Scotch gauge
Encyclopedia
Scotch gauge was the name given to a track gauge, that was adopted by early 19th century railways mainly in the Lanarkshire
area of Scotland
. It differed from the gauge of that was used on some early lines in England
; and from the standard gauge
of . Scotch gauge became obsolete in the early 1840s when standard gauge lines began to be constructed in Scotland, and all the lines were eventually converted
to standard gauge. Later, tram lines of Tokyo adopted this gauge in 1903.
A small number of early to mid 19th century passenger railways were built to Scotch gauge, they include:
The Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway.Whishall (2nd Edition) : Length: 10 miles (16 km). Authorised on 20 July 1806 and opened on 6 November 1810;
The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
. : Length: 10 miles (16 km). Authorised on 17 May 1824 and opened on 1 October 1826. The engineer was Thomas Grainger
.
The Ballochney Railway
. : Length: 6.5 miles (10.5 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1826 and opened on 8 August 1828.
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
. : Authorised on 26 May 1826 and opened in part on 4 July 1831.
The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. : Length: 8.25 miles (13.3 km). Incorporated on 26 May 1826 and ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831 for both passengers and goods. The engineers were Thomas Grainger
and John Miller
from Edinburgh
.
The Wishaw and Coltness Railway
. : Length: 11 miles (17.7 km). Incorporated on 21 June 1829 and partially opened on 21 March 1834. The engineers were Thomas Grainger
and John Miller
from Edinburgh
.
The Slamannan Railway
. : Length: 12.5 miles (20.1 km). Incorporated on 3 July 1835 and opened on 31 August 1840.
The Paisley and Renfrew Railway
. : Length: 3 miles (4.8 km). Authorised on 21 July 1835 and opened on 3 April 1837 for both passengers and goods. The engineer was Thomas Grainger
. Converted to Standard Gauge 1866.
Interestingly Robert Stephenson and Company
built a Scotch gauge locomotive
, the St. Rollox, for the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway; which was later sold to the Paisley and Renfrew Railway
.
All the lines were later relaid
in Standard gauge
.
area, to a gauge of . They were:
The Dundee and Newtyle Railway
. : Length: 10.5 miles (16.9 km).
The Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway. : Length: 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
The Newtyle and Glammis Railway. : Length: 10 miles (16 km).
). Thomas Grainger
is said to have chosen this gauge, since he regarded standard gauge
as being too narrow and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
's broad gauge
as being too wide. They were:
The Dundee and Arbroath Railway
; : Length: 14.5 miles (23 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part in October 1838.
The Arbroath and Forfar Railway
. : Length: 15 miles (24 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part on 24 November 1838.
and the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
, which both obtained Parliamentary Approval on 15 July 1837 and were later to become part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway
and the Caledonian Railway
, respectively, were built to standard gauge
from the start.
The standard gauge
of , also known as the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson
, was adopted in Great Britain
after 1846.
After the end of Scotch gauge in Britain, the gauge revived in Japan. Since 1903, most of tram network in Tokyo
was built with rail gauge. The use of this gauge extended to other suburban lines that projected through services to the city tram. Although Tokyo has abolished its major tram network, as of 2009, following lines still use this gauge:
The Keiō Line and its branches (excluding the Inokashira Line). : Length: 72.0 km. Commuter railways connecting Tokyo and its suburb operated by Keio Corporation.
The Toei Shinjuku Line
. : Length: 23.5 km. One of rapid transit lines in Tokyo built to provide through service with the Keiō Line.
The Toden Arakawa Line
. : Length: 12.2 km. Only surviving line of Tokyo municipal tram.
The Tōkyū Setagaya Line
. : Length: 5.0 km. Another tram line in Tokyo operated by Tokyu Corporation.
The Hakodate City Tram. : Length: 10.9 km. Only user of the gauge out of Greater Tokyo Area.
Former operators. : The Keisei Electric Railway
converted to standard gauge
in 1959.
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It differed from the gauge of that was used on some early lines in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; and from the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of . Scotch gauge became obsolete in the early 1840s when standard gauge lines began to be constructed in Scotland, and all the lines were eventually converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge. Later, tram lines of Tokyo adopted this gauge in 1903.
