Name plate of the Decauville company

Paul Decauville (1846-1922) was a French pioneer in light railways. His major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported very easily. The first Decauville railway used 400 mm (15¾ in) gauge; Decauville later refined his invention and switched to 500 mm (1 ft 7¾ in) and 600 mm (1 ft 11½ in) gauge. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Found art, or more commonly and less confusingly, Found Object (French: objet trouvé) is a term used to describe art created from common objects not normally considered to be artistic (also assemblage). ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Sleepers has several meanings: for the 1996 film, see Sleepers (film) for railway sleepers, see railroad tie Sleepers is also a solo album by rapper Big Pooh from the group Little Brother. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ...

Starting in 1875, his company produced track elements, engines and cars. Those were exported to many countries, in particular to the colonial possessions of European powers. The French military became interested in the Decauville system as soon as 1888 and chose the 600 mm (1 ft 11½ in) gauge track to equip its strongholds and to carry artillery pieces and ammunition during military campains. Decauville track was used during the French military expeditions to Madagascar and Morocco. 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... It has been suggested that Colonisation be merged into this article or section. ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A stronghold is a strongly fortified defensive structure. ... Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ...

By the First World War, Decauville had become a military standard and the French and British eventually built thousands of miles of track. The German had a similar system, with normalized engines. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Decauville railways were widely used in construction yards, quarries, farms, cane fields and mountain railways up to the 1950s. The company also produced road vehicles and construction engines.

External links

• http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11385/11385-h/11385-h.htm#8
• http://www.decauville.nl