Re: the rail puzzle
- From: Sawney Beane <beadleXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 00:57:14 -0500
That link pointed the way to clarification for me. George
Stephenson apparently devised the 56.5" gauge, and it came to
America on account of his son Robert.
Born in 1781, George went to work running a stationary engine at a
colliery when he was 14. At 18 he learned to read. He began
telling the owners that with an iron railway they could haul their
coal with 90% fewer horses.
In 1814 he demonstrated the first practical locomotive. Unlike
other designers, Stephenson depended on the traction of smooth
flanged wheels against smooth rails. It couldn't climb a steep
grade, but it was practical.
The following year he bought Robert, 12, a donkey and had him ride
it to school. Classmates ridiculed him as a bumpkin, but he
studied hard and became an outstanding engineer. Meanwhile, George
built the first railway that was entirely independent of animals.
If he'd been analytical he might have used a wider gauge.
Robert designed the new generation of locomotives, at least two of
which came to America. Americans quickly changed to their own
designs because Stephenson's outboard frames made his locomotives
too heavy and stiff for American railroads.
Most of the chairs in Robert's office were broken because his
father liked to wrestle an old friend. George left railroading to
become a chicken farmer. He found chickens would put on weight
faster if he locked them in dark boxes when they weren't eating.
Perhaps that kept them from wasting energy smiling at each other.
pierre poirier wrote:
*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
thx guys
I found this article, but I guess it's similar to your links
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/34.html
Canadian Mens Hockey Team - they wasn't smiling...
"Sawney Beane" <beadleXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43FF4584.9D5C634F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
pierre poirier wrote:
Where does the 4-foot, eight-and-a-half inch rail spacing come from?
A few years ago I got into trouble investigating that question. At
first I thought it was because I'd used a metric tape, but the
official who apprehended me told me it was because I'd used a metal
tape. Germans aren't the only people who don't smile.
In America and Britain, early railroads were built to the width of
local horsedrawn wagons, so gauges varied. For a wagon drawn by
pairs of horses abreast, a practical width was about 56". That's
how wide the mining wagons were where Robert Stephenson lived. To
avoid binding with flanged wheels, he spaced his rails 56-1/2"
apart.
Somewhere around 1831, a Maryland railroad built to that gauge to
accommodate a Stephenson locomotive. I don't know if any other
early American railroads used that gauge. Few English locomotives
were imported because Americans immediately improved on
Stephenson's design.
Congress said the Transcontinental Railroad should have that
spacing. In the 1880s it became the standard in America.
*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
*** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from
http://www.SecureIX.com ***
*** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from http://www.SecureIX.com ***
.
- References:
- the rail puzzle
- From: pierre poirier
- Re: the rail puzzle
- From: Sawney Beane
- Re: the rail puzzle
- From: pierre poirier
- the rail puzzle
- Prev by Date: Re: Happy Mardi Gras
- Next by Date: Re: Happy Mardi Gras
- Previous by thread: Re: the rail puzzle
- Next by thread: Re: the rail puzzle
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
