ɔːlðˈoʊ ɡˈɑːɹd ɹˈeɪlz ɪn sˌʌm fˈɔːɹm hɐvbɪn jˈuːzd æz lˈɔŋ æz ðɛɹ hɐvbɪn tɹˈeɪnz, ðə pɹɪkˈɜːsɚɹ ʌvðə ɡˈɑːɹd ɹˈeɪlz ɪn jˈuːs tədˈeɪ wʌz diːtˈeɪld ˈɪn , fˈaɪld ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː baɪ ɡˈoːɹæm bˈiː. ˈeɪmz, bˈeɪst ɪn lækˈoʊniə, nˈuː hˈæmpʃɚ, jˌuːˈɛs.
Although guard rails in some form have been used as long as there have been trains, the precursor of the guard rails in use today was detailed in , filed in 1893 by Gorham B. Ames, based in Laconia, New Hampshire, US.