0 (zero) gauge was establishment by Marklin ? in 1892 ??? ... Both FV and Issmayer came up with their own "tiny" gauge which was just slightly smaller than 0 gauge .... early on there would be very little reason to establish a "standard" ...as many of the earliest small trains would run on a set circle ... without much hope of enlarging the RR empire ... once 0 gauge got a foot hold as a good usable size 1901 and later ...then establishing a standard for interchangeability would become much more an advantage for continued sales .... Ives would enter the "established " 0 gauge market to compete with the German/ French imports .. and in 1903 enter in the 1 gauge market again to bite off some of the imported sales. Lionel with it's non "standard" 2 1/8" at the very end of 1906 ... advertised as 2" ...caused no end of trouble for the American established real 2" train lines ... the new weed of a gauge would kill off the indigenous specie through heavy advertising and pushy salesman .
Cheers Carey
