A railroad track system with a wider distance between the rails than standard gauge, allowing for larger or more stable trains.
Combines 'broad' (wide) and 'gauge' (measurement of distance between rails). The term emerged during the railway boom of the 19th century when different countries experimented with various track widths.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway used broad gauge in Britain, and it was actually better in many ways—trains ran smoother and faster—but the narrower standard gauge won out simply because there were already more miles of it, showing how early decisions can dominate technology forever.
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