From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Comparison of the relative merits and drawbacks of wire, wooden, and pressed steel wheels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\4\ 04-page15 | |
| Date | 11th December 1912 guessed | |
| that wire wheels may be stronger than wooden wheels for side stress but wire wheels had the objection that the spokes may pull out and become loose. They point out that pressed steel wheels probably have greater advantages in this respect than wire wheels, as the spokes cannot become loose, and will not collapse suddenly, being more flexible when under side stress. They do not place any reliance on the comparative figures of strength which have been published, as these are the results of investigations by interested parties. (3) The Committee have already recommended the use of steel wheels for tropical climates in preference to wooden wheels. They consider that these are more suitable for this purpose than wire wheels. (4) Wire wheels were adopted on the London to Edinburgh trial because we had in view a fairly high speed on the track, and we do not consider wooden wheels suitable for this purpose. They were not chosen from a point of view of reliability but more from one of safety. (5) The Objections to wire wheels may be summed up as follows :- 1. Spokes become loose and break unless they receive very careful attention. 2. They are most inconvenient things to clean. | ||