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Letter: Railway bikes

Published 9 February 2005

From Harry Shipley

Karl Drais’s name lives on, at least in French (29 January, p 48). Here the platelayers’ trolleys which used to be used on railways are always known as “draisines”. They were, it seems, yet another product of his inventive mind. The wheel has turned full circle, in that it is now possible to hire rail “cycles” on some disused French railway lines and enjoy a ride through the countryside on a draisine.

Cazouls-lès-Béziers, France

Issue no. 2486 published 12 February 2005

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