Cape gauge
Encyclopedia
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
. It has installations of around 112000 kilometres (69,593.7 mi).
The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl
Carl Abraham Pihl
Carl Abraham Pihl was a Norwegian civil engineer and director of the Norwegian State Railways from 1865 until his death...
and the first line was opened in 1862.
Nomenclature
Cape gauge is named after the Cape ProvinceCape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
which adopted this gauge in 1873. It is sometimes alternatively known as CAP gauge, after C.A.Pihl.
In Australia is called Narrow Gauge and Cape Gauge is unheard of.
Installations by country
Worldwide, 112000 km (69,593.7 mi) of track use Cape gauge:- Africa
- (Lines in Southern Africa mostlylink up)
- AngolaRail transport in AngolaRail transport in Angola. There are three separate unconnected lines - the Luanda Railway , the Benguela Railway and the Moçâmedes Railway A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala....
- some converted from and . - Botswana
- DR CongoRail transport in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRail transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congois provided by the Congo Railroad Company and the Office National des Transports and the Office of the Uele Railways .The national system is mostly operated by the Société Nationale des...
some converted from and . - MalawiRail transport in MalawiMalawi Railways is the national rail network in Malawi, run by a government corporation until privatisation in 1999. As of 1 December 1999 the Central East African Railways, a consortium led by Railroad Development Corporation, won the right to operate the network.The rail network totalled 797...
- Mozambique
- NamibiaRail transport in NamibiaRailways in Namibia describes the provision of rail service as a mode of transportation in Namibia. Rail service in Namibia is provided by TransNamib...
converted from . - NigeriaRail transport in NigeriaRailways in Nigeria are operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation. As of 2003, Nigeria’s poorly maintained rail system had 3,557 kilometers of narrow gauge track...
- Sierra LeoneRail transport in Sierra LeoneThere are 84 kilometres of railway in Sierra Leone, all of which is private and of a narrow gauge, . Sierra Leone no longer has any common carrier railroads, as the gauge Sierra Leone Government Railway from Freetown through Bo to Kenema and Daru with a branch to Makeni closed in 1974...
- South AfricaRail transport in South AfricaRail transport in South Africa is the most important element of the country's transport infrastructure. All major cities are connected by rail, and South Africa's railway system is the most highly developed in Africa...
- TanzaniaRail transport in TanzaniaRail transport in Tanzania is conducted by two companies:* Tanzania Railways Corporation* TAZARA- Railway links with adjacent countries : Burundi - no - proposed DR Congo - decades ago there was a train ferry between Kigoma and Kalemie, in 2007 there are no ferry links and the DR Congo line to...
, from Dar es Salaam to Zambia (Tanzania-Zambia Railway AuthorityTanzania-Zambia Railway AuthorityThe TAZARA Railway was built between 1970 and 1975 by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority to give landlocked Zambia a link to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam, as an alternative to export routes via rail lines to Rhodesia , South Africa,...
) - ZambiaRail transport in ZambiaRail transport in Zambia is primarily provided by two companies:* TAZARA Railway* Zambia Railways Limited-Railway links with adjacent countries: DR Congo - yes, Ndola to Sakania then Lubumbashi - , freight only. . The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known...
- Zimbabwe
- Angola
- Americas
- EcuadorEmpresa de Ferrocarriles EcuatorianosThe Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Publica is the national railway of Ecuador. The railway system was devised to connect the Pacific coast with the Andean highlands. After many decades of service the railway was severely damaged by the El Niño in 1997 and 1998 and general neglect...
- United StatesRail transport in the United StatesPresently, most rail transport in the United States is based on freight train shipments. The U.S. rail industry has experienced repeated convulsions due to changing U.S. economic needs and the rise of automobile, bus, and air transport....
- Trackage in most coal mines
- San Francisco cable car systemSan Francisco cable car systemThe San Francisco cable car system is the world's last permanently operational manually operated cable car system, in the US sense of a tramway whose cars are pulled along by cables embedded in the street. It is an icon of San Francisco, California...
