# Was standard railroad gauge (4’8-1/2”) determined by Roman chariot ruts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 28, 2017, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-4-8-1-2-determined-by-roman-chariot-ruts/785423 "2017-04-28T09:02:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-4-8-1-2-determined-by-roman-chariot-ruts/785423/1 "2017-04-28T09:02:23Z")
[Cecil’s column.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2538/was-standard-railroad-gauge-48-determined-by-roman-chariot-ruts) I quote: > [@](#): > > But this claim about an edict by Julius Caesar was something new — it’s not mentioned in any of the standard histories of Roman roads I’ve seen. I’ve exchanged E-mail with Prof. Solomon trying to learn his source, but he was on the road and couldn’t provide a cite. 17 summers have gone by with the length of 17 winters so I’m wondering. Did the Professor ever provide a cite? I’d love to know as I too have never read of such an edict by Caesar. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-4-8-1-2-determined-by-roman-chariot-ruts/785423/2 "2017-04-28T14:06:38Z")
Just to add that tracks are 9 mm apart in N-guage model railroading … I knew you were curious … How far apart were double trackways before the horse? … how close can two burdened humans pass each other comfortably? … in other words, did Caesar dream up 4’ 8-1/2" or was this already a long established separation? …