Those steamers with the big wheel on each side, what are they designed for and what is so special about them? I am curious as my daughter watched Thomas the Engine and saw one on the show. Couldn't figure out their purpose, etc. Any insights appreciated.
Dan
danrunner wrote: Those steamers with the big wheel on each side, what are they designed for and what is so special about them? I am curious as my daughter watched Thomas the Engine and saw one on the show. Couldn't figure out their purpose, etc. Any insights appreciated. Dan
I think they are basically old-fashioned tractors and/or steamrollers. There's a nice one in the British Science Museum in London.
Of course, in reality, they exist solely for badinage with Thomas.
Is this what you saw?
http://www.nrm.org.uk/collections/loco/stirlingsingle.asp
It's an old British passenger-locomotive type with a single pair of driving wheels, called, logically enough, a "single".
Bob Nelson
Dan: Steam traction engines, in the past, have served several purposes throughout the world... One of the most common uses was for threshing grain, when paired up with a grain separator (commonly called a threshing machine)..the large flywheel on the engine would power a long drive belt, which would run the pulley on the separator......This same type of belt setup would be used to power saw mills or any other machine that needed engine power...The traction engines were also used for plowing fields and pulling large wagons, as well as grader blades for road building projects... They were clumbsy and slow, but very powerful...
A picture is worth a thousand words, so www.rollag.com will get you the website for the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion..........go to former exhibits, then traction engines.........
Rollag is also home to former Soo Line 0-6-0 #353...You are welcome to come out on Labor Day Weekend and ride the train and see some traction engines at work...There are also horse exhibits, old cars.....This event goes for four days, and there is no way that you can see everything in four days...
Not to mention the miniatureland, several old railroad depots,,,and most important:: people who are willing to take the time to explain how things are done...
hi BDT
A steam roller and a traction engine are two different machines.
A traction engine is a hauler of freight trailers ect often licenced for road use, and should not be confused with the farm engines or road works engines which had a way of powering other static machines via belts or chains
Which a traction engine which is just a mechanical horse could not they also often had rubber tyres which the others did not.
Showman's engines where a different beast yet again.
But all looked very similar from a distance
regards John
Thank you for all of the responses. I'm getting the picture. I knew I came to the right place.
John Busby wrote: hi BDTA steam roller and a traction engine are two different machines.A traction engine is a hauler of freight trailers ect often licenced for road use, and should not be confused with the farm engines or road works engines which had a way of powering other static machines via belts or chains Which a traction engine which is just a mechanical horse could not they also often had rubber tyres which the others did not.Showman's engines where a different beast yet again.But all looked very similar from a distanceregards John
One good reference good I can recommend is Floyd Clymer's Steam Traction Engines and Threshing Equipment No.1...copyrighted and published in 1949...... a good overview of American and Foreign engines is presented in this book.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
cnw1995 wrote:To me, traction will mean only one thing... See below.
Doug,, that picture brings a smile every time I see it,,,,glad to see that colorful piece so well cared for,,,
RaleighTrainFan wrote:Not really a big issue, but the traction engine I saw had information posted saying it could do rolling duty, hence my steamroller comment.
You are absolutely correct that a steam engine can be used for rolling duty. they were all heavy enough... One steam roller that I know of was advertised as being convertable to a traction engine by replacing the front roller with a regular wheel...For traction work, however,in addition to changing the front wheel, the rear wheels would be fitted with lug bars for traction...these lug bars, in turn, could be unwelcome when returning to roller duty. There were many small machine shops throughout the world that each built their own design, according to local needs and demands... one that would be an eye grabber was built in Scotland in 1877...this creature had 14' rear drive wheels. the axel was level with the top of the boiler..
John,,,,,Do they currently require license plates on farm equipment in West Australia?? I still have some license plates I took off some used Ford tractors that were purchased in England and shipped to Minnesota in the 1970s..I enjoy chatting with you folks on the other side of the pond...there is much to be shared...
By the way, any of the items mentioned here will look great riding the rails on a flatcar.. I recently bought a metal toy road grader for $4.49 in a variety store....It is a perfect fit on a Lionel 6825 flatcar....Always looking for more ideas...BDT
lionelsoni wrote: Is this what you saw?http://www.nrm.org.uk/collections/loco/stirlingsingle.aspIt's an old British passenger-locomotive type with a single pair of driving wheels, called, logically enough, a "single".
I am afraid not. The traction engine was displayed in the Science Museum and Library right down the street from the V&A in Kensington. Very cool engine, though.
Here is another site with lots of pictures for those interested. Lancaster County, PA is a hotbed of interest in these old steamers.
http://www.roughandtumble.org/rt_photos.asp
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