The worldwide usage of locomotives on railways, including 3 ft (914 mm) gauge railways, has its origins in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century during the Industrial Revolution. In fact, in 1802, a 3 ft gauge plateway-type railway owned by the Coalbrookdale Company in England became the first railway in the world to have a locomotive designed and built for it. The locomotive's designer, Richard Trevithick, is credited with making the first recorded successful demonstration of a locomotive on rails (in 1804 on a different railway in Wales). 3 ft gauge locomotive-powered railways, along with other narrow-gauge railways of varying widths, would later become one of the most common railway gauges chosen for short-distance lines in the British Isles, such as those found in mines and industrial sites (see table below).
Alan Keef Headquarters (private) (2 ft (610 mm) gauge lines and dual gauge lines with 2 ft (610 mm) gauge track also present) (all 3 ft (914 mm) gauge trackage is dual-gauged with 2 ft (610 mm) gauge trackage) (operating)
Coalbrookdale Company (world's first railway to have a locomotive designed and built for it; however, no record of a successful run of this locomotive exists) (gauge of locomotive itself slightly wider than 3 ft (914 mm) gauge due to railway's plateway design) (defunct)
