Decauville
（重定向自Decauville railway）
![Name plate of the Decauville company.](/Images/godic/202501/08/Plaque_decau3848.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202501/08/Rail_gauge_world3848.png")
The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville (1846–1922), a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's 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 (15 ⁄4 in) gauge; Decauville later refined his invention and switched to 500 mm (19 ⁄4 in) and 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁄8 in) gauge.