[Hplusroadmap] Fwd: Reason to pick US standard gauge? (railroading on moon/Mars)

[Bryan Bishop]

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Reason to pick US standard gauge?
Date: Saturday 14 June 2008
From: peter_kokh <KokhMMM at aol.com>
To: Railroading on the Moon and Mars 
<railroading-on-the-moon-and-mars at googlegroups.com>


I've said that since both Moon and Mars are new worlds with no
preexisting infrastructure (including bridges), the question of track
gauge with is wide open. Reasons to pick a gauge wider, even
substantially wider, include low gravity with standard momentum. The
wider the gauge the lower the relative center of gravity, and the more
derailment resistant trains will be.

On the other hand, as RR car "trucks" or "bogies" are something that
may have to be imported in the near term, standard US trucks or
bogies, even reconditioned used ones, will be cheaper than anything
specially made.

Yet the purchase cost of a railcar truck is minimal in comparison to
the cost of fuel to get it to the Moon and Mars. But the wider and
probably more massive a truck, the more fuel it will take to get it to
its destination. So there are a lot of factors to way: safety vs.
cost, especially. Given that derailment of a pressurized passenger car
would probably breach seals and thus not be survivable, I'm still in
favor of wider gauges.

And given that pressurization could probably not be maintained in a
vestibulated passenger train while under way, with the vestibules
constantly twisting and turning and shaking, a wider gauge may allow
cars with more passenger capacity, thus reducing the need or desire to
connect them by pressurized flexible vestibules.

Another negative, however, is that the wider the gauge, the costlier
the RR ties that keep the rails properly spaced. But we can't
determine that cost factor yet, as we are a ways from indentifying
good material options for RR ties. No wood on the Moon or Mars, of
course.
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