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| Hi all, I copied the following from an email sent to me by a freind, can anyone confirm or flame it? The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? (...) (25 years ago, 25-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| There is a more basic theory.. The 4'8 1/2" is measured to the inside edges of the rails. When the original railways were pioneered in Britain using horse/gravity power and correspondingly lighter section rail (40lb/foot) there is evidence to (...) (25 years ago, 25-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| (...) Otherwise known as a 2 CV :), oh, btw, they are _not_ two horsepower, since a Cheveaux is more than one horsepower...another mecanical oddity for you brought to you by the French... James P (25 years ago, 25-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| (...) brought (...) Thanks for that James, it's a literal translation which is about as accurate as the general French opinion of British Beef. Jon (25 years ago, 25-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| (...) I see your a Straight Dope fan too. (URL) - Barbara (25 years ago, 26-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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| (...) That was one of the best parts of the SL Weekly. (25 years ago, 26-Feb-00, to lugnet.trains)
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