Traction engines
developed in the mid 1860s and were usually dirty, noisy and
somewhat crude to handle. They were driven initially by men who
were perhaps not very skilled in handling them but these men were
not just drivers – they developed the task into an art. This
book brings together much information about these engines, from
the earliest to the latest. Attention is also given to the various
derivatives of the traction engine – the humble portable, the
well-known steam roller, the little steam tractor, majestic road
locomotives and ploughing engines and, not least, the King of the
Road, the glorious and glittering showman’s engine.
The informative text is
accompanied by illustrations that show something of the age in
which traction engines worked and of the age when they became
treasured historic relics. Engines appear at rallies and other
events all over Great Britain and in many other countries. On
these occasions they are visited and admired by thousands of
people and are now part of our engineering heritage. |
