ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

British industrial narrow-gauge railways

Imagine you have a really big toy train set. Now imagine that instead of normal-sized train tracks, your train set has smaller tracks that are closer together. These smaller tracks are like the narrow-gauge railways that were used in Britain during the Industrial Revolution.

Back then, people needed to move heavy things like coal, iron, and other materials from one place to another. The problem was that these materials were too heavy and too bulky to move by hand, so they needed a way to transport them quickly and efficiently. That's where the narrow-gauge railways came in.

The tracks were smaller and closer together than regular train tracks, which meant that the trains could be smaller too. These smaller trains were perfect for carrying heavy loads of materials from factories and mines to ports and other destinations.

But why were the tracks narrower? Think about it this way: if you wanted to carry a really big box down a narrow hallway, it would be easier if the box were also narrow, right? That's kind of what the narrow-gauge railways were like. The narrower tracks made it easier for the trains to go around tight corners and navigate narrow passageways.

These railways were especially important in rural areas where there weren't any regular train tracks. They allowed people to move goods and materials more easily and quickly, which helped factories and mines to produce more and make more money.

In summary, British industrial narrow-gauge railways were like a big toy train set with smaller tracks that were closer together. They were used to transport heavy materials like coal and iron from factories and mines to ports and other destinations. And the smaller tracks made it easier for the trains to navigate tight spaces and corners.