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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)[1]
- 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)[2]
- 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.[1][2]
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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.[1] The original text of Heywood's article defining minimum gauge railways is available online.[3] 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.[2]
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.[4]
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 | This section possibly contains original research. (May 2020) |
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.
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| 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 | [5][6] |
| Cedar Rock Railroad | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Leander, Texas | [7] |
| 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[8] |
| Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Fairview, Michigan | Defunct as of November, 2017[9] |
| Old Smokey Train | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania | [10] |
| Pinconning and Blind River Railroad | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Fairview, Michigan (1953–1973) | [11] |
| Pioneer Train | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania | [12] |
| Salt Mine Express | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Strataca Salt Mine Adventure, Hutchinson, Kansas, 650 feet underground | [13] |
| Schnepf Farms | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Schnepf Frams, Queen Creek. Arizona | [14] |
| Smokey Joe Railroad | 16 in (406 mm) | US |
Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Association, Federalsburg, Maryland | [15] |
| 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 | [16] |
| National Railway Museum | 18 in (457 mm) |  Australia |
Port Adelaide, South Australia | [17] |
| 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 | [18] |
| 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 | [citation needed] |
| 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 | [19] |
| Collegeville and Southern Railway | 18 in (457 mm) | US |
[20] | |
| Fidalgo City and Anacortes Railway | 18 in (457 mm) | US |
||
| Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad[21][22][23] | 18 in (457 mm) | US |
[24] | |
| Venice Miniature Railway | 18 in (457 mm) | US |
Venice Beach, California | 1943–1968[25] |
| 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[26] |
| 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[27][28] | |
| 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 | [29] |
| Orient Express | 1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm) | US |
Lakeside Amusement Park, Denver, Colorado | [30][31] |
| 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 | [32] |
| 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 | [33] |
| Wildlife Express | 2 ft (610 mm) | Canada |
BC Wildlife Park, Kamloops, British Columbia | |
| Park Railway[broken anchor] | 2 ft (610 mm) | UK |
Alton Towers Park | Defunct[34] 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 | [35] |
| 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 | [36] |
| 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 | [37] |
| 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 | [38] |
| San Antonio Zoo Eagle | 2 ft (610 mm) | US |
Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas | [39] |
| 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[40] |
| Turtle Back Junction | 2 ft (610 mm) | US |
Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, New Jersey | Two C.P. Huntington Trains[41] |
| 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 | [42] |
| 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.[43][44] |
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- 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
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