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MSTS Gauge sizes

Started by Johansteam 18 posts 7 min read

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JohansteamCharter Member · 341 posts

I know a Stupid Question deserves a Stupid Answer, but, could someone please tell me the correct size of the Narrow Gauge ( 3' 6" ) in MSTS?
Johan.

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RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, mvolt3, Mar-25-03, 01:27 PM, (1) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, wacampbell, Mar-25-03, 03:20 PM, (2) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, baldwin, Mar-25-03, 04:25 PM, (3) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, mrmustard11, Mar-25-03, 08:03 PM, (4) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Johansteam, Mar-26-03, 04:22 AM, (5) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, baldwin, Mar-26-03, 09:18 AM, (6) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, TrainFreak, Mar-27-03, 04:40 AM, (11) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, dvdhoven, Mar-27-03, 01:18 PM, (13) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, TrainFreak, Mar-28-03, 06:00 AM, (15) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Johansteam, Mar-28-03, 10:27 AM, (16) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, OkrasaGhia, Mar-26-03, 12:21 PM, (7) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Johansteam, Mar-26-03, 03:48 PM, (8) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, OkrasaGhia, Mar-27-03, 12:27 PM, (12) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Johansteam, Mar-27-03, 02:12 PM, (14) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Overkill211, Mar-26-03, 10:58 PM, (9) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, cjmaclean, Mar-27-03, 04:06 AM, (10) RE: MSTS Gauge sizes, Magick_maker, Mar-28-03, 08:03 PM, (17)

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mvolt3Charter Member · 36 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

JohansteamI going with 3 foot gauge. I Have never heard of 3'6" gauge in the real world but that doesn't mean it didn't exist. I used to work on the WF&P here in St. Louis, MO. with its 12 inch gauge. I'm possitive that MSTS is 3 foot gauge.

Dwight / MSTS NG Goose#6

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baldwinCharter Member · 370 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

I think the UK had the most variety of NG gauges ranging from 15 inches to 4 feet with a goodly selection in between. As far as modelling them is concerned, you have three choices. Standard MSTS Gauge, Xtracks which is about 3foot, or UKNG which is about 2foot. The latter two are the best choice for track, you just have to choose which one and make your model to correct scale with a wider or narrower gauge.JohansteamAll you have to remember is whatever the track gauge, MSTS is modelled on a scale of 1:1.mervyn@madasafish.com

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mrmustard11Charter Member · 10 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

The US alone had a variety of gauges. The most common are:
3': "standard" narrow gauge
3' 6" (42"): Mostly used by logging roads. The Arcata and Mad River and the Newfoundland Railways (Later CN) were 42" along with some others that have slipped my mind.
30": Industrial railroads used this gauge mostly, the Coronado Railroad is a good example
2': Maine had a large system of 2 foot, the Gilpin tram in CO was another 2' RR
Meter Gauge: There were a few meter gauge lines in the US, but not many.
18": Used by mining companies mostly.-=Andrew=-

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JohansteamCharter Member · 341 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

I must say that this Topic got very interesting. I always noted that some "Simmers" mentioned the "Narrow gauge" as 3', this size I thought, were an abreviation of the 3' 6"?. Our gauge size in SA, is actually 3' 6". I never knew that there were actually 3' gauge around....shows you? Never too old to learn.
I recall a figure of 1062? Is this the MSTS version of 4' something?
If it is, what would the 3' be?
Thanks everyone, for the info, up until here.
Johan.

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MSTS Gauge sizes – image 1
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3e8171125c701171.jpg

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baldwinCharter Member · 370 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

1062 in mm gives a gauge of 3.48'. 4' would be 1219mm and 3.5' would be 1066.8mm. The meter or metre gauge is 3.28'.
mervyn@madasafish.com

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TrainFreakCharter Member · 489 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

3'6" gauge (1067mm) absolutely exists. it is still very common in Australia, Japan (virtually all of Japan's railway lines except the Shinkansen lines are 3'6" gauge), South and East Africa and New Zealand. It also once was very common in Norway and Sweden, amongst other countries.

