2. Wheel bearing technology – track

In 1929, French engineer Édouard Michelin developed a vehicle with pneumatic tires running on conventional rails. High acceleration in traction and braking was accompanied by increased comfort and a noticeable reduction in rolling noise. This was the epic of the "Michelines". The experiment was not repeated after the Second World War. Two examples of Michelines still run on Madagascar's railroads. In 1948, the SNCF resumed its experiment with rubber-tyred rolling stock, with three six-car trainsets running on fast services between Paris and Strasbourg. These cars, whose structure was lightened, were equipped with two five-axle bogies