Why Don’t Trains Have Rubber Tires?

A train wheel touches the rail at a spot about the size of a small coin, yet it carries over one hundred tons. So why do trains not use soft rubber tires like cars? In this video, we look at rolling resistance, grip, and braking, and how the shape of a steel wheel helps a train turn without any steering. We also see where rubber-tired trains do exist, such as the Paris Metro, and why they still keep steel wheels as a backup. Steel and rubber each solve a different problem, and this is the story of that trade-off.