Common track gauges and where to find them
This list is certainly not complete but it clearly shows that engineers were (and still are :-)...) good for a surprise.
| mm | ft in | found in /at... |
| 381 | 1' 3" | Fun fair and exhibition railroads; some public railroads in Great Britain |
| 457 | 1' 6" | Fun fair and exhibition railroads in the USA; some public railroads in Great Britain |
| 500 | 1' 7 11/16" | Mine and quarry lines; also used in brick works |
| 508 | 1' 8" | Romney Hythe, and Dimchurch Light Railway in Kent, GB |
| 533 | 1' 9" | Exhibition and tourist lines |
| 600(597) | 1' 11 5/8" | narrow gauge roads in Germany,Algeria, Brasil, Bulgaria, Chile, Poland, Romania, industrial and military roads |
| 610 | 2' | Former narrow gauge lines in Maine (USA), Australia, India, West- and South Africa, Venezuela |
| 700 | 2' 3 8/16" | Agricultural and plantation lines in Java and Cuba |
| 750 | 2' 5 1/2" | Germany, Egypt, Argentina, Ecuador, Finland, Indonesia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Russia |
| 760(762) | 2' 6" | Egypt, Australia, Brasil, Chile, Cuba, Senegal, India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Nigeria, Austria, Romania, Sri lanka, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Hungary |
| 785 | 2'6 7/8" | Upper Silesia, plant- and harbor lines in Denmark |
| 891 | 2' 11 7/16" | Sweden |
| 900 | 3' | Canada, Columbia, Cuba, Guatemala, Hawaii, Honduras, Ireland, Isle of Man, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Phillippines, East Africa, USA, Venezuela |
| 914 | 3' 1 3/8" | East Africa, Italy, Libya, Sicily |
| 1000 | 3' 3 3/8" | (meter gauge); Germany, Egypt, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brasil, Burma, Chile, China, Columbia, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Luxemburg, Madagascar, Malaya, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Thailand, Benin, Tunesia, Russia, Uganda, Hungary, Vietnam |
| 1050 | 3' 5 5/16" | Algeria, Hedschas Railroad, Israel, Lebanon, Syria |
| 1067 | 3' 6" | (Cape gauge); South Africa, Angola, Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Central Africa, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Phillippines, Rhodesia, Sweden, Sudan, Taiwan, Venezuala |
| 1100 | 3' 7 5/16" | Tramways |
| 1435 | 4' 8 1/2" | Standard gauge, found world wide |
| 1500 | 4' 11" | France measured between the railhead centers; equals standard gauge |
| 1524 | 5' | Finland, Iran, Poland, Russia |
| 1600 | 5' 3" | Australia, Brasil, Ireland |
| 1676 | 5' 6" | Argentina, Chile, India, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka |
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© 2009 by Erhard Baltrusch, Hamburg, Germany