koolaideprived t1_iyjxgtt wrote
Reply to comment by Bcbulbchap in TIL that the southern United States converted all 11,500+ miles of its railroads from broad gauge (5 ft/1.524 m) to nearly-standard gauge (4 ft 9 in/1.448 m) in just 36 hours, starting on May 31, 1886 by 1859
It would be a pain in the ass compared to the old days. You couldn't pre-spike because rail on wooden ties ride on tie plates, which you couldn't place until the old one is removed. Many sections of rail also use concrete ties, which have pre installed anchors for tie clips that secure the rail to the tie, meaning you would have to replace every concrete tie. Ribbon rail means you can't do small sections, youbhave to completely free the rail several yards ahead of your work and pull it over with machine assistance, instead of just picking up a 25ft section of jointed rail.
Bcbulbchap t1_iyk1hrt wrote
Exactly my point…👍
No wonder major (and even relatively minor) construction projects are so time consuming and expensive.
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