Dreadnaught wheel

The "endless rails" were flat boards or steel plates loosely attached around the outer circumference of the wheels, which spread the weight of the vehicle over a larger surface and hence made it less likely to get bogged by sinking into soft ground or skidding on slippery tracks.

[5] A number of horse-drawn wagons, carts and gun carriages using Boydell's design saw service with the British Army in the Crimean War (October 1853 and February 1856).

[1][6] The Royal Arsenal at Woolwich manufactured the wheels, and a letter of commendation was signed by Sir William Codrington, the General commanding the troops at Sebastapol.

Eventually Bottrill, in association with A. H. MacDonald & Co. of Richmond, Melbourne, began producing steam and oil-based tractors fitted with his wheels.

Bottrill's design spans the definition, as its cable attachments are similar to the pedrail connections, albeit much more simple.