New Zealand - Traction Engine hauling a load of flax - 1910s 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 load of flax. Field collection. Ref: 1/2-049531-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22628834 https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22628834