Today a vast variety of steam traction engines can be seen attending the numerous rallies and events staged annually around the country. They bear testimony to the hours of labour and vast amounts of money invested by a dedicated band of enthusiasts who strive to restore and preserve these relics from the past for future generations. In the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century steam truly ruled supreme and those steam engines designed for use in agriculture and transport are today collectively referred to as ‘traction engines’: In this video we examine the different types of traction engines which were designed and delivered to carry out specific tasks. We study portable engines, general purpose traction engines (sometimes referred to as agricultural engines or threshing engines), ploughing engines, road rollers, steam wagons, road locomotives, steam tractors and the magnificent showmans road locomotive.
