« Tracked traction? | Main | The Bombers are back »
July 21, 2005
Steam tractors anyone?
Like modern trucks, cars and tractors, steam traction engines came in a variety of shapes and sizes for an equal variety of purposes. One that is almost "multi-purpose" is the steam tractor, and it is easy to see where the modern farm tractor got its shape and basic design from!
A younger entrant drives a powerful quarter sized tractor into the arena.
One drawback was the weight and the fact that they could not be readily used in ploughed lands or over soft ground - so a variant of this is the steam plough which carries a large cable pulley under its belly and a large drum of cable. Two of these set up on either side of a field could pull a plough, guided and steered by a seated man riding it, back and forth across a field - and suddenly modern farming is possible!
Giving every impression of its power, a half sized model steam tractor rumbles toward the show arena.
There were several models of the "plough" variant at the show - unfortunately I could not get a picture that showed the plough mechanism! Never mind, there's always next year!
Posted by The Gray Monk at July 21, 2005 09:11 AM
Comments
My sons would have loved this. Thanks for the pictures.
Posted by: vw bug at July 21, 2005 01:47 PM
It's held in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire every year at the end of June. See you next year?
Posted by: The Gray Monk at July 21, 2005 03:47 PM