For the first time in 180 years The Examiner did not go to print on Wednesday

There have been many natural disasters such as floods, fires and snow stopping drivers from dropping the paper off at subscribers' doorsteps over the masthead's 180 years, but The Examiner has always managed to get one printed.

The first edition of the Launceston Examiner Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser was printed on Saturday, March 12, 1842, on a press smuggled into the colony disguised as brewery equipment.

ACM's Rocherlea Print Centre site manager Shane Brooks, who has worked at The Examiner for 30 years, said if there had been any other way, he wouldn't have made the call in the early hours of Wednesday.

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A compressor breakdown occurred at 12.30am and it could not be repaired.

"All the equipment runs on air, so if you've got no air, it's like no power," Mr Brooks said.

He said the machine had an issue with the belt that runs the fan.

While it had been replaced not long ago, he said, it appeared to have been replaced with a belt too narrow for the machine.

"The main compressor wouldn't load up for whatever reason, the backup compressor drive belt went and there are none in the state," Mr Brooks said.

READ MORE: Message to readers: press breakdown halts Examiner

Mr Brooks said they were able to run some papers and had the compressor run for a further 10 to 15 minutes, they could have at least had the paper run for the newsagencies.

Mr Brooks said he would be investigating what happened.

"We need to find out why the backup wasn't running first and why the main wouldn't fire up," he said.

He said he had never seen anything like this before, the closest he had seen to not being able to get the paper to print was in 1996, but they still managed to run on a smaller scale.

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Editor Corey Martin said the breakdown was a situation beyond anyone's control and apologised to subscribers and newsagencies for any inconvenience.

"I want to thank the print centre staff for making every effort to try and print the July 6 edition, our circulation department - particularly Darren Simmonds and Heather Edwards for relaying the message to subscribers as quickly as possible - and our readers for their understanding," he said.

"There is generally a first for everything and this certainly is for The Examiner.

"I'm just hoping it's the last time."

All home delivery customers have been credited for Wednesday's missing edition.

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