'Where did the four-foot, eight-and-a-half-inch standard originate? Gabriel says it was from a Englishman named George Stephenson' I hate to be picky, cooler (actually, I'm a liar...I lOVE being picky), but Stephenson was a Scotsman....he invented the steam engine. Along with a few other Scottish inventions....like television, telephones, tarmac (hottop), and bicycles, toi name but a few. LOL mac