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Minimum-gauge railways are railways with track gauges smaller than those of narrow-gauge railways, primarily designed for light, industrial, or tourist transportation. The most common gauges for minimum-gauge railways include:

• 15 in (381 mm)
• 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)
• 16 in (406 mm)
• 18 in (457 mm)
• 19 in (483 mm)
• 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)
• 20 in (508 mm)

These railways have been developed for applications such as estate transport, mining, agriculture, and amusement parks, offering an economical and adaptable solution for restricted environments.

History

The term was originally conceived by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, who used it in 1874 to describe the principle behind his Duffield Bank Railway, specifically its 15 in (381 mm) gauge, distinguishing it from a "narrow gauge" railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in (229 mm) gauge, he settled on 15 in (381 mm) as the minimum that he felt was practical. The original text of Heywood's article defining minimum gauge railways is available online. However, the 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) inch gauge <<Wells & Walsingham Light Railway>> in Norfolk, England, has disp[roven this as a registered public minimum-gauge statutory railway.

In general, minimum-gauge railways maximize their loading gauge, where the dimension of the equipment is made as large as possible with respect to the track gauge while still providing enough stability to keep it from tipping over. Standard gauge railways have vehicles that are approximately twice, and in some cases nearly three times, the track gauge in width, but with minimum gauge railways this can be as much as four times the width of the track as in some of the Sugar Cane Railways of Australia. Minimum-gauge railways allowed for ease of mobility on battlefields, mines, and other restricted environments.

A number of 18 in (457 mm) gauge railways were built in Britain to serve ammunition depots and other military facilities, particularly during the First World War.

In South Australia the Semaphore to Fort Glanville Conservation Park includes a steam engine service that runs on an 18 in (457 mm) track.

In France, Decauville produced a range of portable track railways running on 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in) and 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) tracks, most commonly in restricted environments such as underground mine railways, parks and farms.

During World War II, it was proposed to expedite the Yunnan–Burma Railway using 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in) gauge, since such a small gauge can have the tightest of curves in difficult terrain.

Distinction between ridable miniature and minimum-gauge railway

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The major distinction between a miniature railway (US: 'riding railroad' or 'grand scale railroad') and a minimum-gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft (610 mm), for example the Wicksteed Park Railway. There are also rideable miniature railways running on extremely narrow tracks as small as 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge, for example the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. Around the world there are also several rideable miniature railways open to the public using even narrower gauges, such as 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) and 7+1⁄2 in (190.5 mm).

Generally minimum-gauge railways have a working function as estate railways, or industrial railways, or providers of public transport links; although most have a distinct function in relation to tourism, and depend upon tourism for the revenue to support their working function.

Railways

Track gauge
By transport mode
Rapid transit Tram Miniature Scale model
By size (list)
Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)   Narrow   600 mm 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) Two foot 610 mm (2 ft) Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three foot 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) 900 mm 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) Three foot 914 mm (3 ft) Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)   Broad   Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in) Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)   1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in) Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in) Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)   Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)   Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 101⁄8 in)
Change of gauge
Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Variable gauge
By location
North America South America Europe Australia

