Re: gauge railway workshop to yard

"Richard Smith"  wrote in message news:m1jzj0bgsv.fsf@void.com...
Hello all
Yup really niche question this.
Friend re-concreting his workshop floor, and intends to lay
mine-railway tracks in it.  Which runs out into the yard and enables
machines which make a mess to be wheeled-out from stored safe and dry
in the workshop to working some distance away given associated dust
when running.
Two gauges seem to be in use here - 18inch and 2ft (24inch)
(* 18 25.4) ;; 457.2 ;; 457 mm gauge
(* 24 25.4) ;; 609.5999999999999 ;; 610 mm gauge
Wheels & wagons etc available both gauges.
Though 18inch maybe more common in the very compact tin mines (the
lodes are narrow).
Anyone know of an argument to choose one gauge over another?
I'd have thought maybe the smaller gauge as seems big enough for
smallish hammer-mill, etc.; takes less space; and can have tighter
corners outside the workshop.
What experience does anyone have suggesting best choice?
Regards,
Rich S
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Other than my sawmill and gantry hoist much of my machinery is on rubber shod casters, not rails, to be rolled into the asphalt driveway or even the grass. I suggest the widest available track gauge to reduce the chance of an upset, as when pushing a heavy plank through a table saw, and some sort of parking brake. I replaced the casters on my 4x6" bandsaw with larger wheels outside the base.
Does he have space for a switching yard, or a travelling overhead hoist to load them on and off the rails?
In theatre construction I learned ways to put heavy scenery on temporary wheels. The simplest is to hinge a board with the casters mounted on one side to opposing sides of the base . You lift a side and flip the caster board in or out with a toe. With the casters folded in the object sits flat and immobile on the floor.  If it's hard to grasp and lift the caster boards can be hinged under the base and lowered to lift and move the load by stepping on and bracing the outer end. Perhaps the most capable is 3 or 4 telescoping trailer tongue jacks as crank-down landing gear. Though fairly expensive they can be moved between machines. I move some items that weight several hundredweight by having wheels on one end and a trailer coupler on the other.
https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+Products/555/79018/10002/-1?gad_source=1
They are easy to make, mine has the steel tube handle from a broken snow shovel.
Rails and ties/sleepers such as on my sawmill are a nuisance when walking around a machine and when sweeping up swarf.