The Days They Changed the Gauge

'The Days They Changed the Gauge' is a story of development of railroads in States during 1880’s. It is a simple transcript of how thousands of miles of different gauge rail tracks were seamlessly changed to a single standard gauge. They used BIM? No, no..., the story is not about BIM (in 1880’s???). It’s an analogy to our case in construction industry. It’s an example of how developments and commerce place pressure on technologies to be interoperable and how that technologies in turn contribute to the development. It is also an example of doing the things right, and the risk of missing the right thing by going for majority’s choice.

To quote few lines;

In effect, the pressures of free competition had provided a catalyst, and the stage was set for changing the gauge of practically every road in the South-a change that, ultimately, would be accomplished in less than 36 hours.

One farsighted man rose on the Convention's second day to ask that the gauge-size decision be reconsidered.

In less than three days, standard-gauge trains were serving the South.

This is an interesting story. Read it here. Thanks goes to William Brodt (of NASA) for sharing this with us.