- Ecuador
- Asia
- IndonesiaRail transport in IndonesiaMost rail transport in Indonesia is located on the island of Java, which has two major rail lines that run the length of the island, as well as several connecting lines...
5961 km (3,704 mi) - JapanRail transport in JapanRail transport in Japan is a major means of passenger transport, especially for mass and high-speed travel between major cities and for commuter transport in metropolitan areas.-Overview:...
20182 km (12,540.5 mi) - RussiaRail transport in RussiaThe Russian railways are one of the economic wonders of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century world. In length of track they are second globally to the railways of the United States. In volume of freight hauled, they are third behind the United States and China, using the standard measure of...
- Sakhalin Island - in the process of conversionGauge conversionIn 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 (Russian gaugeRussian gaugeIn railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
) - TaiwanRail transport in TaiwanTaiwan has an extensive network of railways . Though no longer as dominant as it once was, Taiwan's high population density continues to make rail transport an extremely important form of transportation, especially along the densely populated western corridor...
1097 km (681.6 mi) (Taiwan Railway AdministrationTaiwan Railway AdministrationThe Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
) - Philippines - 1140 km (708.4 mi) ( Philippine National Railways)
- Indonesia
- Oceania
- Australia 15160 km (9,420 mi)
- QueenslandRail transport in QueenslandRail transport in Queensland began in 1865. Today it is one of the largest narrow gauge railway network in the world.-Public float:On 2 June 2009 the Queensland Government announced the 'Renewing Queensland Plan', with Queensland Rail's commercial activities to be separated from the Government's...
8313 km (5,165.5 mi) - South AustraliaRail transport in South AustraliaThe first railway in colonial South Australia was a horse-drawn tramway from the port of Goolwa on the Murray River to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot in 1854...
the isolated Port Lincoln network and The Pichi Richi - TasmaniaRail transport in TasmaniaRail transport in Tasmania consists of a network of narrow gauge track of reaching virtually all cities and major towns in the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Today, rail services are focussed primarily on bulk freight, with no commercial passenger services being operated...
632 km (392.7 mi) - Western AustraliaRail transport in Western AustraliaRailways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and by a number of private companies...
- Queensland
- New ZealandRail transport in New ZealandRail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
3900 km (2,423.4 mi)
- Australia 15160 km (9,420 mi)
- Europe
- Isle of Man
- Snaefell Mountain RailwaySnaefell Mountain RailwayThe Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the town of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway in Laxey. The line is long, built to gauge and...
- Snaefell Mountain Railway
Former installations
- Australia
- Northern Territory
- NorwayRail transport in NorwayThe Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2760 bridges....
- Several main lines were built in the 19th century by the Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham PihlCarl Abraham PihlCarl Abraham Pihl was a Norwegian civil engineer and director of the Norwegian State Railways from 1865 until his death...
with , and were later rebuiltGauge conversionIn 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 gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
- Several main lines were built in the 19th century by the Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl
- Eastern CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- New Brunswick RailwayNew Brunswick RailwayThe New Brunswick Railway was a historic Canadian railway operating in western New Brunswick. Its headquarters were in Woodstock.The original NBR lines were built to the narrow gauge of...
— standard gaugedGauge conversionIn 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 the 1880s. - Newfoundland RailwayNewfoundland RailwayThe Newfoundland Railway was a railway which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.-Early construction:...
— abandoned in 1988 and operated as a narrow gauge line until the very end. - Prince Edward Island RailwayPrince Edward Island RailwayThe Prince Edward Island Railway was a historic Canadian railway.-Construction:Located wholly within the province of Prince Edward Island, construction of the PEIR started in 1871, financed by the United Kingdom...
— standard gauged in the 1920s following a car ferry connection with the mainland North America system before being abandoned in 1989.
