2 ft and 600 mm gauge railways

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Two foot and 600 mm gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauges of 2 ft (610 mm) and 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in), respectively. Railways with similar, less common track gauges, such as 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) and 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm), are grouped with 2 ft and 600 mm gauge railways.

Overview

Most of these lines are tourist lines, which are often heritage railways or industrial lines, such as the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales and the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado.

World War I trench railways produced the greatest concentration of 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge railways to date. In preparation for World War II, the French Maginot Line and Alpine Line also used 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge railways for supply routes to the fixed border defenses.

Australia has over 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge sugar cane railway networks in the coastal areas of Queensland, which carry more than 30 million tonnes of sugar cane a year.

Many 2 ft (610 mm) gauge and 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge railways are used in amusement parks and theme parks worldwide.

Exchange of rolling stock

The interchange of rolling stock between these similar track gauges occasionally occurred; for example, the South African Class NG15 2-8-2 locomotives started their career on the 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge. The Otavi Mining and Railway Company in South West Africa (now Namibia) were transferred to the 2 ft gauge railways in South Africa and currently some surviving locomotives reside in Wales on the 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) gauge Welsh Highland Railway and the 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm) gauge Brecon Mountain Railway.

Railways

Country/territory Railway Gauge
Albania 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Angola
  • Moçâmedes Railway (converted to 3 ft 6 in or 1,067 mm gauge) (operating)
  • Porto Amboim–Gabela line (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Argentina
  • Ferrocarril Económico Correntino (defunct)
  • Paseo con Ciencia tramway (operating)
  • Rainforest Ecological Train (operating)
  • Republic of the Children (operating)
  • Ushuaia Prison Railway (rebuilt as the 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) gauge Southern Fuegian Railway) (operating)
  • Various construction, mining, and agricultural railways (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Australia 2 ft (610 mm)
Austria 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Belarus
  • Narrow-gauge railways in Belarus
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Belgium
  • MusicXpress (located in Walibi Belgium) (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
  • Sourbrodt–Elsenborn Camp; 3.2 km (defunct)
  • Stoomcentrum Maldegem (standard-gauge lines also present) (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Brazil
  • Perus-Pirapora Railway (pt) (operating)
  • São Mateus Railway (pt) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Brunei 2 ft (610 mm)
Bulgaria 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Burundi
  • Port of Bujumbura railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Cambodia
  • Phnom Krom railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Canada
  • Assiniboine Park Railroad (located in Assiniboine Park) (operating)
  • Centreville Train (located in Centreville Amusement Park) (operating)
  • Columbia Cranberries Railway (operational status unknown)
  • Erie Peat Railway; 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) (defunct)
  • Fort George Railway (located at the Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre) (operating)
  • Greater Vancouver Zoo Railway (located in Greater Vancouver Zoo) (operating)
  • Port Elgin and North Shore Railroad; 1.6-kilometre (0.99 mi) (defunct)
  • Sooke Flowline (aqueduct) construction railway; 44-kilometre (27 mi), (defunct)
  • Wildlife Express (located in BC Wildlife Park) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Cameroon
  • West African Planting Society Victoria (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Central African Republic
  • Zinga–Mongo railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Chile
  • Chiloé railway (defunct)
  • Puente Alto-El Volcán Railway (defunct)
  • Putagán—Colbún railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
China 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Comoros
  • Société Comores Bambaoa (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Czech Republic
  • Dráha Kateřina (de); 15 km (operating)
  • Kolínská řepařská drážka (cs); 10.6 km (operating)
  • Mladějovská železnice (cs); 10.5 km (operating)
  • Muzeum Průmyslových Železnic (cs) (Zbýšov, Czech Republic) ca 2.7 km (operating) (converted from standard gauge)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Mayumbe line (converted from 2 ft (610 mm) gauge) (defunct)
  • Vicicongo line (operational status unknown)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Denmark
  • Bunkermuseum Hanstholm museum (MuseumsCenter Hanstholm) railway is preserved.
  • Stenvad Mosebrug (Stenvad Mosebrugscenter), Mosebrugsbanen peat museum railway is preserved.
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Egypt
  • Sugar cane railways in Kurna (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Eritrea
  • Potash Transport Railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Estonia
  • Peat railway in Nurme
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Falkland Islands
  • Camber Railway (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Faroe Islands 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Fiji 2 ft (610 mm)
Finland 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
France 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Germany 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Greece
  • Pelion railway (dual-gauge lines with 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge track also present) (operating) (metre-gauge network defunct)
  • Some industrial lines (partially defunct)
  • World War I military railways (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Greenland
  • Cryolite mine, Cryolite quarry Ivigtut, Ivigtut
  • Qoornoq X-press (defunct), Qoornoq
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Guatemala
  • Transcostero (located in Xetulul) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Hong Kong
  • Sha Tau Kok Railway (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Hungary
  • Almamellék Forest Railway
  • Felsőpetény Railway
  • Kemence Forest Museum Railway
  • several other mining and industrial railways, most of them defunct
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Iceland
