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A traction engine (sometimes called a road locomotive) is a wheeled steam engine used to move heavy loads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it. They are also known as "road locomotives" to distinguish them from (railway) steam locomotives – that is, steam engines that run on rails. // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ...
Union Pacific Big Boy #4012 at work on a cold November 29, 1941 A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. ...
Traction engines tend to be large, robust and powerful, but extremely heavy, slow, and poorly maneuverable. Nevertheless, they revolutionized agriculture and road haulage at a time when the only alternative prime mover was the draught horse. A draft horse or draught horse is a large, strong horse breed for heavy work rather than speed. ...
A typical preserved traction engine: 1910 Allchin 7nhp agricultural engine "Evedon Lad", at Stoke Goldington steam rally in 2005 The machines typically have two large powered wheels at the back and two smaller wheels for steering at the front. However, some traction engines used a four-wheel-drive variation, and some experimented with a form of caterpillar track. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (955x620, 61 KB)The traction engine Evedon Lad at Stoke Goldington in May 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (955x620, 61 KB)The traction engine Evedon Lad at Stoke Goldington in May 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Stoke Goldington is a village in the Borough of Milton Keynes, England. ...
U.S. M60 Patton tank. ...
They became popular in industrialised countries from around 1840, when the farm machinery company Ransomes of Ipswich developed a portable steam engine for agricultural use. Production continued well into the early part of the 20th century. Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries Engineers of Ipswich were a major British agricultural machinery maker. ...
Traction engines were cumbersome and ill-suited to crossing soft or heavy ground so their agricultural use was usually either "in the belt" – powering farm machinery by means of a continuous leather belt driven by the flywheel – or in pairs, dragging an implement on a cable from one side of a field to another. However, where soil conditions permitted, direct hauling of implements ("off the drawbar") was preferred.
Manufacturers continued to seek a solution to realise the economic benefits of direct-pull ploughing, and, particularly in North America, this led to the development of the steam tractor. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into traction engine. ...
History
The earliest mobile steam engine is thought to have been invented by Nicolas Cugnot who demonstrated an engine for hauling artillery at the Paris arsenal on October 23, 1769. Unfortunately the idea was discredited when a similar engine ran into a brick wall during a demonstration in Paris. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (25 September 1725 - 2 October 1804) was a French inventor who built what may have been the worlds first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile. ...
October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
The traction engine, in the form recognisable today, developed from an experiment in 1859 when Aveling and Porter modified a Clayton & Shuttleworth portable engine, which had to be hauled from job to job by horses, into a self-propelled one. The alteration was made by fitting a long driving chain between the crankshaft and the rear axle, and this set the basic design for the next 60-odd years. [1] 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ...
Aveling & Porter engine Margaret Aveling and Porter railway engine for industrial use. ...
All types of traction engines have now been superseded, in commercial use, by internal combustion engine -powered equivalents. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Operation - See: steam engine for a description of how the actual engine worked
Although the first 'traction engine' had a chain drive, it is more typical for large gears to be used to transfer the drive from the crankshaft to the rear axle. // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ...
A simple animation showing the steam cycle of a traction engine, the operation of the valve gear and the reversing mechanism, may be found here: [2].
Usage Traction engines saw use in a variety of roles between 1840 and 1940. They can be divided according to their use.
Portable engine A portable engine, preserved at the museum in Blankenhain Castle, Germany. The chimney has been folded-down, ready for transporting the engine to a new location. The axle under the smokebox (on the left) pivots to allow the engine to be steered. Towing eyes are provided on the same axle assembly to allow the engine to be pulled along. A portable engine is essentially a small agricultural engine that is not self-propelled. The engine is towed to a work site, by horses or a traction engine, where it can drive machinery using a belt from its flywheel.
The engine may have one or two flywheels mounted on the same crankshaft. Where two are provided, they are of different diameters, mounted either side of the engine. The larger flywheel provides a slower speed for farmyard work (eg chopping feedstuffs) than is required for driving a threshing machine (for example). The crankshaft also drives a boiler feedwater pump which draws water from a barrel placed alongside the engine. Many engines have a simple, but effective, feedwater heater which works by blowing a small portion of the exhaust steam into the water barrel. The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine (or simply thresher), was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. ...
