Rail cars, standard or narrow guage?

[ericmark]

I know narrow guage and get around tighter curves, and standard guage can travel faster, so as original concept I can see why some railways are standard guage, and others narrow guage, but Bala was standard and now runs narrow guage, I suspect the cost on the match is less, but it asks the question about other hertridge standard guage railways.

What does the team think, should standard guage railways be converted to narrow guage?

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Doesn't it depend on the route and the need? I would guess standard gauge is more stable too?

Simply put, more bends or more straights ?

 

[RandomGrinch]

It also depends on what infrastructure remained after Beeching and the interests of the members.
I grew up near Launceston Steam Railway. By the time they started up in the mid 80's, there was no original standard gauge infrastructure left.
It then comes down to members/groups interest, availability of rolling stock and budget to what is achieved.
In the LSRs case, the founding member had bought a narrow gauge loco from Penrhyn quarry with a student grant, and simply wanted somewhere affordable to run it. Launceston town council were accomodating, when others were not - hence a narrow gauge railway was born.

Edit:
I believe Brecon Mountain Railway has a similar story, for its narrow gauge track, on a standard gauge trackbed.

 

[big-all]

you need to think off the needs off the railway iff isolated, especially when new if point A to point B is the only ever requirement then 40% capacity off standard gauge at perhaps 20% the overall cost is a no brainer but is a self isolated island with no easy route to extending capacity

 

[morqthana]

Bring back Brunel's 7' ¼" I say.