Motor Road Trains.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6203, 25 February 1904, Page 1

Motor Road Trains.

If France is under the impression that she is the pioneer o£ " road trains," m the shape of the Kenard automobile train which has just been tried m Faris, Ireland is m a position to correct her. It is over twenty years since the Mayor and Councillors of Waterford wished to travel to the Tramore, Exhibition. When the question of the transport of the party arose the Mayor (then Captain) Edward Pallisar stepped into thebreachwithanoffer of a "Thompson road steamer," a sp?cies of traction engine. After uiost strenuous exertion two antiquated barouches and three Bianconi jaunting cars, holding some eighteen persons each, were discovered and hitched on to the road steamer, and the trip was made with great success. The Thompson engine was then m use for carrying produce from Waterford to Dungarvan. It hauled two trucks carrying a load of seven tons, and the farmers termed the device •' Captain Edward's Eailway." Lord Iveagh and Mr Pirria are now considering the details of a scheme for helping Irish farmers t© get {produce to market by motors, m which they are prepared to invest many thousands of pounds. Major Palliser has offered an Ivel agricultural motor for experiments, and suggests that the makers of similar motors should lend specimens for an agricultural contest to enable the promoters of the scheme to discover the most suitable type for the purpose. A heavy engine is liable to break through Irish " bog roads," as m many cases the moist bog is only covered by a comparatively thin crust.