Editing Narrow-gauge railway (section)

==Improvements==
===Heavy-duty tracks===
[[File:City of Rockhampton train (Sunshine railway station, Brisbane).jpg|thumb|alt=Electric silver-and-yellow train|An [[Electric Tilt Train]] in Queensland. Unlike other states in Australia which use different gauges, Queensland's network is made up of {{Track gauge|3ft6in|lk=on}}-gauge track.]]
The heavy-duty {{Track gauge|3ft6in|lk=on}} narrow-gauge railways in Australia (Queensland), New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines demonstrate that if track is built to a heavy-duty standard, performance almost as good as a standard-gauge line is possible.

Two-hundred-car trains operate on the [[Sishen–Saldanha railway line]] in South Africa, and high-speed [[Tilt Train]]s run in Queensland. In South Africa and New Zealand, the loading gauge is similar to the restricted British loading gauge; in New Zealand, some [[New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriage|British Rail Mark 2]] carriages have been [[Bogie exchange|rebuilt with new bogies]] for use by [[Tranz Scenic]] (Wellington-Palmerston North service), [[Tranz Metro]] (Wellington-Masterton service), and [[Auckland One Rail]] (Auckland suburban services).

Another example of a heavy-duty narrow-gauge line is Brazil's [[Vale (company)#Railroads|EFVM]]. {{Track gauge|1000mm}} gauge, it has [[Rail profile#North America|over-100-pound rail]] ({{convert|100|lb/yd|kg/m|1|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and a [[Loading gauge#North America|loading gauge]] almost as large as US non-excess-height lines. The line has a number of {{convert|4000|hp|adj=on}} locomotives and 200-plus-car trains.

===Fastest trains===
Narrow gauge's reduced stability means that its trains cannot run at speeds as high as on broader gauges. For example, if a curve with standard-gauge rail ([[Standard-gauge railway|1435 mm]]) can allow speed up to {{convert|145|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, the same curve with narrow-gauge rail ([[3 ft 6 in gauge railways|1067mm]]) can only allow speed up to {{convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doro-chiba.org/nikkan_dc/n2005_07_12/n6145.htm|title=日刊 動労千葉|website=doro-chiba.org|language=ja}}</ref>

In Japan and Queensland, recent permanent-way improvements have allowed trains on {{Track gauge|3ft6in}} gauge tracks to exceed {{convert|160|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. [[Queensland Rail]]'s [[QR Tilt Train|Electric Tilt Train]], the fastest train in Australia and the fastest {{Track gauge|3ft6in}} gauge train in the world, set a record of {{convert|210|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.corporate.qr.com.au/Images/QR_Annual_Report_tcm15-2468.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930024735/http://www.corporate.qr.com.au/Images/QR_Annual_Report_tcm15-2468.pdf |archive-date=30 September 2009 |title=Annual Report 1998-1999 |publisher=Queensland Rail |year=1999 |pages=16, 19}}</ref> The speed record for {{Track gauge|3ft6in}} narrow-gauge rail is {{convert|245|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, set in South Africa in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedrecordclub.com/outrail.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211074300/http://www.speedrecordclub.com/outrail.php |archive-date=11 February 2012 |title=Rail Speed Records |publisher=Speed Record Club |access-date=10 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.intekom.com/bluegrass/sites/steamsa/historical11.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615020009/http://home.intekom.com/bluegrass/sites/steamsa/historical11.html |archive-date=15 June 2008 |title=Class 5E/6E Electric |website=home.intekom.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.traintesting.com/SAR.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228105903/http://www.traintesting.com/SAR.htm |archive-date=28 February 2022 |url-status=live |title=Pantograph testing in South Africa |publisher=Traintesting.com |access-date=10 February 2012}}</ref>

A special {{Track gauge|2ft|lk=on}} gauge railcar was built for the [[Otavi Mining and Railway Company]] with a design speed of {{convert|137|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book| title=Little Railways of the World |last=Shaw |first=Frederic J.|publisher=Howell-North |year=1958}}</ref>
Curve radius is also important for high speeds: narrow-gauge railways allow sharper curves, but these limit a vehicle's safe speed.