wait wtf why does WMATA use a 1429mm gauge what in the world was the assumed advantage in having all of your tracks and wheelbases 6 millimeters narrower than virtually every other railway in the USA
right but just because it's permitted doesn't mean that there's any advantage to using a unique spec
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Of course, just providing background.
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My understanding is that it supposed to improve stability at high speeds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting_oscillation … I think the rolling stock is still 1435, but the tracks are 1429, giving a tighter fit that in theory should be a bit more stable and maybe also quieter.
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I'm not sure how much benefit it actually gets you, but it certainly sounds like a thing that people in the 1960's would have wanted to try in their next generation subway system...
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In my looking, one of the guys on the Trains forums was one of the project engineers for it and said it had to do with the cylindrical wheels (the wheels have little to no taper) and smoothness of running. Apparently PRR used to do this with the Pass/Freight lines as well
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