Name	Gauge	Country	Location	Notes
Decauville	400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)	France		Discontinued by Decauville
Rufisque tramway	400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)	France
See Fifteen-inch gauge railway	15 in (381 mm)
The Valley Railway Adventure (Formerly the Evesham Vale Light Railway))	15 in (381 mm)	UK	Evesham Country Park, Worcestershire
Whistlestop Valley (Formerly Kirklees Light Railway)	15 in (381 mm)	UK	Kirklees, West Yorkshire
Bure Valley Railway	15 in (381 mm)	UK	Aylsham to Wroxham, Norfolk
Candy Cane Express	16 in (406 mm)	Canada	Santa's Village Family Entertainment Park, Bracebridge, Ontario	Replica diesel locomotive with passenger cars, working as amusement park ride
Alamogordo/Alameda Park Narrow Gauge Railway	16 in (406 mm)	US	The Toy Train Depot, Alamogordo, New Mexico
Balboa Park Miniature Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Balboa Park (San Diego), San Diego, California
Cedar Rock Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Leander, Texas
Chippewa Valley Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Carson Park (Eau Claire, Wisconsin), Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Lakeland Amusement Park	16 in (406 mm)	US	Lakeland, Tennessee	Defunct
Little Florida Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford, Florida	Closed
Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Fairview, Michigan	Defunct as of November, 2017
Old Smokey Train	16 in (406 mm)	US	Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Pinconning and Blind River Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Fairview, Michigan (1953–1973)
Pioneer Train	16 in (406 mm)	US	Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Salt Mine Express	16 in (406 mm)	US	Strataca Salt Mine Adventure, Hutchinson, Kansas, 650 feet underground
Schnepf Farms	16 in (406 mm)	US	Schnepf Frams, Queen Creek. Arizona
Smokey Joe Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Association, Federalsburg, Maryland
Travel Town Railroad	16 in (406 mm)	US	Travel Town Museum, Los Angeles, California
Whiskey River Railway	16 in (406 mm)	US	Little Amerricka, Marshall, Wisconsin
Island Park Railway	16+1⁄2 in (419 mm)	Canada	Woodstock, New Brunswick
National Railway Museum	18 in (457 mm)	Australia	Port Adelaide, South Australia
Semaphore & Fort Glanville Tourist Railway	18 in (457 mm)	Australia	Semaphore, South Australia	Operated by the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide
Aotea Railway	18 in (457 mm)	New Zealand	Aotea Lagoon, Porirua
Bicton Woodland Railway	18 in (457 mm)	UK	United Kingdom
Heath Park Tramway	455 mm (17+15⁄16 in) 18 in (457 mm)	UK	Cardiff
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch railway	15 in (381 mm)	UK	Kent, United kingdom
Royal Arsenal Railway	18 in (457 mm)	UK
Sand Hutton Light Railway	18 in (457 mm)	UK
Steeple Grange Light Railway	18 in (457 mm)	UK
Sundown Adventure Land	18 in (457 mm)	UK	Retford, Nottinghamshire
Terrific Train	18 in (457 mm)	UK	New Metroland, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad	18 in (457 mm)	US	Oak Meadows Park and Vasona Park, Los Gatos, California
Collegeville and Southern Railway	18 in (457 mm)	US
Fidalgo City and Anacortes Railway	18 in (457 mm)	US
Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad	18 in (457 mm)	US
Venice Miniature Railway	18 in (457 mm)	US	Venice Beach, California	1943–1968
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad	18+1⁄2 in (470 mm)	US	Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California
Swanton Pacific Railroad	19 in (483 mm)	US	Swanton Pacific Ranch, Swanton, California
Southern Fuegian Railway	500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)	Argentina
Geriatriezentrum am Wienerwald Feldbahn	500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)	Austria
Chemin de Fer Touristique du Tarn	500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)	France
Jardin d'Acclimatation railway	500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)	France
Petit train d'Artouste	500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)	France
Ledesma Mill Railway	20 in (508 mm)	Argentina	Province of Jujuy	Partially 20 in
Stanley Park Miniature Railway	20 in (508 mm)	Canada	Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia
North Bay Railway	20 in (508 mm)	UK	Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Shipley Glen Tramway	20 in (508 mm)	UK
Woburn Safari Park	20 in (508 mm)	UK
Coronado Railroad	20 in (508 mm)	US	Chase Creek
Huff Puff and Whistle Railroad	20 in (508 mm)	US	Story Land, Glen, New Hampshire
Krasnoyarsk Child Railway	20 in (508 mm)	Russia	Central Park, Krasnoyarsk
Pleasure Beach Express	21 in (533 mm)	UK	Blackpool, Lancashire
Little Puffer Miniature Steam Train	1 ft 10 in (559 mm)	US	San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco, California
Orient Express	1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm)	US	Lakeside Amusement Park, Denver, Colorado

