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Star (Christchurch), Issue 184, 14 December 1868, Page 3

\ On a late afternoon (says the Scotsman) a a very remarkable sight was seen in this city. A train of heavily laden coal waggons, looking exactly like a luggage train, was observed coming steadily up the steep incline leading into Edinburgh from Dalkeith. It was one of R. W. Thomson's patent road steamers, with indiarubber wheel tires, hvaing huge loaded waggons in tow. Each waggon, weighed, wben empty, two tons and three-quarterß, and carried a load of five tons and a quarter of coals, making the gross weight of the waggons thirty-two tons. The road steamer weighs eight tons. Thus a total of forty tons was in motion. The road steamer had drawn the train from Newhattle Collieries, eight miles frora Edinburgh, over a very hilly road, with rising gradients of one in sixteen. There can be no doubt thiß invention of the application of vulcanised indiarubbar to the tires of road steamers forms the greatest step which has ever been made in the use of steam on common roads. It completely removes the two fatal difficulties which have hitherto barred the way to the use of traction engines— viz., the mutual destruction of the traction engine and the roads. The indiarabber tires interposing a soft and elastic cushion between the two, effectually protect them from every jar and jolt— in fact, as much so as if the engine were j travelling over a tramway of indiarubber. '