Train track width and staying in the EU.

[BrilloPad]

The standard distance between railroad rails in the U.S. is four-feet, eight-and-a-half inches. Why? Because that’s what it was in England. Why? Because that’s the gauge the tramways used before the railroads. Why? Because the tramways were built using the same tools as wagon-builders and that’s how wide the wagon wheels were spaced. Why? Because the old roads in England had ruts that the wheels needed to accommodate. Why? Because the ruts were made by Imperial Roman chariots.

So lets stay in the EU as we can't change anything.

With "stay in the EU" people in charge we would still be travelling round on horses.

[BrilloPad]

An experimenter puts 5 monkeys in a large cage. High up at the top of the cage, well beyond the reach of the monkeys, is a bunch of bananas. Underneath the bananas is a ladder.

The monkeys immediately spot the bananas and one begins to climb the ladder. As he does, however, the experimenter sprays him with a stream of cold water. Then, he proceeds to spray each of the other monkeys.

The monkey on the ladder scrambles off. And all 5 sit for a time on the floor, wet, cold, and bewildered. Soon, though, the temptation of the bananas is too great, and another monkey begins to climb the ladder. Again, the experimenter sprays the ambitious monkey with cold water and all the other monkeys as well. When a third monkey tries to climb the ladder, the other monkeys, wanting to avoid the cold spray, pull him off the ladder and beat him.

Now one monkey is removed and a new monkey is introduced to the cage. Spotting the bananas, he naively begins to climb the ladder. The other monkeys pull him off and beat him.

The experimenter removes a second one of the original monkeys from the cage and replaces him with a new monkey. Again, the new monkey begins to climb the ladder and, again, the other monkeys pull him off and beat him – including the monkey who had never been sprayed.

By the end of the experiment, none of the original monkeys were left and yet, despite none of them ever experiencing the cold, wet, spray, they had all learned never to try and go for the bananas.

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And hence we should stay in the EU.

[FatLazyContractor]

Is there a European standard for distance between legs ?

[stek]

The standard distance between railroad rails in the U.S. is four-feet, eight-and-a-half inches. Why? Because that’s what it was in England. Why? Because that’s the gauge the tramways used before the railroads. Why? Because the tramways were built using the same tools as wagon-builders and that’s how wide the wagon wheels were spaced. Why? Because the old roads in England had ruts that the wheels needed to accommodate. Why? Because the ruts were made by Imperial Roman chariots.

So lets stay in the EU as we can't change anything.

With "stay in the EU" people in charge we would still be travelling round on horses.

The railway gauge in Ireland is 5'3", Finland has the Russian gauge (5'0") and in Spain and Portugal it's 5'6".

In the UK in the West Country we had Brunel's Broad Gauge, 7'0" until 1892.

[Chuck]

If the Romans started it, do the Italians have the same gauge as us?

Presumably the French and Belgians have the same otherwise how do Eurostar trains work over there?

[DimPrawn]

The railway gauge in Ireland is 5'3", Finland has the Russian gauge (5'0") and in Spain and Portugal it's 5'6".

In the UK in the West Country we had Brunel's Broad Gauge, 7'0" until 1892.

You are Gricer and I claim my 5 free homosexual innuendos.

[Eirikur]

The whole train track thing is mostly a hoax.

Railroad Gauges and Roman Chariots : snopes.com

[stek]

The whole train track thing is mostly a hoax.

Railroad Gauges and Roman Chariots : snopes.com

It was. I read somewhere it was something to do with the early rails being flanged, not the wheels and it was set at 4'6" - when standard bullhead rails came out and the wheels flanged and the rails moved outwards a bit.

[stek]

If the Romans started it, do the Italians have the same gauge as us?

Presumably the French and Belgians have the same otherwise how do Eurostar trains work over there?

On the Transsiberian the train has it's bogies changed in a big shed, from the Russian gauge to standard gauge for China and Mongolia.

France and Belgium are standard gauge, Ireland 5'3" (Broad Gauge), Finland, Estonia and Lithuania are 5'0" (Russian Gauge), and Spain and Portugal are 5'6" (Iberian Gauge).

Why do I know this?

[mudskipper]

It was. I read somewhere it was something to do with the early rails being flanged, not the wheels and it was set at 4'6" - when standard bullhead rails came out and the wheels flanged and the rails moved outwards a bit.

flange - there's a good word.