Standard gauge was not "standard" initially - Stephenson just used the gauge that the colliery he was working for had always used (and the origin of this was lost in the mists of time). Other collieries did not use the same gauge, although they tended to be around the same length, being about the same as typical carts in the area. The gauge became standard as Stephenson's influence spread, but there were a wide variety of gauges used in the early railways. Even in England, the home of modern railways, standard gauge did not become (more or less) standard until 1892 when the last broad gauge train ran, although all new lines were supposed to be standard from 1846. But in Ireland, 5'3" was set as the standard.



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