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dvdhovenCharter Member · 1954 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

Hi,1067mm was popular in the Netherlands too. It was called Kaapspoor to the town Cape Town in South Africa. In Dutch this town is called Kaapstad. Dutch railroad constructors considered South Africa as the origin of 1067mm gauge.Dick van den HovenMSTS Gauge sizes – image 2

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TrainFreakCharter Member · 489 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

Actually, Norway had 1067mm gauge before South Africa. It is called CAP-gauge. CAP stands for Carl Abraham Pihl - the director of Norway's railroads which coined the idea that Norway's railroad should have a narrower gauge than what was then common in order to be built more cheap (Norway was a poor country at the time).

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JohansteamCharter Member · 341 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

LAST EDITED ON Mar-28-03 AT 10:29 AM (EDT)

Trainfreak, very interesting info there ! Our 3' 6" Gauge were mainly chosen because of the Mountainous terrains, in South Africa. Sure we do have some very flat areas as well, but to change the gauge to suit that areas, will be a very expensive operation. We also have Narrow gauge Railways...( To our standard ) It is 24" ( 2' ) Gauge. These railways are in the Eastern Cape, and in Kwa Zulu-Natal, Provinces. Obviously they mainly run in the mountains. The East Cape were mainly for Fruit and the Natal, main for Sugar Cane.
Johan.

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OkrasaGhiaCharter Member · 818 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

Most any gauge has beemn used somewhere sometime even if only for a short period.
In my home country 891mm was a fairly common gauge which fits quite nicely with the XTracks narrow gauge tracks. What I had in mind when doing them was an approximate 3' gauge. The tracks are actually scaled 60% from standard tracks.


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasaghia @ yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia/XTracks

MSTS Gauge sizes – image 3

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JohansteamCharter Member · 341 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

Okrasa and Baldwin, thanks for the input.
Okrasa, it slipped my mind, i should have asked you, what size did you make the "NG" in XTracks.
Johan.

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OkrasaGhiaCharter Member · 818 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

As I said they are 60% of the standard tracks which makes them 861mm between insides of rails. Outside of rails are then 1041mm apart.
As with the standard tracks the width of the rails is oversize.
I think them decent for representing anything in the range 850~1100mm approximately.
The UKNG tracks can be used for tracks with gauges <850mm as they are something like 717mm if I remember correctly.


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasaghia @ yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia/XTracks

MSTS Gauge sizes – image 4

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JohansteamCharter Member · 341 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

Okrasa, thanks for that info. i had to digest your first explanation first, prior to understand, what you meant. English is not my tongue language.
All the other Simmers's info, is also very interesting and an eyeopener. As i've said.....never too old to learn.
Johan.

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Overkill211Charter Member · 109 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

From what I'm informed on:
4' 8.5" = Standard gauge. Used by all "class 1" North American railroads.
3' 6" = The cable cars in San Francisco, and LARy (Los Angeles Railway). There are plenty of other examples, but these are the only 2 I'm 100% sure on.
3' = Logging railroads and "class 2" railroads.

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cjmacleanCharter Member · 1668 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

As for Germany, the most common narrow gauges are 1000 mm (metre gauge) and 750 mm (which equals 2.46'). However, 600 mm (1.96') and 900 mm (2.95') may be found as well. Finally, several tramways were built to yet more exotic gauges, such as 915 mm (3'), 1100 mm (3.61'), 1458 mm (4.78') or 1463 mm (4.79').
Dominik Mann Visit www.tssf.de - www.bahn.de - http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ - www.eisenbahnforum.de

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Magick_makerMember since Jan-30-03 · 500 posts

RE: MSTS Gauge sizes

I once ran across a train diagram that said the tracks were like sixteen inches apart. Some indian locomotive.Thought about modeling it, since the thing looked like it should topple off the tracks. Opted out since to do it correctly I'd have to explode the scale from 1:1 to 2:1.Oh well.

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