George Stephenson (9 June 1781 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives and is known as the \"Father of Railways\". The Victorians considered him a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement, with self-help advocate Samuel Smiles particularly praising his achievements. His rail gauge of 4 feet 8 inches (1,440 mm), sometimes called \"Stephenson gauge\", is the world\'s standard gauge.