Bramah Joseph Diplock

Diplock's first inventions were related to improving traction in geared locomotives (both road and rail) by driving all wheels, this presenting problems due to the need to steer the vehicle.

The practical realisation of this was the Pedrail Tractor made by Fosters of Lincoln, from which an account in 1904 of a trial attended by members of the War Office proved its ability to tow a heavy load over rough ground, climbs hills and turn with ease, and show a 2 ton drawbar pull.

Publisher Longman, Green and Company, entitled "A New System of Heavy Goods Transport on Common Roads".

Faced with trench warfare there were ideas supported by Winston Churchill and Lord Fisher (First Sea Lord) for land battleships, however Sir Percy Scott argued that these huge slow moving devices would be destroyed by artillery fire before they could be effective.

[13] A demonstration of the system's ability to support a large load for trench warfare was made on 16 February 1915 to Winston Churchill, and may have been influential in the development of the tank.