Large amusement railways

Track gauge
By transport mode
Rapid transit Tram Miniature Scale model
By size (list)
Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)   Narrow   600 mm 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) Two foot 610 mm (2 ft) Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three foot 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) 900 mm 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) Three foot 914 mm (3 ft) Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)   Broad   Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in) Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)   1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in) Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in) Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)   Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)   Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 101⁄8 in)
Change of gauge
Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Variable gauge
By location
North America South America Europe Australia

Name	Gauge	Country	Location	Notes
Park Railway Maltanka	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)	Poland	Poznań	Śródka Roundabout - New Zoo, 2.4 miles (3.9 km), 4 stops
Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja	600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)	Poland	Wenecja	Wenecja - Biskupin, ~8 miles (13 km), 5 stops
Assiniboine Park R.R.	2 ft (610 mm)	Canada	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Centreville Train	2 ft (610 mm)	Canada	Centreville Amusement Park, Toronto, Canada	One replica steam locomotive with tender, five passenger cars
Greater Vancouver Zoo Railway	2 ft (610 mm)	Canada	Greater Vancouver Zoo, Aldergrove, British Columbia	Has two stations, stops only at one station
Riverview Park Railway	2 ft (610 mm)	Canada	Riverview Park & Zoo, Peterborough, Ontario
Wildlife Express	2 ft (610 mm)	Canada	BC Wildlife Park, Kamloops, British Columbia
Park Railway	2 ft (610 mm)	UK	Alton Towers Park	Defunct 1953–1996
Wicksteed Park Railway	2 ft (610 mm)	UK	Wicksteed Park, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Bayou Le Zoo Choo Choo	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Alexandria Zoological Park, Alexandria, Louisiana
Casey Jr. Circus Train	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Disneyland, Anaheim, California
C.P. Huntington No. 3	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Pullen Park, Raleigh, North Carolina
Emerson Zooline Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri
Forest Park Miniature Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Fort Worth, Texas
Gatorland Express	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Gatorland, Orlando, Florida
Grand Sierra Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California
Hermann Park Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Hermann Park, Houston, Texas	Two miles (3.2 km) of track, three stops
Kennedy Express	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Kennedy Park (Hayward, California), Hayward, California
Oregon Pacific Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Oaks Amusement Park, Portland, Oregon
San Antonio Zoo Eagle	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas
Tauber Family Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak, Michigan	Donated by The Detroit News about 1931 and also supported by Chrysler Motors, zoo patrons and fares
Turtle Back Junction	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, New Jersey	Two C.P. Huntington Trains
Van Saun Park Railroad	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Paramus, New Jersey	Three Allan Herschell S-24 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge Iron Horse trains
Zoo Train	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara, California
Zoofari Express	2 ft (610 mm)	US	Museum of Life and Science, Durham, North Carolina
BuJu Line	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Burke Junction, Cameron Park, California
Fort Wilderness Railroad	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Walt Disney World, Bay Lake, Florida	Defunct
Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Disneyland, Anaheim, California	Defunct
Omaha Zoo Railroad	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska
Viewliner Train of Tomorrow	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Disneyland, Anaheim, California	Defunct
Washington Park & Zoo Railway	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)	US	Washington Park (Portland, Oregon), Portland, Oregon
Disneyland Railroad (Paris)	3 ft (914 mm)	France	Disneyland Park (Paris), Paris
Disneyland Railroad	3 ft (914 mm)	US	Disneyland, Anaheim, California	The two original locomotives are 5:8-scale models of a full-size standard gauge locomotive.

See also

• Children's railway
• Decauville
• Feldbahn
• Heritage railway
• Industrial railway
• Light railway
• List of British heritage and private railways
• List of British private narrow-gauge railways
• List of track gauges
• Narrow gauge railway
• Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
• Rail transport modelling scales
• Ridable miniature railway
• Trench railway
• Museum visitor attractions

