Why is British Railway Modelling different from European Modelling?
Railways started in Britain early in the 19th century and the concept was exported to the rest of world during that century. The early engineers, such as George Stephenson, decided on the track gauge on purely arbitrary grounds. Four foot eight and a half inches (1435mm) was promoted by most of the early railway companies, with the major exception of the London to Bristol Railway, which became the Great Western (GWR). This railway, under I.K. Brunel, opted for seven-foot (and a quarter inch) broad gauge, arguing that it would give a smoother ride at higher speeds. However, by the close of the century after Brunels death, even the GWR was forced to convert all its lines to standard gauge, which by then had been adopted by most main-line railways around the world. Individual railway companies were formed to develop railways across Great Britain, each being privately owned and in competition with the others. A number of amalgamations and other collaborative arrangements occurred, but ther
