# Was standard railroad gauge determined ...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-determined/163236>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 21, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-determined/163236 "2003-03-21T23:29:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-determined/163236/1 "2003-03-21T23:29:43Z")

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I generally agree with Cecil on this – people doing similar tasks (hauling human-sized cargo on wheeled vehicles) are likely to come up with similar sizes – and this anecdote makes a big deal about this obvious fact.

But I have another fact to add to this.

The “Roman war-horses” would have looked like ponies alongside the English draft horses used to pull wagons. The breeding of horses improved greatly during the intervening 1500-2000 years, and English Draft breeds are quite literally twice the size of Roman horses.

So saying “the railroad gauge is set to match the width of 2 horses’ asses” only makes sense if the horses are the same size. And they aren’t.

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**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-determined/163236/2 "2003-03-22T00:04:49Z")

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Linky linky.

[Was standard railroad gauge (4’8½") determined by Roman chariot ruts?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000218.html)

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-standard-railroad-gauge-determined/163236/3 "2003-03-22T01:58:45Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, **[t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net)**. (WAG: That wouldn’t be your email address as well as handle, would it? 🙂 )

As **Joey G** is trying to tell you oh-so-subtly, it’s a pretty good idea to include a link in the OP to the subject we are about to discuss. That way, someone doesn’t have to say, “WTF ya talkin’ 'bout, newbie?” 🙂 🙂

That said, I have nothing more to add to this discussion. Carry on.