References

1. ^ Heywood, A.P. (1974) . Minimum Gauge Railways. Turntable Enterprises. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
2. ^ Douglas J. Puffert (2009). Tracks across continents, paths through history: the economic dynamics of standardization in railway gauge. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-226-68509-0.
3. Heywood - Minimum Gauge Railways
4. "TOY RAILWAY". The Northern Standard. Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 8 December 1939. p. 15. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
5. "Southeastern Railway Museum". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
6. "Balboa Park Miniature Railroad - Balboa Park". Balboapark.org. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
7. "Cedar Rock Railroad". Cedarrockrailroad.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
8. "Littl Florida Railroad & Animal Carousel". Centralfloridazoo.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
9. "Home". Michiganausablevalleyrailroad.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
10. "Crown Locomotive Roster (15"-24" Gauge)". Trainweb.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
11. "Pinconning & Blind River Railroad".
12. "Railway Preservation News • View topic - Rough and Tumble Engineers. Home Built Shay Railroad Video". Rypn.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
13. "Home". Underkansas.org. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
14. Sayre, Dave. "Schnepf Farms Railroad". Arizonaandpacificrr.com. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
15. "Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Assoc., Inc". Threshermen.org. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
16. "The Miniature Railway". CEC: Closed Canadian Parks. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
17. "National Railway Museum - Port Adelaide". Natrailmuseum.org.au. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
18. "Cardiff Model Engineering Society". Cardiffmes.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
19. "Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. "Bill" Mason Carousel — Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. "Bill" Mason Carousel". Bjwrr.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
20. "C&S RY: The Collegeville and Southern Railway". Home.sprynet.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
21. Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad
22. We Visit the Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
23. YouTube video: Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad.
24. "This is the official page for the Meadows & Lake Kathleen Railroad". Peak.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
25. "Media / Gallery". Bjwrr.org. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
26. Ledesma
27. Railways in Russia
28. in Russian
29. Little Puffer
30. Reporter-Herald A trip into history on the Lakeside Amusement Park train
31. Orient Express
32. "Spring, Summer, Fall Activities | Assiniboine Park Conservancy". www.assiniboinepark.ca.
33. "Riverview Park Features and Attractions". Retrieved 8 June 2018.
34. "Alton Towers Memories - Park Railway".
35. "Amenities - Alexandria Zoo". Thealexandriazoo.com. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
36. "Pullen Park - Raleigh". 2 May 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2016. 'C.P. Huntington C.P. #3' is the miniature train that operates at Pullen Park.
37. "Forest Park Miniature Railroad". Retrieved 6 May 2014.
38. Robert D. West (2 May 2014). "Farewell is not Forever - Part 4: Oaks Amusement Park". Retrieved 30 July 2014. This train replaced a Miniature Train & Railroad Company G-16 that was installed in 1956. The G-16 ran on 16" gauge track, and resembled a diesel locomotive, painted in the colors of the Union Pacific Railroad. The track is dual-gauge: 16" for the former train and 24" for the current one. The train operates on a 2,600 foot oval-shaped loop that encircles the picnic areas.
39. "San Antonio Zoo Eagle". Sazoo-aq.org. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
40. "Tauber Family Railroad - Detroit Zoo". Detroitzoo.org. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
41. "Essex County Turtle Back Zoo". Turtle Back Zoo. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
42. "BuJu Line – official website". Retrieved 18 January 2019.
43. Broggie 2014, p. 112.
44. Broggie 2014, p. 220.

Bibliography

• Broggie, Michael (2014). Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom (4th ed.). The Donning Company Publishers. ISBN 978-1-57864-914-3.
• Clayton, H. (1968). The Duffield Bank and Eaton Railways. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-034-7.
• Heywood, Arthur Percival (1974) . Minimum Gauge Railways (3rd ed.). Turntable Publications. ISBN 0-902844-26-1.
• Household, Humphrey (1989). Narrow Gauge Railways: England and the Fifteen Inch. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0862995752.
• Mosley, David; van Zeller, Peter (1986). Fifteen Inch Gauge Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8694-8.
• Smithers, Mark (1995). Sir Arthur Heywood and the Fifteen Inch Gauge Railway. Plateway Press. ISBN 1-871980-22-4.

• Heritage railways in the United Kingdom
• Lists of track gauges
• Minimum gauge railways
• Track gauges by size
• Sir Arthur Heywood