A boiler feedwater pump is a specific type of pump used to pump water into a steam boiler. ...
A Feedwater heater is a power plant component used to pre-heat water delivered to the boiler. ...
The engineering company Clayton & Shuttleworth built hundreds of portable engines, and an example is on display at the Museum of English Rural Life. Many other portable engines have also been preserved, as they were built in large quantities and their relatively small size, compared to a traction engine, makes them a much more viable proposition for restoration by the average enthusiast. The Museum of English Rural Life was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to record the changing face of farming and the countryside. ...
Ploughing engine
A John Fowler & Co. Ploughing Engine - the winding drum is mounted below the boiler (the 'drum' on the side is actually a hose for refilling the water tank). A lockable tool box may be seen on the front axle; the 'spud tray' would be mounted in the same way, behind the axle. A distinct form of traction engine, characterised by the provision of a large diameter winding drum driven by separate gearing from the steam engine. Onto the drum a long length of wire rope was wound, which was used to haul an implement, such as a plough, across a field. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 832 KB) Image of a John Fowler traction engine. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 832 KB) Image of a John Fowler traction engine. ...
A John Fowler & Co. ...
The winding drum was either mounted horizontally (below the boiler), vertically (to one side), or even concentrically, so that it encircled the boiler. The majority were under-slung (horizontal), however, and necessitated the use of an extra-long boiler to allow enough space for the drum to fit between the front and back wheels. These designs were the largest and longest traction engines to be built.
Mostly the ploughing engines worked in pairs, one on each side of the field, with the rope from each machine fastened to the implement to be hauled. The two drivers communicated by signals using the engine whistles.
A variety of implements were constructed for use with ploughing engines. The most common were the balance plough and the cultivator - ploughing and cultivating being the most physically demanding jobs to do on an arable farm. Other implements included the mole drainer, used to create an underground drainage 'pipe', and the dredger bucket, used for dredging rivers or castle moats.
The engines were frequently provided with a 'spud tray' on the front axle, to store the 'spuds' which would be fitted to the wheels when travelling across claggy ground.
Ploughing engines were rare in the U.S.; ploughs were usually hauled directly by an agricultural engine or steam tractor. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into traction engine. ...
Agricultural (general purpose) engine The most common form in the countryside. They were used for hauling and as a stationary power source. Even when farmers did not own such a machine they would rely upon it from time to time. Many farms would use draught horses throughout the year, but during the harvest, threshing contractors would travel from farm to farm hauling the threshing machine which would be set up in the field and powered from the engine — a good example of the moveable stationary engine. Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries Engineers of Ipswich were a major British agricultural machinery maker. ...
A draft horse or draught horse is a large, strong horse breed for heavy work rather than speed. ...
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine (or simply thresher), was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. ...
U.S. (agricultural) traction engine Favourable soil conditions meant that U.S. traction engines usually pulled their plows behind them, thereby eliminating the complexities of providing a cable drum and extra gearing, hence simplifying maintenance. American traction engines were manufactured in a variety of sizes, with the 6 horsepower Russell being the smallest commercially made, and the large engines made by Russell, Case, and Reeves being the largest.
Steam tractor (U.S.) -
In North America, the term steam tractor usually refers to a type of agricultural tractor powered by a steam engine, used extensively in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into traction engine. ...
World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...
// The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ...
Steam tractor (UK) In Great Britain, the term steam tractor is more usually applied to the smallest models of traction engine – typically those weighing seven tons or less – used for hauling small loads on public roads. Although known as light steam tractors, these engines are generally just smaller versions of the 'road locomotive'.
They were popular in the timber trade in the UK, although variations were also designed for general light road haulage and showman's use.
Road locomotive Used for haulage of heavy loads on public highways, it was not uncommon for two or even three to be coupled together to allow heavier loads to be handled. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2326 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2326 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
The Great Dorset Steam Fair is an annual show featuring steam powered vehicles and machinery. ...
A particularly distinctive form was the Showman's engine. These were operated by travelling showmen both to tow fairground equipment and to power it when set up; either directly or by running a generator. These could be highly decorated and formed part of the spectacle of the fair. Some were fitted with a small crane that could be used when assembling the ride.
