Traction Engine Books - History and Models (1/2)

Traction Engine Album

The age of the traction engine is now past, but these romantic leviathans of road and field excite great interest not only among those who remember them in their heyday, but also those brought up in the age of the lorry and tractor.

Malcolm Ranieri, who has been photographing preserved steam for over twenty years, has assembled this classic selection of photographs of the best of British traction engines, rollers, steam wagons and more.
Photographed at work and at rest at locations all over the United Kingdom, all the major manufacturers with famous names like Fowler, Burrell and Aveling & Porter are represented.

Traction Engines - Preservation and Power

It is remarkable that unlike so many of the historical artifacts which are preserved and displayed in museums, the vast majority of steam traction engines are owned and maintained by private individuals and enthusiasts, but for whom our industrial steam heritage would be much the poorer.

These enthusiasts have purchased, restored, maintained and preserved traction engines as an important part of our heritage.
In addition to conserving these engines they are also preserving not only the techniques needed to safely run them, but also the engineering and boiler-making experience required to maintain the engines both for the present and for future generations.

In this fabulous collection of images, Paul Stratford has captured the magnificence of these superb machines, often in settings that look much the same as they did fifty or a hundred years ago.

Steam Traction on the Road - From Trevithick to Sentinel: 150 Years of Design and Development

This is the story of how for more than a 100 years steam power played a vital role in the development of road transport. It all began with tentative attempts to build steam carriages by pioneers such as Cugnot in France and Trevithick in Britain, and in the early part of the 19th century there were significant attempts to develop steam carriages and omnibuses. That these attempts ultimately failed was largely due to opposition by road authorities and draconian legislation.

Steam power did, however, find a real purpose in agriculture, where the traction engine was used for a variety of tasks from towing and working threshing machines, to ploughing.
Once the value of the traction engine had been established, it soon found a use in many parts of the world for heavy haulage work and appeared in an exotic guise as the showman's engine. The latter was not only used to haul rides to fairgrounds but also powered a dynamo that could light up the fair at night.

By the end of the 19th century, steam on the road took on a new life with the development of steam cars and trucks. For a time they vied the new internal combustion engine for supremacy on the road. The American Doble Company even developed a 100mph steam sports car.
Ultimately steam lost the war, but steam vehicles survive and delight us still thanks to enthusiastic owners and restorers.

Traction Engines

The first traction engines were built around the middle of the nineteenth century. Their great pulling power and ability to provide power for other equipment revolutionised road haulage and agriculture.
Great makers like Burrell and Garrett from East Anglia, Taskers and Wallis & Steevens from Hampshire, Marshalls and Foster from Lincolnshire, and Fowlers and McLaren from Leeds filled Britain (and much of the rest of the world) with their engines. They ranged in size from the small road locomotives like Taskers' Little Giant, up to giant Fowler ploughing engines and the grandest Burrell showman's engine, resplendent in gold-lined paintwork and twisted brass canopy supports.

The age of the traction engine was relatively short, declining rapidly after the First World War, but they have left an indelible mark, with enthusiasts up and down the country having saved hundreds of machines from the scrapmen to entertain us every weekend at steam fairs and other vintage events.
This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with traction engines in all their variety.

Traction Engine Rallies - An Appreciation Over Seventy Years, 1950-2019

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The commercial era of traction engines and steam wagons waned in the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, preservation and public display, notably in rallies, gained prominence.
The traction engine rally movement traces its roots to a race between two engine-owning farmers in Appleford, Berkshire, in August 1950. Over time, regional preservation societies formed, with some enduring for over half a century, albeit not always in the same locations. Others thrived briefly before ceasing activities for various reasons, and there were occasional one-time events.

Rallies have evolved from their initial format. Rather than mere ring events, many now include working areas where diverse engine types showcase their intended tasks.

This book delves into various rallies, beginning with those from the 1950s and 1960s, exploring unique one-time events, examining rallies that have discontinued, and concluding with current flourishing examples. It provides a glimpse into the distinct character of each rally and highlights from events the author has attended over the past five decades.