The short answer is because it is a good compromise between narrow gauge rails which allow tighter radius curves and broad gauge which allows higher speed.
A gentleman called George Stephenson used the 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) gauge for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, authorized in 1826 and opened 30 September 1830. The success of this project led to George Stephenson and his son Robert being employed to engineer several other larger railway projects.
In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, a Royal Commission in 1845 reported in favor of a 4 ft 8½ in standard gauge because there was seven times the track laid at that gauge. Great Britain was the main exporter of railroad technology at that time so that became the standard.
85 ft.
85 inches = 7 ft 1 inch
10 ft in the states and 30 ft apart 3 ft in Canada and 9ft apart. I'm not 100% sure about the Canada one :/
1 ft = 0.3048m ⇒ 85ft = 85 x 0.3048m = 25.908m
There are 12 inches in 1 foot. 85 in. * (1 ft./12 in.) = 7.0833 ft. Therefore, 85 inches equals approximately 7.1 feet.
15
It is called a gauge. The North American railroad system's gauge is 4 ft. 8 1/2 in. in width. It is the width of a Roman chariot.
The Gauge. In America we use standard gauge - 4 ft 8,1/2 inches.
Sixty percent of the world's railways use a gauge of 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm)
85 ft.
278.87 ft Direct Conversion Formula 85 m* 1 ft 0.3048 m = 278.8713911 ft
85 inches = 7 ft 1 inch
2 ft
10 ft in the states and 30 ft apart 3 ft in Canada and 9ft apart. I'm not 100% sure about the Canada one :/
25.908m
It is about 12 ft tall.
1 ft = 0.3048m ⇒ 85ft = 85 x 0.3048m = 25.908m