FOUR FOOT EIGHT AND ONE HALF INCHES SURE SEEMS LIKE AN ODD NUMBER, HOW COME? |
ANY ONE WHO IS A VETERAN OF THE US ARMED FORCES, WHO HAS WORKED WITH GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS OR WORKED ON THE RAILROAD KNOWS ABOUT STANDARDS. ONCE SOMEBODY ESTABLISHES A SPECIFICATION IT TAKES AN ACT OF CONGRESS AND AN ORDER FROM THE VERY TOP TO GET SOMETHING CHANGED. HERE'S THE STORY BEHIND FOUR FOOT EIGHT AND A HALF. |
Come by the Depot and we'll tell you the "REST OF THE 4' 8 1/2" STORY" |
THE VERY FIRST RAILROADS BUILT IN THE USA WERE BUILT BY THE BRITS, WHO AFTER ALL INVENTED THE IDEA OF HAULING FREIGHT AND PASSENGERS OVER PARALLEL RAILS WITH FLANGED WHEEL TO KEEP THE WHEELS ON LINE. THEY HAD ESTABLISHED THAT DISTANCE BECAUSE THE FIRST BUILDERS WERE USING TOOLS AND CONSTRUCTION JIGS FROM CART AND WAGON MAKERS. CART MAKERS USED THAT DISTANCE BECAUSE OF ROADS WITH DEEP RUTTED WHEEL TRACES WERE ALL OVER ENGLAND AND IT'S MUCH LESS WEAR AND TEAR ON A CART IF THEY STAY IN THE RUTS RATHER THAN BOUNCE IN AND OUT. WHERE DID THESE RUTS COME FROM? WHEN THE ROMAN ARMY INVADED THE BRITISH ISLES THAT WAS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEIR WHEELS AND EVERYONE SINCE THEN HAD USED THE SAME RUTTED ROADS. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN A VETERAN KNOWS THAT STANDARDIZATION SAVES MONEY AND PROMOTES EFFICIENCY. CEASAR DECREED THAT ALL ROMAN CHAIRIOTS BE THE SAME SIZE, THE WIDTH OF TWO HORSES ASS, SO THE ANIMALS WOULDN'T TRIP OVER DIFFERANT SIZE RUTS IN BATTLE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE STORY. |
E-MAIL ME AND I'LL TELL YOU THE REST OF THE STORY. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH BEHIND THE FOUR FOOT EIGHT AND ONE HALF INCH GAUGE |
