Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars The Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars were built by the Budd Company in the United States between 1931 and 1933 using French firm Michelin's "Micheline" rail car design. Michelin built its first rail car in 1929, and by 1932 had built a fleet of nine cars that all featured innovative and distinctive pneumatic tires. In September 1931, an agreement signed between the two companies allowed Budd to use the new rubber rail tires on its shot-welded, stainless-steel carbodies, and at the same time allowed Michelin to expand into the American market. After building two demonstrators in what
Auburn Rubber Company Auburn Rubber Company The Auburn Rubber Company was a rubber products manufacturer best known for its line of children's toys (Leopard 2003). It was probably the largest producer of rubber and vinyl toys in the world, though Norway's Tomte Laerdal, Finland's Plasto, and Sweden's Galanite were major European producers. The Double Fabric Tire Company was started in Auburn, Indiana, in 1913. At the outset, Double Fabric made tires for the Auburn Automobile Company. In the 1920s, the name was changed to the Auburn Rubber Company. It phased out its production of tires and introduced new products such as rubber sheets