Re: NG v SG

["Ben Staples" <98711576@feline.hawkesbury.uws.EDU.AU>]

Bill Bolton wrote in message <370b122d.8111228@news.bigpond.com>...
>The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose
>from.
>
>If Australia had adopted 1067mm as the national standard, it would
>have had common gauge with our two nearest rail operating neighbour
>nations.
>
>However, just getting the distance between the rails the same is a
>still a very long way from and adequate compatibility for
>inter-operation of rolling stock across multiple national systems.


I guess this displays one of the disadvantages of rail. If a train (double
stacked for instance) comes to a low bridge, it cannot go around it, while a
truck would be able to. This also highlights the greater need for railways
(railroads) to follow consistent standards. And as you said, it is not only
track gauge that disables train operation across borders. It would be quite
amusing if traffic light colours all meant different things in each state.

Ben Staples