Micheline

A Micheline is a rail car ( light railcars ), in which the wheels are equipped with air-filled tires. This design was developed in the 1930s by Michelin. The name Micheline was also often used in the sequence in France for DMUs in general.

Rubber wheel

The object of this invention by André Michelin was the improvement in passenger comfort. It had a wheel to be developed with a central depression, which could roll on the narrow rail head, was able to go through turnouts and also could support the vehicle weight. The first version was patented in 1929, and as a result the bike was built with a more resistant metal structure. The track guide rail is provided by a molded out of the rim flange. In addition, the bodies had to be easy. Consisting of duralumin construction methods were used in the aerospace technology for their construction. The first prototype was presented in 1931 the railway companies.

To apply this invention, organized Marcel Michelin, son of André Michelin, on 10 September 1931 record run. The prototype Michelin No. 5 drove from Paris Saint- Lazare to Deauville and back again. On the way back the car put the 219.2 km between the stations back in exactly two hours, which corresponds to an average speed of 107 km / h. Thus, the operational capability was underlined. Subsequently, several vehicles were built by Michelin.

Use

The Michelin -built railcars were for many years on the network of the French railways before and even after the establishment of the SNCF in use. For the narrow-gauge Micheline railcars were also adapted in the French colonies in Africa, Indochina and Madagascar. There, laid in 1937, Micheline railcar the 369 km long stretch Tamatave - Tananarive in nine hours, equivalent to a cruising speed of 44 km / h and the tires held 20,000 km.

Two copies exist in Madagascar, where so yet Tourism Transport is operated. A copy is on display at the Railway Museum Mulhouse.

The Budd Company built 1932/1933 three vehicles that worked also after the Michelin system. The vehicles owned by Goodyear tires produced under license. However, the vehicles are not tested and were retired or converted back within a short time.

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