Duncan wrote:
>Sorry for the non-tiger content but don't factoids make life fun...
>> The US standard railroad gauge (width between the two rails) is 4
>> feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge
>> use
>In WW II, the German army got bogged down when
>they reached the Russian border due to having to re-lay
>all the railroad tracks. Russia's track gauge was different.
Instead of being on the "Roman Plan", w/the tracks the width of two
horses' behinds, in ancient Russia the carts were pulled by two babushkas.
Much wider...
This whole discussion of the 'inherited size' of railroad gauges --
first posted by Steve Laifman way back in 1996 -- reminds one of the Tiger's
inheritance of the Alpine's floorpan, and the Husky's before that, and who
knows what before that. A "clean slate" design could have been much
different.
Lawrence R. Wright, Purchasing Analyst
U S Office Products, Mid-Atlantic District
Formerly Andrews Office Products
larry.wright@usop.com
Ph. 301.386.7923 Fx. 301.386.5333
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