The 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) track gauge, also called the Scotch gauge, was adopted by early 19th century railways mainly in the
Lanarkshire area of
Scotland. It differed from the
gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) that was used on some early lines in
England. Early railways chose their own gauge, but later in the century interchange of equipment was facilitated by establishing a uniform rail gauge across railways: the '
standard gauge' of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm). In the early 1840s standard gauge lines began to be constructed in Scotland, and all the Scotch gauge lines were eventually
converted to standard gauge. The building of new Scotch gauge railways was outlawed in Great Britain in 1846 by the
Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846. From 1903,
tram lines of Tokyo adopted this gauge.
Scottish railways built to Scotch gauge
A small number of early to mid-19th century passenger railways were built to 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) Scotch gauge including:
Incorporated on 26 May 1826 and ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineers were
Thomas Grainger and
John Miller from
Edinburgh.[1][4]
Authorised on 21 July 1835 and opened on 3 April 1837 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineer was
Thomas Grainger.[4] Converted to Standard Gauge 1866.
In addition to the above lines, there were three railways, authorised between 1822 and 1835, that were built in the
Dundee area, to a gauge of 4 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1,384 mm). They were:
Grainger and Miller built another two railway lines in the same area to a gauge of
5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm).
Thomas Grainger is said to have chosen this gauge, since he regarded 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge as being too narrow and
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge as being too wide.[1] They were:
The
Lee Moor Tramway operated a Scotch Gauge line from 1899 to the early 1960s,[5] with the two 0-4-0ST locomotives built by
Peckett and Sons to there M4 Design. LEE MOOR No.1 (works number 783) is preserved at the Wheal Martyn Museum near
St. Austell and LEE MOOR No.2 (works number 784) is preserved at the
South Devon Railway, neither are operational. Both locomotives were originally preserved by the Lee Moor Tramway Preservation Group.[5]
The
standard gauge of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm), also known as the Stephenson gauge after
George Stephenson, was adopted in
Great Britain after 1846 after the passing of the
Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846.[6] A few remnants of old lines remain, but are non functional with the exception of one example of the
St Michael's Mount Tramway at
St Michael's Mount in
Cornwall. It is a partial underground railway that used to bring luggage up to the castle. It occasionally operates, but only for demonstration reasons and is not open to the general public, although a small stretch is visible at the harbour. It is therefore believed to be Britain's last functionally operational
Scotch gauge railway.[7][8]
Use in Japan
After the end of the Scotch gauge in Britain, the gauge was revived in Japan. Its origins date back to the
Tokyo Horsecar Railway, one of former horsecar operators in Tokyo, adopted 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) gauge in
1887.[9] Since
1903, most of the
tram network in Tokyo was built with 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) rail gauge, called "coach gauge" (馬車軌間, Basha Kikan). The use of this gauge extended to other suburban lines that through-operated onto the city tram network. Although Tokyo has abolished its major tram network (except the Arakawa Line), as of 2009 the following lines still used this gauge:
The
Keiō Line and its branches (excluding the
Inokashira Line). The reason to use 1372 mm in 1915 was to provide through service with the now-abolished Tokyo city tram.[10] Length: 72.0 km (44.7 mi). Commuter railways connecting Tokyo and its suburb operated by
Keio Corporation.
The
Toei Shinjuku Line.[10] Length: 23.5 km (14.6 mi). One of rapid transit lines in Tokyo, built to provide through service with the Keiō Line. Originally the Ministry of Transport intended the Keiō Line to convert to 1435 mm (so that the Shinjuku Line would have the same gauge as the
Asakusa Line for maintenance convenience), but the service area as of late 20th century was too densely populated to risk a massive disruption of the Keiō service, and the Shinjuku Line was constructed in 1372 mm instead.
The
Toden Arakawa Line.[10] Length: 12.2 km (7.6 mi). Only surviving line of Tokyo municipal tram.
^
abcdefghijklPopplewell, Lawrence (1989). A Gazetteer of the Railway Contractors and Engineers of Scotland 1831–1870. (Vol. 1: 1831–1870 and Vol. 2: 1871–1914). Bournemouth: Melledgen Press.
ISBN0-906637-14-7.
^
abcdefghijkRobertson, C.J.A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers.
ISBN0-85976-088-X.
^
abHateley, Roger (1977). Industrial Locomotives of South Western England. Greenford, Middlesex: Industrial Railway Society. p. 34.
ISBN0-901096-23-7.