The Short-Lived Experiment With Rubber Tires On Railways

For all their design innovations, railways still retain one fundamental weakness - they put metal wheels onto metal tracks. Not just inefficient as there is limited grip between two such smooth surfaces, but noisy as well. So why don't they use something different? Well, railway companies have tried. And sadly failed.

It's mainly a Frenchman we have to thank for the best attempt to deal with the metal upon metal, and that was tire magnate Andre Michelin who upon returning from an unpleasant train trip instructed his engineers to develop something better.