- New Brunswick Railway
- China
- South Manchuria RailwaySouth Manchuria RailwayThe , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
— originally built to Russian gaugeRussian gaugeIn railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
as part of the Chinese Eastern RailwayChinese Eastern RailwayThe Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
, it was converted by advancing Japanese troops during the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese WarThe Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905 to use Japanese gauge rolling stock, and then re-gauged to standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
after the war by the new South Manchuria Railway Company.
- South Manchuria Railway
- PanamaTramways of PanamaTramways or trams started service in Panama City in 1893 and lasted, with interruptions, until 1941. Passenger rail tranport in Panama dates back to the 1850s when the first transisthmian railroad line across Panama was beginning to be built to supply an alternate route to California in search of...
- Panamá ProvincePanamá ProvincePanamá is a major province of the country of Panama, containing the capital city, Panama City. The governor of the province is Mayin Correa, a former mayor of Panama City and elected by President Martinelli after being sworn in on July 1, 2009.-Districts:...
- Panama Tramways Company (1913–1917) and the Panama Electric Company (1917–1941).
- Panamá Province
- Japan
- Ōu Main LineOu Main LineThe is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It runs from Fukushima Station in Fukushima, Fukushima through Akita Station in Akita, Akita to Aomori Station in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture...
- Tazawako LineTazawako LineThe is a railway line connecting Morioka Station operated by East Japan Railway Company in Morioka, Iwate and Ōmagari Station in Daisen, Akita, Japan....
- Kintetsu Nagoya Line, Suzuka LineKintetsu Suzuka LineThe is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Ise-Wakamatsu Station and Hiratachō Station in Japan.The line connects with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line at Ise-Wakamatsu Station....
, Shima LineKintetsu Shima LineThe is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Toba Station and Kashikojima Station in Japan.The line connects with the Toba Line at Toba Station...
,and Tawaramoto LineKintetsu Tawaramoto LineThe is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Shin-Ōji Station and Nishi-Tawaramoto Station in Japan.... - Tenjin Ōmuta LineTenjin Omuta LineThe is a heavy rail line in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan, being the main line of a Japanese private railway company Nishi-Nippon Railroad . The line is from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, stretching south to Ōmuta Station in Ōmuta...
and Kaizuka LineNishitetsu Kaizuka LineThe is a Japanese railway line in Fukuoka prefecture, run by Nishitetsu. It serves Kaizuka, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka city, linking it to Nishitetsu Shingū, Shingū. It connects to the Kashii Line of JR Kyushu at Wajiro, and the Hakozaki Line of Fukuoka City Subway at Kaizuka... - Shin-Keisei LineShin-Keisei LineThe is a railway line owned by a Japanese private railway company Shin-Keisei Electric Railway, a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway. The line runs between Matsudo Station in Matsudo, Chiba, Keisei-Tsudanuma Station in Narashino, Chiba....
- Keiō Line – Re-gauged to 1372 mm (4 ft 6 in, same as streetcar in Tokyo) in 1927.
- Ōu Main Line
- Sweden
- Most of the lines in and into BlekingeBlekinge' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
were built using Cape gauge. They have all been closed or regauged since then.
- Most of the lines in and into Blekinge
- United StatesRail transport in the United StatesPresently, most rail transport in the United States is based on freight train shipments. The U.S. rail industry has experienced repeated convulsions due to changing U.S. economic needs and the rise of automobile, bus, and air transport....
- California
- Los Angeles RailwayLos Angeles RailwayThe Los Angeles Railway was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles, California and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on tracks...
- San Diego Electric RailwaySan Diego Electric RailwayThe San Diego Electric Railway was a mass transit system in Southern California, USA, using streetcars and buses.The SDERy was established by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels in 1892...
- Los Angeles Railway
- OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
- PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
– all urban streetcarTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
lines until 1950 (abandonment of the last lines of the old system), but not interurbanInterurbanAn interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
lines
- Portland
- California
See also
- Carl Abraham Pihl gauge controversy
- Medium gauge railways, by gauge and country