DerekC
Established Member
On the Railway General Knowledge quiz thread a question came up as to what track gauge the Stratford and Moreton Tramway was laid to. I have done some digging and still haven't come up with a definite answer. Most online sources say that it "adopted the standard gauge" although Wikipedia sits on the fence a bit by saying that this was when it was converted to steam. The books I have which mention it are:
Thomas Middlemass - Encyclopaedia of Narrow Gauge Railways (1991) - this says that the original gauge was 4ft 0in. No source is quoted, but presumably the authors must have been pretty sure of their facts, otherwise it would not have been included at all.
John Norris - The Stratford & Moreton Tramway (1987) - this says:
The latter sounds pretty definitive, since the part-conversion to steam operation didn't happen until much later, in the 1880s. However - does anybody have any better information?
Thomas Middlemass - Encyclopaedia of Narrow Gauge Railways (1991) - this says that the original gauge was 4ft 0in. No source is quoted, but presumably the authors must have been pretty sure of their facts, otherwise it would not have been included at all.
John Norris - The Stratford & Moreton Tramway (1987) - this says:
. The book also quotes Brunel in a report in 1851 thatThe original gauge of the line has not been established precisely, but it seems likely to have been 4ft 8in ..
.The gauge is now about 4ft 9in …..
The latter sounds pretty definitive, since the part-conversion to steam operation didn't happen until much later, in the 1880s. However - does anybody have any better information?