Fifteen-inch gauge railways were pioneered by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood who was interested in what he termed a minimum gauge railway for use as estate railways or to be easy to lay on, for instance, a battlefield. In 1874, he described the principle behind it as used for his Duffield Bank Railway, distinguishing it from a "narrow-gauge" railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in gauge, he settled on 15 in gauge as the minimum that he felt was practical.

Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, 3rd Baronet is best known today as the innovator of the fifteen inch minimum gauge railway, for estate use.