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Scotch gauge was the name given to a 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) rail gauge, the distance between the inner sides of the rails, that was adopted by early 19th century railways mainly in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It differed from the gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) that was used on some early lines in England; and from the Standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in). Scotch gauge became obsolete in the early 1840s when Standard gauge lines began to be constructed in Scotland, and all the lines were eventually converted to Standard Gauge.

Contents

Scottish railways built to Scotch gauge

A small number of early to mid 19th century passenger railways were built to Scotch gauge, they include:

The Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway.[1] 
Length: 10 mile (16 km).[2] Authorised on 20 July 1806 and opened on 6 November 1810;[3]
The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.[4] 
Length: 10 mile (16 km).[2] Authorised on 17 May 1824 and opened on 1 October 1826.[3] The engineer was Thomas Grainger.[4]
The Ballochney Railway.[1] 
Length: 6½ mile (10 km).[2] Incorporated on 19 May 1826 and opened on 8 August 1828.[3]
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway.[1] 
Authorised on 26 May 1826 and opened in part on 4 July 1831.[3]
The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway.[1] 
Length: 8¼ mile (13 km).[2] Incorporated on 26 May 1826 and ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineers were Grainger and Miller from Edinburgh: (Thomas Grainger and John Miller).[1] [4]
The Wishaw and Coltness Railway.[4] 
Length: 11 mile (18 km).[2] Incorporated on 21 June 1829 and partially opened on 21 March 1834.[3] The engineers were Grainger and Miller from Edinburgh: (Thomas Grainger and John Miller).[4]
The Slamannan Railway.[1] 
Length: 12½ mile (20 km).[1][2] Incorporated on 3 July 1835 and opened on 31 August 1840.[3]
The Paisley and Renfrew Railway.[1] 
Length: 3 mile (5 km).[2] Authorised on 21 July 1835 and opened on 3 April 1837 for both passengers and goods.[3] The engineer was Thomas Grainger.[4] Converted to Standard Gauge 1866.

Interestingly Robert Stephenson and Company built a Scotch gauge locomotive, the St. Rollox, for the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway; which was later sold to the Paisley and Renfrew Railway.[1][3]

All the lines were later relaid in Standard gauge.[1][3]

Other early 19th century Scottish gauges

4ft 6½in gauge

In addition to the above lines, there were three railways, authorised between 1822 and 1835, that were built in the Dundee area, to a gauge of 4ft 6½in (1385 mm). They were:

The Dundee and Newtyle Railway.[1] [4] 
Length: 10½ mile (17 km).[2]
The Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway.[1] [4] 
Length: 6⅓ mile (10 km).[2]
The Newtyle and Glammis Railway.[1] [4] 
Length: 10 mile (16 km).[2]

5ft 6in gauge

Grainger and Miller built another two railway lines in the same area to a gauge of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm). Thomas Grainger is said to have chosen this gauge, since he regarded Standard gauge as being too narrow and Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 7 ft 0¼ in (2,140 mm) Broad Gauge as being too wide.[1] They were:

The Dundee and Arbroath Railway;[1] [4] 
Length: 14½ mile (23 km).[2] Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part in October 1838.[3]
The Arbroath and Forfar Railway.[1] [4] 
Length: 15 mile (24 km).[2] Incorporated on 19 May 1836 and opened in part on 24 November 1838.[3]

End of Scotch gauge

The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway, which both obtained Parliamentary Approval on 15 July 1837 and were later to become part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway and the Caledonian Railway, respectively, were built to Standard Gauge from the start.[1]

The Standard gauge of 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm), also known as the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, was adopted in Great Britain after 1846.

