Finland "plans to" change to standard gauge

[The exile]

The Germans certainly had lots of mechanised and motorised units but they also marched into Russia with hundreds of thousands of horses. You don't get to Blitzkrieg without tanks and motorised transport but a lot of German logistics relied on the good old fashioned horse.

And the good old slightly less old fashioned railway. The initial Blitzkrieg advance was “road borne” but you can’t out-run your supply lines for very long and that’s where trains came n (and, tbh, probably still would)

 

[AlastairFraser]

Is dual gauge even possible between 1435mm and 1524 mm? That isn't much more than the width of a rail.

Yes, it is exists on the current border of the systems and is used AFAIK!

Yes, but you have to use four rails.

Thanks for adding detail

 

[JonasB]

Yes, it is exists on the current border of the systems and is used AFAIK!

It has been closed for a while due to electrification, but now it's open again and is used. This is how it looked like before the electrification: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hPa7siDUr7Mx3yhDA

 

[Meerkat]

The Russian military has huge railway resources. As the structures would allow the wider gauge they would just change it back.
You could achieve similar delaying Results by not spending the money on gauge changing and instead buying some rail ploughs and prepping demolition points on every bridge (would be surprised if these weren’t already Finnish policy).

 

[ainsworth74]

The Russian military has huge railway resources. As the structures would allow the wider gauge they would just change it back.
You could achieve similar delaying Results by not spending the money on gauge changing and instead buying some rail ploughs and prepping demolition points on every bridge (would be surprised if these weren’t already Finnish policy).

Yes I think that's the thing to understand. The Russian military relies on railways and they have the equipment and units to match. They have dedicated railway brigades dedicated to operating, building, maintaining and rehabilitating railways. They take this stuff seriously. Far more so than any NATO nation does. Regauging the track to standard gauge will make it much harder for the Russians (and much harder than it would be to just say relay a few miles of track) but in reality if you want to stop them from using railways for any particularly long period of time you need to rip out as much track (of any gauge) as possible as you go, and demolish overbridges, viaducts and everything else as well.

Otherwise they'll just either relay a few miles and hook back into the remaining Russian gauge network or they'll set too at regauging all the track that you've converted.

It remains a barmy idea though. You'd be better investing a fraction of the money in making sure that there are solid plans in place to render as much of the network as possible unusable as you retreat.

 

[AlastairFraser]

It has been closed for a while due to electrification, but now it's open again and is used. This is how it looked like before the electrification: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hPa7siDUr7Mx3yhDA

Thank you for this link. It shows quite well how it can work.

 

[JonasB]

You could achieve similar delaying Results by not spending the money on gauge changing and instead buying some rail ploughs and prepping demolition points on every bridge (would be surprised if these weren’t already Finnish policy).

Do rail ploughs work on concrete sleepers?

 

[Meerkat]

Do rail ploughs work on concrete sleepers?

Good question - the fixings might give way first?? That would still make a mess.
probably best we don’t discuss the best ways to wreck a railway in much detail!

 

[AndrewE]

Thank you for this link. It shows quite well how it can work.

is that 2 similar gauges gauntleted?

 

[AlastairFraser]

gauntlet

I think so, yes

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Yes.

File:Haparanda-Tornio rail bridge Sep2008.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

Haparanda–Tornio rail bridge across the Torne River, looking towards Sweden from Finland. The railway line is dual-gauge (1524 mm and 1435 mm). Numbering the rails starting with 1 on the far left, the broad gauge rails are 1 and 3; standard gauge rails are 2 and 4.

 

[JonasB]

is that 2 similar gauges gauntleted?

Yes, I hope this makes it a bit clearer.

 

[HS2isgood]

Please tell me this isn't a 4 kph speed limit

 

[rvdborgt]

Please tell me this isn't a 4 kph speed limit

According to Openrailwaymap it's 40 km/h.

 

[superalbs]

The Russian military has huge railway resources. As the structures would allow the wider gauge they would just change it back.
You could achieve similar delaying Results by not spending the money on gauge changing and instead buying some rail ploughs and prepping demolition points on every bridge (would be surprised if these weren’t already Finnish policy).

What's a rail plough?

 

[ainsworth74]

What's a rail plough?

Tears up railway tracks:

 

[JonasB]

Please tell me this isn't a 4 kph speed limit

No, that sign means the speed limit is 40 km/h. Finnish speed signs uses tens of kilometres per hour.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

No, that sign means the speed limit is 40 km/h. Finnish speed signs uses tens of kilometres per hour.

As is common in most of central Europe, certainly in Germany, Austria and Poland.
They don't have line speeds ending in "5" km/h.

 

[DanielB]

As is common in most of central Europe, certainly in Germany, Austria and Poland.
They don't have line speeds ending in "5" km/h.

Though also the latter isn't impossible. The Netherlands has also speed signs with decimals, but those are rare.
For example at a train washing machine you'd find a speed limit of 5 km/h which is indicated by a speed sign with a zero and a 5 in superscript.

 

[MarcVD]

Though also the latter isn't impossible. The Netherlands has also speed signs with decimals, but those are rare.
For example at a train washing machine you'd find a speed limit of 5 km/h which is indicated by a speed sign with a zero and a 5 in superscript.

Same in Belgium.

 

[MoominAndChips]

Yes, I hope this makes it a bit clearer.

View attachment 180495

Cool, double-tracked narrow gauge!

 

[rf_ioliver]

Please tell me this isn't a 4 kph speed limit

It is 40kmh.... for some reason the speeds are divided by 10. I'm sure there is a reason - maybe the numbers are bigger, IDK

 

[AdamWW]

Cool, double-tracked narrow gauge!

Yes lots of bonus gauges in a setup like that. Untill you get to points.

I'm surprised the rails aren't a bit closer.

 

[AndrewE]

Yes lots of bonus gauges in a setup like that. Untill you get to points. I'm surprised the rails aren't a bit closer.

maybe the separation is so that the frogs and crossings can be fitted in?

 

[AdamWW]

maybe the separation is so that the frogs and crossings can be fitted in?

Possibly. I thought when I'd seen pictures of similar dual gauge before they were closer but could have imagined it.

 

[jamesontheroad]

You could achieve similar delaying Results by not spending the money on gauge changing and instead buying some rail ploughs and prepping demolition points on every bridge (would be surprised if these weren’t already Finnish policy).

Short answer yes. Most motorway overpasses in strategic parts of Finland are designed for very rapid demolition in the case of invasion.