Irish 3ft gauge

[ianb3174]

Does anybody have any information on the dimensions of Irish 3ft narrow gauge track?

Specifically sleeper dimensions and spacing.

A templot box file perhaps. Not really bothered about the scale, just something I can get accurate sizes from.

I've tried guessing from photos but I'd prefer to know for sure.

Thanks in advance

[HSB]

Different railways had different standards but as a general rule sleeper length on narrow gauge railways is usually double the track gauge, i.e. 6' for 3' gauge. I've just looked up the Ballycastle Railway which had sleepers 6' x 6" x 4" and 6' x 7" x 4" spaced at 9 for every 21' of rail. Hope this helps.

[Ravenser]

I'm tempted to say that the rails are 3' apart. (More or less)

 

Actually though, I doubt if there was a standard spec - the lines were built by a large variety of independent companies, in remote rural areas where the culture was not exactly strictly rules and procedures based, and  the railways concerned spent most of their existence in dire poverty , propped up by local authority subsidy - assuming the local authority had money to pay it and there wasn't a civil war on at the time.

 

I was going to suggest like the Col Stephens lines on a larger scale - but Col Stephens was probably rather brisker and ran things with more discipline.

 

Guessing off a photo seems entirely appropriate