Scottish railways built to Scotch gauge
The Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway.Whishall (2nd Edition) : Length: 10 miles (16 km). Authorised on 20 July 1806 and opened on 6 November 1810;
The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was an early mineral railway running from a colliery at Monklands to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, Scotland....
. : Length: 10 miles (16 km). Authorised on 17 May 1824 and opened on 1 October 1826. The engineer was Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
.
The Ballochney Railway
Ballochney Railway
The Ballochney Railway was an early mineral railway built near Airdrie, in the Monklands District of Scotland.The railway was Incorporated on 19 May 1826 and was opened on 8 May 1828. Its main function was intended to be the transportation of coal, but iron ore and passengers were also carried. It...
. : Length: 6.5 miles (10.5 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1826 and opened on 8 August 1828.
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, also called the Innocent Railway, was Edinburgh's first railway. It carried coal from the mines in Lothian to its city centre terminus at St Leonards...
. : Authorised on 26 May 1826 and opened in part on 4 July 1831.
The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. : Length: 8.25 miles (13.3 km). Incorporated on 26 May 1826 and ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831 for both passengers and goods. The engineers were Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
and John Miller
John Miller (engineer)
John Miller was a civil engineer of the 19th century. He was born in Ayr and died in Edinburgh. He went into partnership with Thomas Grainger in 1825. The partnership was responsible for many of Scotland's great railway projects. Miller took the lead role in surveying the Edinburgh and Glasgow...
from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
The Wishaw and Coltness Railway
Wishaw and Coltness Railway
The Wishaw and Coltness Railway was an early Scottish railway. It ran for approximately 11 miles from Chapel Colliery, at Coltness, North Lanarkshire, to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, near Gartsherrie...
. : Length: 11 miles (17.7 km). Incorporated on 21 June 1829 and partially opened on 21 March 1834. The engineers were Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
and John Miller
John Miller (engineer)
John Miller was a civil engineer of the 19th century. He was born in Ayr and died in Edinburgh. He went into partnership with Thomas Grainger in 1825. The partnership was responsible for many of Scotland's great railway projects. Miller took the lead role in surveying the Edinburgh and Glasgow...
from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
The Slamannan Railway
Slamannan Railway
The Slamannan Railway was an early mineral railway built near Slamannan, Falkirk, Scotland, where it had coal and iron ore.The railway was Incorporated on 3 July 1835 and was opened on 31 August 1840. Its main function was intended to be the transportation of coal and passengers, but iron ore was...
. : Length: 12.5 miles (20.1 km). Incorporated on 3 July 1835 and opened on 31 August 1840.
The Paisley and Renfrew Railway
Paisley and Renfrew Railway
The Paisley and Renfrew railway was a railway line from the town of Paisley to its neighbouring town Renfrew; and to the River Clyde at Renfrew wharf. The railway was built to the Scotch gauge of...
. : Length: 3 miles (4.8 km). Authorised on 21 July 1835 and opened on 3 April 1837 for both passengers and goods. The engineer was Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
. Converted to Standard Gauge 1866.
Interestingly Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
built a Scotch gauge locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, the St. Rollox, for the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway; which was later sold to the Paisley and Renfrew Railway
Paisley and Renfrew Railway
The Paisley and Renfrew railway was a railway line from the town of Paisley to its neighbouring town Renfrew; and to the River Clyde at Renfrew wharf. The railway was built to the Scotch gauge of...
.
All the lines were later relaid
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
in Standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
4 ft 6½ in gauge
In addition to the above lines, there were three railways, authorised between 1822 and 1835, that were built in the DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
area, to a gauge of . They were:
The Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Railway
The Dundee and Newtyle Railway opened in 1831 and was the first railway in the north of Scotland. It was built to carry goods from Strathmore to the port of Dundee and was chartered with an Act of Parliament that received royal assent in 26 May 1826 and opened in 1831. The railway originally ran...
. : Length: 10.5 miles (16.9 km).
The Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway. : Length: 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
The Newtyle and Glammis Railway. : Length: 10 miles (16 km).
5 ft 6 in gauge
Grainger and Miller built another two railway lines in the same area to a gauge of , (Indian gaugeIndian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
). Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
is said to have chosen this gauge, since he regarded standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
as being too narrow and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
's broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
as being too wide. They were:
The Dundee and Arbroath Railway
Dundee and Arbroath Railway
The Dundee and Arbroath Railway was a railway link between those two towns in Scotland.-History:The railway company received its Parliamentary Act on 19 May 1836. It was planned as a gauge railway, because, at that time, it was expected to be a purely local railway with no connection to the...
