Actually, with the Gilpin Tram, the Narrow Gauge theory of Fairlie was pretty well practiced, going from the smaller (15-18" mine gauge) to the larger (2' Gilpin Tram) to the Larger (C&S 3' gauge) to the largest available (C&S Broad Gauge).
This was the theory that many expounded on back them when machinery was the most expensive component of the Railroad and labor and life were cheap. Much like the tributaries of a river starting with trickles to streams to creeks to rivers.
From the human standpoint things are much better now, but infinitely more expensive.
Rick