Track Gauge - PRCo vs PTC

[Fred Schneider]

I love this!  Doesn't it, in its own way, cry out for paid management that
has authority to make decisions on maintenance, overhauls, expenditures?  

I have heard or read that there are standards for gauge on tightly curved
special work ... my thought is that it might have something to do with the
cars being operated, with long wheel base double truck cars and single truck
cars requiring a wider gauge than short wheel base double truck equipment.
This is a horrible suggestion but you might find it in some of the railway
engineering textbooks.  My other thought is Russ Jackson from Collinwood, NJ
... do you know him? 

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Charlesebrown at webtv.net
[mailto:Charlesebrown at webtv.net]
		Sent:	Friday, February 11, 2000 4:45 AM
		To:	pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
		Subject:	Re: Track  Gauge  -  PRCo  vs  PTC

		Jim, you're correct about the various track gauges.  I'm
curious as to
		how the New Orleans car handles at the museum.  At OERM,
ours kept
		falling off the track due to its narrow tread wheels (well,
at least
		that's the museum's official stance although they aren't too
particular
		about the track gauge).

		One further query that I'd like to ask is about the track
gauge on tight
		curves.  I've heard that the gauge is increased by a certain
amount,
		presumably to allow the wheel flanges to negatioate,
negotiate, negoti,
		uh, to go around the turn without jumping the rails.  Is
this true and,
		if so, by how much are they widened?

		Oh, OERM bought some normal width wheels for the New Orleans
car some 20
		years ago.  They are displayed on pallets in the back forty
(at least
		those that haven't sunk underground).  There are some
radical members
		who want to remove them from display and put them on the
car.  What a
		nutty idea!

		Charlie

		Charlesebrown at webtv.net