Steamroller - Main article: Steamroller
A distinct form of the steam traction engine, used for road building and flattening ground. Typically designed with a single heavy roller replacing the front wheels and axle, and smooth rear wheels without strakes. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1745x1166, 333 KB) Summary Steam Traction engine at a fair. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1745x1166, 333 KB) Summary Steam Traction engine at a fair. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Traction engine. ...
Some traction engines were designed to be convertible: the same basic machine could be fitted with either standard ('treaded' or tyred) road wheels, or else smooth rolls – the changeover between the two being achieved in less than half a day.
Steam wagon
1930 Foden C-Type 5 ton 'over-type' steam wagon
Preserved 1931-built Sentinel DG4 'under-type' steam lorry These were the earliest steam lorries and came in two basic forms. The earlier over-type designs resembled traction engines by having a cab built around a horizontal boiler with a round smokebox and chimney (eg Foden). And they resembled lorries in having a load-carrying body and being built around a chassis (so they cannot really be called traction engines). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 515 KB) Foden class C steam lorry, 1930 Foden 5 ton C Type Wagon - Margaret Works No. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 515 KB) Foden class C steam lorry, 1930 Foden 5 ton C Type Wagon - Margaret Works No. ...
1930 Foden Steam lorry 1959 Foden S20 dropside 1967 Foden S36 flatbed Foden Trucks is a truck manufacturer. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (768x1024, 755 KB) w:en:Sentinel Waggon Works DG4 registration KF 6482. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (768x1024, 755 KB) w:en:Sentinel Waggon Works DG4 registration KF 6482. ...
Lorry Look up Lorry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Can mean: A truck, in the sense of a commercial large goods vehicle. ...
1930 Foden Steam lorry 1959 Foden S20 dropside 1967 Foden S36 flatbed Foden Trucks is a truck manufacturer. ...
The more modern under-type designs have the engine under the chassis (although the boiler remains in the cab), and generally resemble lorries rather than traction engines.
Early examples of either type had solid tyres, but various developments, including vertical boilers, enclosed cabs and pneumatic tyres were tried by companies such as the Sentinel Waggon Works in a bid to compete with internal combustion engine -powered lorries. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Steam lorry manufacturers Many traction engine builders also built forms of steam lorry, but some firms specialised in them.
Thornycroft was an established marine engineering company that successfully spawned theSteam Carriage and Wagon Company for the production of steam-powered road vehicles. They supplied steam lorries to the British army, commercial steam waggons and vans, steam cars (for a few years), and buses – London's first powered bus was a Thornycroft double-decker steam bus. Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. ...
// Nicolas-Joseph Cugnots Fardier à vapeur (Steam wagon) of 1769 The 1923 Stanley Steam Car A steam car is a car powered by a steam engine. ...
Manufacturers who specialised in the construction of steam lorries include:
1930 Foden Steam lorry 1959 Foden S20 dropside 1967 Foden S36 flatbed Foden Trucks is a truck manufacturer. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. ...
Basingstoke railway station, as seen from Alençon Link. ...
Steam lorries on film The 1975 Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing featured a steam lorry in a (literally) supporting role. It was used as the 'getaway vehicle' for the theft of a large dinosaur skeleton from the Natural History Museum. It was involved in a lengthy chase sequence through the streets of London – as a result, the steam lorry, and the dinosaur, featured prominently on the film's posters and video/DVD case artwork. One of our Dinosaurs is Missing is a British comedy film released in 1975, about the theft of a dinosaur skeleton from the Natural History Museum. ...
For other similarly-named museums see Museum of Natural History. ...
The lorry was based on an 'unusual' prototype, a long wheelbase undertype, with a small vertical boiler mounted to one side of the cab, and no windscreen.
Terminology - spud or lug – strip of angled metal that could be bolted to the driving wheels to provide greater traction on soft or heavy ground. Spuds were often required on ploughing engines when moving across farmland.
- strake – name for the diagonal bars cast into the wheel rims to provide traction on unmade ground (similar to the tread on a pneumatic tyre).
Modern use Although no longer used commercially, traction engines of all types continue to be maintained and preserved by enthusiastic individuals and are frequently exhibited at agricultural shows in Europe (particularly the UK), Canada and the United States. They are often a main attraction in a live steam festival. A Live Steam Festival displaying equipment ranging from small stationary engines to full-size locomotives. ...