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Whishall (2nd Edition)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Popplewell
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Awdry (1990)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Robertson (1983)

Sources

  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing.
  • Robertson, C.J.A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers. ISBN 0-85976-088-X.
  • Thomas, John (1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 6 Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6.
  • Popplewell, Lawrence (1989). A Gazetteer of the Railway Contractors and Engineers of Scotland 1831 - 1870. (Vol. 1: 1831 - 1870 and Vol. 2: 1871 - 1914). Bournmouth: Melledgen Press. ISBN 0-906637-14-7.
  • Whishaw, Francis (1842). The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland practically described and illustrated. Second Edition. London: John Weale. Reprinted and republished 1969, Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4786-1.


v • d • e
Historical Scottish railway companies:
Primary companies: Caledonian Railway • Glasgow and South Western Railway • Great North of Scotland Railway

Highland Railway • North British Railway
Caledonian lines: Aberdeen Railway • Alloa Railway • Alyth • Arbroath and Forfar • Busby Railway • Callander and Oban • Cathcart District • Cleland and Midcalder • Clydesdale Junction • CR Main Line • CR Douglas Branch • CR Hamilton Branch • CR Hamiltonhill Branch • Crieff Junction • Crieff and Comrie • Crieff and Methven Junction • Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie • Dunblane, Doune and Callander • Dundee and Perth • Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen • Forfar and Brechin • General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour • Glasgow and Garnkirk • Glasgow Central Railway • Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock • Greenock and Wemyss Bay • Hamilton and Strathaven • Killin Railway • Lanarkshire and Ayrshire • Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire • Leadhills and Wanlockhead • Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie • Paisley and Barrhead District • Perth, Almond Valley and Methven • Polloc and Govan • Rutherglen and Coatbridge • Scottish Central • Scottish Midland Junction • Scottish North Eastern • Solway Junction • Symington, Biggar and Broughton • Talla Railway • Wishaw and Coltness
Glasgow and South Western lines: Ardrossan Railway • Ardrossan and Johnstone • Ayr and Dalmellington • Ayr and Maybole Junction • Ayr to Mauchline • Ayrshire and Wigtownshire • Barrhead Branch • Bridge of Weir Railway • Cairn Valley • Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • Castle Douglas and Dumfries • Dalry and North Johnstone • Darvel Branch • Girvan and Portpatrick Junction • Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle • Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr • Greenock and Ayrshire • Kilmarnock and Troon • Largs Branch • Maidens and Dunure • Maybole and Girvan • Paisley and Renfrew • Paisley Canal Line
Great North of Scotland lines: Aberdeen and Turriff • Aboyne and Braemar • Alford Valley • Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction • Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla • Boddam Branch • Deeside Railway • Denburn Valley • Formartine and Buchan • Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction • Keith and Dufftown • Moray Coast • Morayshire Railway • St Combs Light Railway • Strathspey Railway
Highland lines: Buckie and Portessie Branch • Dingwall and Skye • Duke of Sutherland • Findhorn Railway • Fortrose Branch • Inverness and Aberdeen Junction • Inverness and Aviemore Direct • Inverness and Nairn • Inverness and Perth Junction • Inverness and Ross-shire • Kyle of Lochalsh Extension • Perth and Dunkeld • Sutherland and Caithness • Sutherland Railway

Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway
Dornoch Light Railway • Wick and Lybster Light Railway
North British lines: Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick • Ballochney • Bathgate and Coatbridge • Border Counties Railway • Border Union Railway • Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company • Coatbridge Branch • Edinburgh and Bathgate • Edinburgh and Dalkeith • Edinburgh and Glasgow • Edinburgh and Hawick • Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction • Forth and Clyde Junction • Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh • Glasgow and Milngavie Junction • Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank • Kincardine Line • Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton • Monkland and Kirkintilloch • Monkland Railways • Mallaig Extension • NBR North Berwick Branch • North British, Arbroath and Montrose • Stirling and Dunfermline • Strathendrick and Aberfoyle • Slamannan • Slamannan and Borrowstounness • West Highland Railway • Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness
Joint lines: Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • City Union • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow and Paisley Joint • Glasgow and Renfrew District • Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint • Kilsyth and Bonnybridge • Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint
Other lines: Brechin and Edzell District • Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway • Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway • Denburn Valley Line • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow City and District • Invergarry and Fort Augustus • Lochaber Narrow Gauge • Perth, Almond Valley and Methven • Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway


v • d • e
Rail gauge
General
Broad gauge
Breitspurbahn 3 m (10 ft) • Indian 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) • Iberian 1,668 mm (5 ft 6 in) (really 5 ft 52⁄3 in) • Irish 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) • Russian • 1,520 mm (4 ft 11⅞ in)
Standard gauge
1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Narrow gauge
Cape 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) • Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) • Scotch 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm)
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