  • Korpúlfsstaðir Farm Railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
India
  • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (operating)
  • Matheran Hill Railway (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Indonesia
  • Sugar mill railways in Java such as Jatiwangi (mill closed), Jatibarang (in use), Pangka (in use), Sragi (in use), Cepiring (mill closed), Soedhono (in use), Tulangan (in use), Panji (rail operation closed), and Gending (rail operation closed)
  • Local tram service in Karawang and Rambipuji, all closed.
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Isle of Man
  • Groudle Glen Railway (operating)
  • South Barrule quarry, windmill-powered incline (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Italy
  • Cividale-Tarcetta Railway (it) (defunct)
  • Montevecchio Sciria-San Gavino Monreale Railway (it) (defunct)
  • Porto Empedocle-Lucia (it) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Japan
  • Musashino-Mura Railway (located in Musashino-Mura (jp)) (operating)
  • Narita Yume Bokujō Railway (jp) (located in Narita Yume Bokujō (jp)) (operating)
  • Tateyama Sabō Erosion Control Works Service Train (private) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Laos
  • Don Det – Don Khon narrow gauge railway (converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Latvia 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Lithuania
  • World War I military railways (converted to 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge – Narrow-gauge railways in Lithuania) (operational status unknown)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
North Macedonia
  • Skopje – Ohrid line; 167 km (partially converted to standard gauge)
  • Gradsko–Bitola (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Madagascar
  • Sugar cane, industrial and military railways (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Mauritius
  • A network of sugar cane railways (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Mexico
  • Atlamaxac Railroad (converted to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) and called the Zacatlán Railroad)
  • Cazadero and San Pablo Railroad (defunct)
  • Córdoba and Huatusco Railroad (defunct)
  • Hornos Railroad (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
  • Tacubaya Railroad (converted to standard gauge) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Montenegro
  • Podgorica–Plavnica railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Morocco 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Mozambique
  • Beira Railroad Corporation (crosses into Zimbabwe) (converted to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Myanmar
  • Burma Mines Railway (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Namibia
  • Otavi Mining and Railway Company (converted to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge) (defunct)
  • Swakopmund–Windhoek line (converted to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge) (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Nauru
  • Rail transport in Nauru (converted to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Netherlands
  • Efteling Steam Train Company (located in Efteling) (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
New Zealand
  • Blenheim Riverside Railway (operating)
  • Ferrymead Two Foot Railway (located in Ferrymead Heritage Park) (separate standard-gauge railway named Ferrymead Tramway and separate 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway named Ferrymead Railway also present) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Norway
  • Åmdals Verk Gruver; 0.6 km (operating)
  • Gruvemuseet pa Litlabo (operating)
  • Høyanger funicular (operating)
  • Kristiansand Kanonmuseum (operating)
  • Lommedalsbanen; 0.6 km (operating)
  • Sulitjelma Besøksgruve (operating)
  • Stiftelsen Konnerudverket; 0.5 km (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Palestine
  • Palestine Military Railway (1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in) lines also present) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Papua New Guinea
  • Plantation railways constructed during the German Colonial period (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Pakistan
  • Changa Manga Forestry Railway (operating)
  • Dandot Light Railway (operating)
  • Khewra Salt Mines Railway (operating)
  • Gangapur Tram (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Philippines
  • Manila–Dagupan Railway (operated within Manila yards c. 1907) (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Poland 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Portugal
  • Comboio da Praia do Barril (pt) (operating)
  • Minicomboio da Caparica (pt) (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Puerto Rico
  • Mona Island Tramway, Mona Island, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Rwanda
  • Régie d’Exploitation et de Développement des Mines (operational status unknown)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Somalia
  • Decauville line between Villabruzzi and the Somalia-Ethiopia border (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
South Africa 2 ft (610 mm)
South Korea
  • EcoLand Resort Forest Train (located in EcoLand Theme Park (ko)) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Spain
  • Ferrocarril Turístic de l'Alt Llobregat (ca)
  • Funicular de Capdella
  • Funicular de Molinos (private) (operating)
  • Tren Minero de Utrillas
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Sudan
  • Gezira Light Railway (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
  • Tokar–Trinkitat Light Railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Sweden 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Switzerland
  • Bärschwil gypsum railway (defunct)
  • Tramway Bellavista (defunct)
  • Puschlaver Geisterbahn (operating)
  • Rösslitram (located in Knie's Kinderzoo) (operating)
  • Schinznacher Baumschulbahn (de); 3 km (operating)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Taiwan
  • Nairobi Express (located in Leofoo Village Theme Park) (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Tanzania
  • Southern Province Railway (defunct)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Thailand
  • Siam Park City Railway (closed)
 2 ft (610 mm)
Togo
  • German colonial railway (defunct)
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Turkey
  • Palamutluk–Balya–Mancılık railway
  • A 600 mm gauge railway for the construction of the standard-gauge Baghdad Railway
 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
United Kingdom 2 ft (610 mm);
1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm);
600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in);
1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)
United States 2 ft (610 mm)
Zimbabwe
  • Shurugwi Peak Railway (operating)
 2 ft (610 mm)

See also

  • Decauville
  • Heritage railway
  • Large amusement railways
  • List of track gauges
  • Minimum-gauge railway

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