What is the minimum radius of a railroad track?
What is the minimum radius of a railroad track? In North America, equipment for unlimited interchange between railway companies is built to accommodate for a 288-foot (87.8 m) radius, but normally a 410-foot (125.0 m) radius is used as a minimum, as some freight carriages (freight cars) are handled by special agreement between railways that cannot take the sharper ...
Why are train tracks so narrow?
Narrow gauge railroads tend to cost less to build, but may have lower weight limits. Standard gauge lines may cost more initially, but typically weight limits will be higher.
Why are railroad tracks 4 feet 8 inches?
WHEN Stephenson was building the Stockton to Darlington railway, he decided on the gauge by measuring the axle width of 100 farm wagons and taking the average, the result being 4ft 8 in. He may have intended to allow local people to use the track to convey goods with their own wagons.