railless

From rail +‎ -less.

railless (not comparable)

1. Without rails.
   1. Without rail tracks.

      Synonym: trackless

      railless street cars

      • 1911 July 6, “Railless traction at Leeds and Bradford”, in The Tramway and Railway World: A Review of Current Progress in Electric and Other Traction‎^[1], volume 30, number July 6, page 11:

        The gun-metal hangers and other fittings are interchangeable with those of the tramway system; and should tramways later be substituted for the railless system, a change over can be made with comparatively small expense. The railless vehicles have been supplied by the Railless Electric Traction Company, of London, as contractors, to the joint specification of the general managers of the Leeds and Bradford Tramways. The bodies have all been constructed by Messrs. Hurst, Nelson and Company, of Motherwell.

      • 1915, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, “RAILLESS STREET CAR DIFFICULTIES AT SHANGHAI”, in Commerce Reports‎^[2], volume 1, number 61, page 1042:

        [Consul General Thomas Sammons, Shanghai, China, Jan. 30.] The railless street cars recently shipped from England for use in Shanghai have been temporarily abandoned because of the condition of the streets on which they were operated. It seems that the foundations of these streets or roads were originally of broken brick which in the course of years have become pulverized into mud. This can not support the weight of the cars. It was found that the wheels of the new cars were pressing down the surface stones with which the roads are paved, and it seems that these roads will have to be gone over thoroughly before the operation of the railless cars can be undertaken successfully. Aside from the difficulty with the roadbeds, the cars are said to be eminently suited for use on the traffic-packed streets of Shanghai, being able to work their ways through narrow roads where it would be impracticable to operate vehicles fixed on rails. In the period of 13 days during which the cars were run 200,000 passengers were carried thereon, the cars on the streets numbering about 5 each day. It is reported that the management of the Shanghai electric street ear lines is convinced that if the difficulty with the road surfacing can be overcome there is a bright future in Shanghai for the railless street car.

   2. Without handrails.

      railless stairways

      • 1939, Frank B. Wells, “John Henry: Steel Driving Man”, in Federal Theatre Project‎^[3], volume 1, number 6, Play Bureau, Federal Theatre Project, U.S. Works Progress Administration:

        SCENE: Big Min's honky-tonk at Shawnee Mining Camp. There is a long, low-ceiled room with a short bar and a piano at one end, a railless stairway against one wall, and a cleared space in the middle of the floor, for dancing. The other end is occupied by a round table for cards, and an old pool table with a low framework of boards around one end of it for dice […]

      • 2011, Kenzaburo Oe, Somersault‎^[4], Grove/Atlantic, →ISBN, page 280:

        Asa-san told them that there were plenty of extra raincoats and high boots too, items essential to life here between river and woods, stored in the shed at the monastery, and they should feel free to borrow them. They all then trooped up a railless stairway carved out of the outer wall of the dam. "This lake that was made when the water was dammed up was also the work of some young people in this area involved in a group called the Base Movement. They flooded the plain, leaving the trees standing to make the lake, and one huge tree we call the Hollow's Cypress rises above the water on a bit of land, like some island that's been there forever."

• lairless, salliers