Traction engines in popular culture
On film - See also: Steam rollers on film
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Traction engine. ...
1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...
The Iron Maiden is a 1962 British comedy film. ...
The layout of Woburn before partial demolition. ...
In fiction - See also: Steam rollers in fiction
- In the book Gumdrop and The Farmer's Friend, by Val Biro, the vintage motor-car Gumdrop is rescued from a snowy ditch by "The Farmer's Friend", a traction engine belonging to a local farmer. Some months later, the two vehicles are instrumental in thwarting a pair of car thieves.
The end-papers of the book include a simplified cut-away drawing of the traction engine: a single-cylinder, 6 NHP Fowler light tractor, built in 1903. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Traction engine. ...
Trevor the Traction Engine is a character in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. ...
Map showing the railways on the fictional Island of Sodor (click to enlarge). ...
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE, (June 15, 1911 – March 21, 1997), better known as the Reverend W. Awdry, was a clergyman, railway enthusiast and childrens author. ...
Reverend Charles Laxely (aka the Vicar) is a person who lives on the Island of Sodor on the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series. ...
There are many fictional locations in The Railway Series of books by Rev. ...
The Railway Series book, featuring Edward, which also carries Edwards name. ...
Thomas & Friends (formerly Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, also known as Thomas the Tank Engine) is a British childrens television series which was first broadcast in 1984. ...
A John Fowler & Co. ...
On television Fred with his MBE Fred Dibnah MBE (29 April 1938 – 6 November 2004), born in Bolton, England was a steeplejack, engineer and eccentric who became a television personality, a cult figure and, latterly, a national institution. ...
Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ...
Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan 967 Area...
Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Manufacturers
The Poyle Pump stands nearly 3 metres tall which suggests that it was intended to be used to refill the tanks of new-fangled steam traction engines. - See List of traction engine manufacturers
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (447x999, 94 KB) The Poyle Pump at grid reference TQ034766 on the Bath Road between Poplar Close and Sherbourne Close in Poyle, Slough. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (447x999, 94 KB) The Poyle Pump at grid reference TQ034766 on the Bath Road between Poplar Close and Sherbourne Close in Poyle, Slough. ...
The metre (or meter, see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ...
References - ^ Bonnett, Harold (1975). Discovering Traction Engines. Shire Publications Ltd, p.5. ISBN 0 85263 318 1.
- ^ Animation (Flash) showing the steam cycle and reversing mechanism of a traction engine
– NB contains embedded music, which can be turned off! (Accessed 23 Apr 2007)
External links
History - History of mechanisation in farming – Timeline, 1700 - 1914 (MERL)
- Concise history of the traction engine – evolution, from earliest experiments to widespread manufacture, plus definitions of the six main types
- Social Impact of Road Haulage – Timeline including early development history of steam-powered road vehicles (from Hampshire County Council Museum Service)
- "Steam Dinosaur" – world's oldest surviving traction engine (plus lots of history of early Aveling products)
The Museum of English Rural Life was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to record the changing face of farming and the countryside. ...
Preservation - UK Traction engine rallies
- East Anglian Traction Engine Society
- Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion
- Engine Resources
- National Traction Engine Trust
Research - Database of historical agricultural engineering companies of the UK – (MERL)
- Steam Traction magazine – searchable article archive (1951-date)
Covers mainly-US traction engines and steam tractors, threshing machines and steam-powered agricultural machinery. - Steam Scenes – extensive searchable photo library – preserved traction engines in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
- Steam-Up – photo library – UK-based preserved traction engines
- Traction Time – searchable photo library & discussion forums – Information about UK-based preserved traction engines
The Museum of English Rural Life was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to record the changing face of farming and the countryside. ...
The steam tractor is a tractor based on the steam engine and was used extensively in the 1800s and early 1900s in agriculture. ...
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine (or simply thresher), was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. ...
Further information - Interactive diagram of a traction engine showing major components.
- Glossary of traction engine terminology
See also Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...
Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...
A Live Steam Festival displaying equipment ranging from small stationary engines to full-size locomotives. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into traction engine. ...
The Museum of English Rural Life was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to record the changing face of farming and the countryside. ...
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