Minimum-gauge railways have a gauge of most commonly 15 in (381 mm),^[1] 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in), 16 in (406 mm), 18 in (457 mm), 19 in (483 mm), 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) or 20 in (508 mm). The notion of minimum-gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways^[1] and the French company of Decauville for light railways, trench railways, mining, and farming applications.^[2]

History

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]

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]

Distinction between ridable miniature and minimum-gauge railway

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.

Railways

Track gauge

By transport mode
Tram Rapid transit Miniature Scale model
By size (list)
Minimum   Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in) Narrow   600 mm Two foot Two foot three inch 600 mm 610 mm 686 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) (2 ft) (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm Bosnian gauge Two foot six inch 750 mm 760 mm 762 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three foot 900 mm Three foot Italian metre 891 mm 900 mm 914 mm 950 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) (3 ft) (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Broad   Italian broad gauge Dresden gauge 1,445 mm 1,450 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in) (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)   1520 mm Five foot 1,520 mm 1,524 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge Pennsylvania gauge Five foot three inch 1,581 mm 1,588 mm 1,600 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in) (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in) (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)   Iberian gauge Five foot six inch 1,668 mm 1,676 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)
Change of gauge
Break-of-gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Bogie exchange Variable gauge
By location
North America South America Europe Australia

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)
Whistlestop Valley (Formerly Kirklees Light Railway)	15 in (381 mm)	UK	Kirklees, West Yorkshire
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]

Large amusement railways

Track gauge

By transport mode
Tram Rapid transit Miniature Scale model
By size (list)
Minimum   Minimum   Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in) Narrow   600 mm Two foot Two foot three inch 600 mm 610 mm 686 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) (2 ft) (2 ft 3 in)   750 mm Bosnian gauge Two foot six inch 750 mm 760 mm 762 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) (2 ft 6 in)   Swedish three foot 900 mm Three foot Italian metre 891 mm 900 mm 914 mm 950 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) (3 ft) (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)   Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)   Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)   Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)   Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)   1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)   Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Broad   Italian broad gauge Dresden gauge 1,445 mm 1,450 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in) (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)   Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)   Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)   1520 mm Five foot 1,520 mm 1,524 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (5 ft)   Pennsylvania gauge Pennsylvania gauge Five foot three inch 1,581 mm 1,588 mm 1,600 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in) (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in) (5 ft 3 in)   Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)   Iberian gauge Five foot six inch 1,668 mm 1,676 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) (5 ft 6 in)   Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)   Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)
Change of gauge
Break-of-gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Bogie exchange Variable gauge
By location
North America South America Europe Australia

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	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]