Re: Irish Gauge

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

David Lindstrom (D_Lindstrom@bigpond.com) wrote:
> On this subject I'd love to know what some of the advantages of the 5'3"
> gauge are over standard gauge.
> I recall reading an article in the Melbourne Herald sometime in the 1970s
> which said that an even broader gauge was also considered for Victoria (the
> seven feet and one quarter of an inch).

There's a reason for that. Back in the 1850s, the chief engineer to the
colony of Victoria did not have any experience building railways. He left
all the decisions to the consulting engineer to the Agent General in
London, a bloke by the name of I.K. Brunel. That's why Geelong - Ballarat
and Melbourne - Bendigo were built double track with all the trimmings, it
was the then GWR standard.

Cheers
David