.

Jerry


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mia culpa!


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 26 May 2010 07:00 PM 
As did Canada at the beginning (e.g. a gauge of 5'-6"), because of fears of war between England and the U.S. 



Hi Steve,

According to books I have read I believe that Canada's different gauge was not because of fear of war between the USA and England but rather from fear of invasion by the USA to take over all or part of Canada.

I believe this is true and that the fear was based on legitimate (documented) grounds.

Jerry


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

At the frame that the decision was made regarding the choice of 5'-6" gauge, for all intents and purposes Canada was England. So whether the dispute started between Canada & the U.S., or started between the U.S. and England proper would have been of little consequence.


----------



## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

I would not call it a standard practice because it was only one railroad, but:

The Grande did a regauge in a piecemeal way. It would first lay a third rail beside the narrow gauge track. Thus you hac three rails, say the left an inner at 3 foot and the left and right at 4 fott 8 1/2 inches. When they got enough track set up they removed the inner rail leaving a standard gauge trak where the narrow gauge used to be.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

One thing that I don't understand is that a lot of railroads were 4' 9" (Ohio Gauge) rather than 4' 8 1/2" yet the gauges were not compatible.

Did 1/2" really matter that much? It is less than a 1% change which would seem to have been within a reasonable tolerance.

Why"

Did they have to regauge their locomotives and rolling stock for 1/2"?

Jerry


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't for certain, but I remember reading somewhere that when the Erie changed gauge they actually went to the 4'-9" then gradually went to the 4'-8.5" standard gauge. And they ran standard gauge equipment on the 4'-9" gauged rails but at reduced speed because of the mismatch, also I remember reading something about wheels with wider than normal treads too.


----------



## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

When the GWR changed from 7ft=1/2inch to standard gauge they did it over one weekend.Stock could have been a problem but they did have some standard gauge lines and had been building'convertible' locos and stock in readiness,these were of course re-gauged as designed but the 'proper' broad gauge stock was scraped.I have some photos of the scrap lines full of stock at Swindon,there is a lot of it. 
David


----------



## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Jerry, the perfect person to as about the 1/2 inch difference would be RJ... his years as a track inspector for the Federal Railroad Administration would be able to document the answer to this better than I could... but I'll try anyways.

That half-inch of "slop" in the guage could be very critical. Infact, they say that a tight gage is much less a problem then loose gage. If teh wheels gauge is 1/2 smaller than the track, the train will have a tendancy to "hunt", or bounce from one flange to the other... oscilating back and forth down the track. This could eventually setup a harmonic vibration resulting in a rather spectacular derailment. It could also lead to problems as the train bounced one way as it went into the frogs of a switch.


You would think that it wouldn't matter much when dealing with the thousands of tons of freight that the railroads carry these days, but the tracks are gaged to exactly 4' 8.5" even today.


----------

