title: List of 2 ft 3 in gauge railways
text: # List of 2 ft 3 in gauge railways
  
  By transport mode :
  
  Tram · Rapid transit Miniature · Scale model :
  
  By size (list) :
  
  Minimum :
  
  | Minimum | Minimum | Minimum |
  | - | - | - |
  | Fifteen inch | 381 mm | (15 in) |
  | Narrow | Narrow | 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 0 in) |
  | 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 | Broad | 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) |
  
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  In railway terminology, track gauge indicates the distance between the inside edges of the running rails. Standard gauge is defined as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), and narrow gauge as any gauge less than that distance.
  
  In Britain, standard gauge is used for all main line routes and the majority of urban light rail. Narrow gauge railways were constructed mainly where there was a need for tighter curves, smaller structure gauges, and lighter rails, as they could be less costly to build, equip and operate than standard gauge railways (particularly in mountainous or difficult terrain).
  
  Narrow gauge railways in Britain used various gauges. 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) was relatively uncommon; in his book Railway Adventure, L. T. C. Rolt states that apart from the Talyllyn, the only public railways to use the gauge were the Corris and Campbeltown and Machrihanish railways. However there were several private railways, including mine and quarry railways, which used the gauge.
  
  ## List of 2 ft 3 in gauge railways
  
  This list, whilst not necessarily complete, details all railways that are believed to have used 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge at some point during their existence.
  
  | Name | Opened | Closed | Length | Location | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway | 1877 | 1932 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Mull of Kintyre, Scotland | Remote line serving coal mines and passengers on the Kintyre peninsula. |
  | Caphouse Colliery | 1988 | present | c. 2,000 yards (1,800 m) | National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield | Demonstration funicular railway. |
  | Corris Railway (original) | 1859 | 1948 | 12+1⁄4 miles (19.7 km) | Machynlleth, Wales | Built to carry slate from the Corris district. Closed after flooding of the Afon Dyfi. |
  | Corris Railway (preserved) | 2002 | present | c. 1 mile (1.6 km) | Corris, Wales | Runs from Corris to Maespoeth with a new build steam locomotive based on one of the original locomotives. |
  | Galltymoelfre Tramway | 1865 c. 1865 | 1946 c. 1946 | c. 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) | Abergynolwyn, Wales | A horse-drawn tramway that connected Bryn Eglwys quarry to the Talyllyn Railway via an incline at each end. |
  | Glasgow Royal Infirmary Railway | 1910 c. 1910 | 1920 c. 1920 | c. 400 feet (120 m) | Glasgow, Scotland | Railway underground in the basement of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Operated by a battery-electric locomotive, and carried laundry. Closed following an accident in 1920, but sections of rail are still visible in the basement. |
  | Glyn Valley Tramway | Under construction | present | unknown | Chirk | Part of the former 2 ft 4+1⁄2 in (724 mm) tramway is being rebuilt as a 2' 3" gauge line at Chirk in North Wales. |
  | Hendra China Stone Quarry | 1860s | after 1967 | Unknown | Nanpean, England | Internal quarry tramway system with cable hauled inclines. |
  | Huncoat Colliery | Unknown | 1968? | Unknown | Huncoat, England | National Coal Board mine railway. One diesel was sold to the Talyllyn Railway, and runs as No. 9 Alf. |
  | Lord quarry | 1820s c. 1820s | Unknown | Unknown | Blaenau Ffestiniog | There is evidence that Lord quarry (later part of the Votty & Bowydd quarry complex) and other North Wales slate quarries used 2 ft 3 in gauge tramways in the 1820s. |
  | Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway | 1897 | 1899 | 7 miles (11.3 km) | Talybont, Wales | Short-lived line serving the lead mines around Hafan. |
  | Ratgoed Tramway | 1864 | 1952 | 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km) | Aberllefenni, Wales | A horse-drawn tramway connected to the Corris Railway. |
  | Quarry Close China Stone Works | 1863 | 1973 | Unknown | Nanpean, England | A network of lines connecting several quarries to the GWR branch line from Drinnick Mill. |
  | Talyllyn Railway | 1865 | present | 7+1⁄4 miles (11.7 km) | Tywyn, Wales | Built to carry slate from Bryn Eglwys quarry to the coast. |
  | Upper Corris Tramway | 1859 | 1927 | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) | Corris, Wales | A horse-drawn tramway connected to the Corris Railway. |
  | York Gasworks Company | 1915 | 1959 | c. 400 feet (120 m) | York, England | Electrified railway, operated by a locomotive built by Dick, Kerr & Co. |
  
  ## Similar gauges
  
  No railways of an identical gauge are known outside Britain, though lines of 700 mm (2 ft 3+9⁄16 in) gauge are known in Latvia and Romania and several Cuban sugar cane railways.
  
  Other British railways of similar, but not identical, gauge were:
  
  * Snailbeach District Railways, 2 ft 4 in (711 mm) gauge
  * Welbeck Colliery, Nottinghamshire, 2 ft 4 in (711 mm) gauge, which closed in 2010.
  * Glyn Valley Tramway, 2 ft 4+1⁄2 in (724 mm) gauge
  