# RailRoad Track Gauge Origin Of In The U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 1999, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094 "1999-12-03T05:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GenPulaski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbce88/32.png) [@GenPulaski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GenPulaski)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/1 "1999-12-03T05:14:00Z")
Hi Was wondering about the Origion of The Standard RailRoad Gauge In The U.S. WAS IT FROM THE ROMAN CHARIOT AXIL SPAN. Can You Help Me Out On This ?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/2 "1999-12-03T06:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > WAS IT FROM THE ROMAN CHARIOT AXIL SPAN. > Can You Help Me Out On This?? Sure![ul][li]The caps lock key is the one on the left of the keyboard, probably just below tab but possibly below shift.Axle is spelled A-X-L-E.[/ul][/li] > [@](#): > > Thanks. You’re welcome! ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/3 "1999-12-03T10:30:00Z")
This “origion” was thoroughly discussed here at least once before, but I don’t know how to efficiently frind achival threads in this place. Ray ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/4 "1999-12-03T11:53:00Z")
Here’s the poop. [http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/003549.html](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/003549.html) ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/5 "1999-12-03T15:40:00Z")
OK, I’m going from memory here, so if I’m mistaken, please correct me, gently… in the U.S., railways were built by a number of different, private companies, using a variety of different gauges. A car built for one gauge could not run on another. Where two incompatible systems connected, cars had to be lifted off one set of wheels and placed onto another. As rail traffic increased, this became big business, and a source of employment to many an unskilled laborer. It also slowed down commerce. Son Congress and the President (I want to say Lincoln) set a standard, based on what was most common at the time. This caused a lot of complaints from the companies that had to change their gauges, and some early labor unrest from the car changers who would be out out of their jobs. Oh, and on this laptop, the Caps Lock is just _above_ the Shift. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/railroad-track-gauge-origin-of-in-the-u-s/5094/6 "1999-12-04T02:28:00Z")
Ok, so the question would be how and when was a standard railroad gauge enacted in the US, and how did they choose the size they did? (Now, if someone knows the _answer_, we’re all set.)