New Zealand - Traction engine hauling a working load - Behind the traction engine is the threshing mill, then comes the chaff-cutter and the cookhouse brings up the rear. - Palmerston North - circa 1910 A traction engine - A steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location - The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it - They are sometimes called road locomotives to distinguish them from railway locomotives – that is, steam engines that run on rails. - Traction engines tend to be large, robust and powerful, but also heavy, slow, and difficult to manoeuvre - Nevertheless, they revolutionized agriculture and road haulage at a time when the only alternative prime mover was the draught horse. (Reference: Wikipedia) --------------------- Image source: Traction engine hauling a working load – Unknown circa 1910, No Known Restrictions https://manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz/item/4fdd3547-51bc-4bb7-8e26-73f12d1c5b0a