[AuRavelling79]

I did - and did you know that it was perpetuated by Stephenson in the North-East (cue Tosh for comment) at 4ft 8.5" wide.

Now - down here from London to the South West Brunel laid the Great Western Railway with a width of 7ft 0.25" and so trains were wider, faster and more comfortable. (They could top 70mph in the 1860's which was pretty good) But they cost more to build and so the smaller (now standard) gauge won and was adopted throughout mainland Britain.

Since 1892 no broad gauge trains have run.

Malc "Choo choo" G!

[Chris Cottrell]

Anyone lend me a rain mack?

[windows_chepstow]

Did you know.................. that the width of the rails goes all the way back to Roman chariots?

Well, it wasn't exactly Roman chariots, but their carts.  They know this from the wear marks left in the roads by the wheels of carts that passed through the various gates in Hadrian's Wall.  I could also bore you to death with the link from Roman carts wheels, right upto the modern railway gauge.

But I won't.  Wor Lass says it's time I stopped being a computer nerd and had a bath, which means she's got ulterior motives in store for me!  I wish she wouldn't!

Oh, don't believe Hadrian's Wall seperated Roman England from the 'wild Scottish' either.  The wall finished at Wallsend (funnily enough, but pronounced 'Waaaallsend' in Geordieland) and the rest of the Roman barrier was formed by the River Tyne.  

That means Geordies were north of the wall too; undefeated by the Romans.

Unlike people like MalcG, who were subservient to the Italians.

[AuRavelling79]

Anyone lend me a rain mack?

I've got a spare anorak!

[AuRavelling79]

That means Geordies were north of the wall too; undefeated by the Romans.

Unlike people like MalcG, who were subservient to the Italians.

Sorry Tosh - wrong there me old fruit!

Hadrian's son Antonius Pius built the Antonine wall From the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde roughly from East Edinburgh to West Glasgow, so well encompassing Geordie land.

Mind you I give you the fact that no Roman reached Japan!

I've got more Anoraks than you could ever imagine, sad sad git that I am!

[Chris Cottrell]

Changed my mind .............got any razor blades?

[AuRavelling79]

Changed my mind .............got any razor blades?

Preferably rusty!

[Chris Cottrell]

you know where im goin

[rosskesava]

Now for another really sad 'did you know'......

The term vandal come from a rogue group of pillagers who lived in Spain years and years ago who pillaged and all that stuff.

Well...... years and years ago when the railways expanded into the countryside there was huge and fierce opposition to those dirty, smelly and noisy contraptions. The builders of the railways did deals with those upper class twitts who owned the land and thus the railways walked all over small holdings, farms and homesteads.

So ...... those who built the railways were called  .... 'vandals'...

 

[AuRavelling79]

And they built the railways in Spain to 5ft 3" gauge (cuz they didn't think that anyone would connect with the rest of Europe over the Pyrenees mountains into France)

Wahaaay! Yet another Anorak, with gold epaulettes, a model railway badge and crossed razor blades for Chris C!

[Chris Cottrell]

Lovely



Cheers





Really







Honestly








 : : :

[AuRavelling79]

Lovely



Cheers





Really







Honestly








 : : :

 

[rosskesava]

I just knew from the bottom of my heart just how interesting the subject would be.

Thanks all.

I have a warm glow in my heart now.

 

[Newwfpgatherer]

Did you know.................. that the width of the rails goes all the way back to Roman chariots?

Did you know the American Space Shuttle measurements also had to take into consideration the tracks it was to be carried on to the launch pad...
Yep,  Roman Chariots, same width...
It's true I read that on NASA somewhere
Chariots of fire!

Pj

[Chris Cottrell]

 

[rosskesava]

Hi The Cleaner Service

I find that interesting and nope, I'd never read that anywhere.

Cheers for that.

[Sir Squeaky]

Did you know the American Space Shuttle measurements also had to take into consideration the tracks it was to be carried on to the launch pad...

Well they couldn't just make the track to fit.

What with NASA being so skint and everything....

[rosskesava]

How about this one then?

When a car goes around a corner the outside wheel needs to turn faster than the inside wheel so a car has a diiferential in the axle between the wheels to accomodate this so as the power to both wheels is proportionately to each wheels requirements.

The axal on a train wheels is fixed. In other words, both wheels turns together and cannot rotate indipendantly of each other.

Yet a train goes around bends and the wheels on the same axle in effect go at different speeds whilst being fixed to each other and unable to rotate separately to each other.

The answer is so simple but I bet no one can work it out. How can two wheels on a fixed axle go around a corner with out one wheel slipping?

I was amazed at the simple ingenuity of the Victorians to over come that problem.

Very early trains could only go in straight lines because of that problem.

I'm a world class anorak aren't I?

[Newwfpgatherer]

Nice one Ross

This should be a new and unique thread.  Give me time....

Errmmm.....

Is it anything to do with .......Naaaa.........emmm......

E=mc2?

Pj

[AuRavelling79]

Ross - doesn't the axle remain fixed and the wheels rotate on the end of it on roller bearings?