Talk:Fell mountain railway system

Only surviving loco
The article currently states: "The following railways have used the Fell system. Of these, the only one still in operation is the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man. The only surviving Fell locomotive, New Zealand Government Railways H class 199, is preserved at the Fell Engine Museum, Featherston, New Zealand, near the Rimutaka Incline."

I find this a bit confusing: surely a "Fell locomotive" is one using Fell's system. If the Snaefell railway is still operating with the Fell system, surely the NZ loco can't be the only one remaining? --Casper Gutman 10:34, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I just clarified this matter. The Snaefell Mountain Railway does not employ a full Fell system, just braking.  H 199 is the only surviving "true" Fell locomotive fitted with Fell traction equipment. - Axver 12:03, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

Advantages
What are the advantages of the Fell system?

Because the grip rail appears to be an ordinary rail, maybe the cost of cutting all the teeth is avoided?

Fell rail
AFAIK, the Fell rail is a "smooth" rail mounted on special "chairs" so that it is higher than the two running rails. The extra height would make turnouts easier.

Can ordinary running rails be used?

If special rails are ordered from China to renew the Fell rail on Mount Snowden, then perhaps they are different. Tabletop (talk) 21:56, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

Odd gauge
Is there any reason for the odd/unique gauge on the Mount Cenis railway? Tabletop (talk) 21:58, 31 December 2012 (UTC)


 * 1105mm (3 feet 7.5 inches) gauge taken from a far off newspaper account of 1868. Tabletop (talk) 21:58, 31 December 2012 (UTC)  This gauge is not a round figure in either metric or imperial measurements.


 * 1108mm (3 feet 7.625 inches) gauge in another far off newspaper.


 * It is noted that Carl Pihl who built his first gauge line in Norway (the Hamar-Grundset Line) in 1862 widely promoted this gauge.  Note that although  Norway was a metric country, Pihl chose an roubd imperial gauge to better market this gauge to the wider world.   Pihl may not have been well-known enough or influencial enough to have affected the choice of gauge on the Mont Cenis line.


 * gauge according to Mont Cenis Pass Railway which is metrically round.


 * 1005 mm 1005 mm
 * 1008 mm 1008 mmPeter Horn User talk 01:18, 26 July 2019 (UTC)

Hanscotte system
The Hanscotte system was developed independently by Jules Étienne Hanscotte Peter Horn User talk 01:49, 26 July 2019 (UTC) Peter Horn User talk 01:51, 26 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Jules Étienne Hanscotte worked for Société de Construction des Batignolles, the company (renamed) that built locomotives for Fell. --AntientNestor (talk) 09:59, 21 March 2024 (UTC)