A ROAD RAIL-CAR.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20360, 18 July 1934, Page 11

A ROAD RAIL-CAR.

All over the world at the present time experiments are being carried out with vehicles that can be used on road and rails. Nowhere in the world is there such a country where the coordination of the two great land transport services is so necessary as New Zealand. In England passenger and freight vehicles have been tried out with the greatest success. In America recently a device which permits two guide wheels at each end of a vehicle to be lowered and raised at will has been tried. These flanged guide wheels can be lowered on to the rails and the vehicle transmits power to the line by medium of its ordinary rear wheels. Should a puncture or blow-out eventuate, the drop is only a quarter of an inch.

In reticulating sparsely populated areas with transport, the more mobile motor-vehicle has an easy advantage over the train. It is more economical and much quicker. There is considerably less handling since each road vehicle serves a district, collects its freight, connects with the railway at the most accessible point and carries on to the main centre. It is almost certain that more will be done in this method of transporting goods.