Traction Engines at Work in Cambridge and the Isle of Ely

Hardback

Traction engines were a familier
feature of the English landscape for
almost a hundred years but by the 1950s
the had almost disappeared.
Cambidgeshire and the Isle of Ely,
being a predominantly agricultural area
with a history of stem being used to
faciltate drainage, quickly adopted the
new technology.

Traction engines were used to power
thrashing machines and other farm
equipment, and were widely used for
cultivation. It was not long before
traction engines were being used for
haulage of farm produce and other
merchandise and later developments led
to the steam wagon. Steam rollers were
used to maintain and improve the roads
across the area. In the past the local
fair either in the town or village was
a major attraction and traction engines
were used to haul and power the
fairground rides.

The book features the different types
of traction engine that were used
across the two counties and some of the
contractors and oeners who operated
them.

The book is complemened with 154
archive photographs with informative
text.

An invaluable addition to the bookshelf
of every traction engine enthusiast.

• 154 pages
• 149 Black & White Photographs
• Hardback book
• 300mm x 215mm