Broad Gauge Railways

Brunel called his Great Western Railway the 'finest work in England' and it certainly contained many special and ground breaking new features, but none was as unorthodox as the decision to abandon the standard'track gauge of 4ft 8½ in favoured by pioneers like George and Robert Stephenson and instead adopt the new broad gauge of 7ft ¼ in. Describing the rationale behind the choice of broad gauge, and also the unique track and locomotives used, this beautifully illustrated introduction to broad gauge railways chronicles the building of the original GWR between Bristol and London, and the expansion of that original 112-mile main line into a network stretching across the West of England, Wales and the Midlands. It describes how this clash between narrow and broad led to the battle of the Gauges and also provides a list of places to visit where broad gauge artefacts still survive, and significant locations and stations on the old GWR network.