Ericmopar wrote:... Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.
I'm not sure how much of a gauge problem South Africa actually has, at least with respect to the common carrier system, at this point. The two standard gauge lines were converted to Cape Gauge late in the 19th Century. The two-footers were either closed down and lifted, or were converted to Cape Gauge, with the possible exception of a preservation operation or two. That leaves only the new standard gauge rapid transit system being built for one of the cities - I've forgottten which - but this technically isn't part of the [inter]national network.
More broadly speaking, the continenet of Africa does have a range of track gauges, and at least most of this is a legacy of the various colonial administrations' use of whatever their home countries thought appropriate. The British actually had two "Colonial Gauges," 42" and 66", although I seem to remember standard gauge being used for at least part of the Egyptian system. The French and Germans tended to prefer meter gauge. IIRC Mozambique has an extensive meter gauge line that crosses the extensive Cape Gauge system in eastern Africa, the position of which would be greatly strengthened if they could work out a means of interchange. Perhaps the rubber-gauge Talgo sets will point the way there, or perhaps they will begin to resolve the minor difference in gauge in much the same way that I understand Spain is beginning to increase the standard gauge network into the principal broad gauge corridors.
What is keenly interesting is the growing realisation among African countries of the need to connect their railway networks. There was, for example, an effort by the PRC, about a decade ago, to persuade Nigeria to convert their 42" gauge system to standard gauge. Nigerian authorities, on the other hand, recognize the extensive and largely successful Cape Gauge system serving most of the eastern side of the continent (apart from the occasional wars and rumors of wars), and wondered whether they might not be money ahead to increase their loading gauge to dimensions uniformly consistent with the Cape Gauge system, and make an end-on connection with it perhaps somewhere in Uganda. Unfortunately this effort has been put on the back burner due to their own internal troubles that began about the same time, and are only now beginning to be covered in the Western press.
Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 8:37 pm
