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The article features the UK12 or the Rail Truck, a track monitoring machine that can travel on road and rail. Beneath the truck is a bogey with a turntable mechanism, which lifts the whole rig in the air and allows it to be spun through 360®, so it can get onto the raillway at almost any conceivable access point. Once converted into a railway vehicle, the truck can move along the line to wherever the track bed needs to be tested.

The article focuses on methods to detect flaws in rail tracks. The non-contact use of ultrasound developed by researchers in the department of physics detects and measures cracks including gauge corner cracking. Conventional ultrasound methods can only detect defects at speeds of 20 to 30mph, severely limiting when and where they can be used without disrupting the rail network. However, professors Steve Dixon, Rachel Edwards and John Reed have found that low frequency wide band Rayleigh ultrasound waves can be used at high speeds.

Respondent A.B. Di Cyan has chimed inform Chicago on the railroad gauge discussion by sending a copy of a letter to the editor that appeared in the May issue of "ChiMe," the monthly newsletter of Chicago Area Mensa. Di Cyan personally took no stand on the matter. Anyway, the Mensa letter is signed by Roman Republic, Matt Crawford. He writes in part that attributing the origin of the US. standard railroad gauge to the needs of the war chariots of ancient Imperial Rome is incorrect. Crawford goes on, was founded at least a century after the introduction of larger, stronger horses shot down the chariot as an instrument of war.

Presents the history of the standard track gauge in Great Britain. Height of the rut gauge; Width of the track; Dominance of British railroad construction.

Focuses on the history of standard rail gauge in the U.S. Creation of the standard rail gauge by the Romans; Rut-rail spacing; Design of boosters.

Presents some bids and deals in the engineering industry in the U.K. Five-year track renewal contract of Network Rail to First Engineering; Selection of Smiths Aerospace's stand by instrument system by Korean Aerospace Industries; Acquisition of certain assets of Mech Soft by design software company Autodesk; Award by Lotus Cars of a contract to develop a pass-by-noise measurement system to M+P International, U.K.

Presents a comparison between ways of measuring wheel bore diameters during machining. Increase in measurement accuracy; Discussion on gage repeatability and reproducibility; Introduction of Bowers XT Holematic Pistol Grip Bore Gage by Fred V. Fowler Co. Inc.

Features a humorous and historical story about the origin of the United States standard railroad gauge. Relation between the railroad gauge and an Imperial Roman war chariot's specification; Impact of the railroad gauge on the Space Shuttle design; Message of the story.

Reveals the origin of the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches. Anecdote about railroad gauges and horses' behinds.

Traces the reason for the odd United States Standard railroad gauge. Gauge used by English railroad builders; Gauge used in prerailroad tramways; Odd wheel spacing; Old rutted roads for Roman war chariots.