; : Length: 14.5 miles (23 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part in October 1838.
The Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Arbroath and Forfar Railway
The Arbroath and Forfar Railway was a railway that ran from the North East coast of Scotland at Arbroath inland to Guthrie on the Aberdeen Railway and then west to Forfar where is connected with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway. It was incorporated on 19 May 1836.-History:The Arbroath and...
. : Length: 15 miles (24 km). Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part on 24 November 1838.
End of Scotch gauge
The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr RailwayGlasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway was a railway in Scotland that provided train services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. For a short period, it also provided West Coast services between Glasgow and London. Opened in stages between 1839 and 1848, the line ran from Paisley in the...
and the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was an early railway, which merged with the Caledonian Railway. It was created to provide train services between Greenock and Glasgow.-History:...
, which both obtained Parliamentary Approval on 15 July 1837 and were later to become part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
and the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
, respectively, were built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
from the start.
The standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of , also known as the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
, was adopted in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
after 1846.
Use in Japan
Tokyo Toden
The or simply Toden, is the streetcar network of Tokyo, Japan. Of all its former routes, only one, the Toden Arakawa Line, remains in service. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates the Toden...
was built with rail gauge. The use of this gauge extended to other suburban lines that projected through services to the city tram. Although Tokyo has abolished its major tram network, as of 2009, following lines still use this gauge:
The Keiō Line and its branches (excluding the Inokashira Line). : Length: 72.0 km. Commuter railways connecting Tokyo and its suburb operated by Keio Corporation.
The Toei Shinjuku Line
Toei Shinjuku Line
The is a subway line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . The line runs between Motoyawata Station in Ichikawa, Chiba in the east and Shinjuku Station in the west...
. : Length: 23.5 km. One of rapid transit lines in Tokyo built to provide through service with the Keiō Line.
The Toden Arakawa Line
Toden Arakawa Line
The is a streetcar line in Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates this line. The Arakawa Line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive Tokyo Toden streetcar system, but it is not the only tram line in Tokyo, as the privately owned Tōkyū Setagaya Line is also...
. : Length: 12.2 km. Only surviving line of Tokyo municipal tram.
The Tōkyū Setagaya Line
Tokyu Setagaya Line
The is a light rail line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyu Corporation. It runs from Sangen-Jaya to Shimo-Takaido, entirely within Setagaya, Tokyo....
. : Length: 5.0 km. Another tram line in Tokyo operated by Tokyu Corporation.
The Hakodate City Tram. : Length: 10.9 km. Only user of the gauge out of Greater Tokyo Area.
Former operators. : The Keisei Electric Railway
Keisei Electric Railway
The is a major private railway in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from and 成 from , which the railways main line connects. The combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railway's main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and...
converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1959.
Sources
- Awdry, ChristopherChristopher AwdryChristopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
(1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. - Robertson, C.J.A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers. ISBN 0-85976-088-X.
- Thomas, JohnJohn Thomas (author)John Thomas was a Scottish railway author based in Springburn, Glasgow.Most of his books were published by the Newton Abbot based publisher David & Charles.-Books:* The Springburn Story: The History of the Scottish Railway Metropolis. ....
(1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 6 Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders. Newton Abbott: David & CharlesDavid & CharlesDavid & Charles is a publisher. The company was founded - and is still based - in the market town of Newton Abbot, in Devon, UK, on 1 April 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield. It first made its name publishing titles on Britain's canals and railways...
. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6. - Popplewell, Lawrence (1989). A Gazetteer of the Railway Contractors and Engineers of Scotland 1831 - 1870. (Vol. 1: 1831 - 1870 and Vol. 2: 1871 - 1914). Bournemouth: Melledgen Press. ISBN 0-906637-14-7.
- Whishaw, Francis (1842). The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland practically described and illustrated. Second Edition. London: John Weale. Reprinted and republished 1969, Newton Abbott: David & CharlesDavid & CharlesDavid & Charles is a publisher. The company was founded - and is still based - in the market town of Newton Abbot, in Devon, UK, on 1 April 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield. It first made its name publishing titles on Britain's canals and railways...
. ISBN 0-7153-4786-1.