Aveling & Porter Steam Traction Engine
In 1860 Thomas Aveling invented the traction engine, offering an alternative to horses in agricultural haulage. Eleven years later, approximately when this engine was built, Aveling was improving his design for the self-propelling power plant. This engine was one of the first to be steered by its front wheels (earlier designs were steered by a fifth wheel) and to have gear-driven rear wheels. These features, as well as the Aveling patented method of supporting the crankshaft, were to become standard on all traction engines. This engine was renovated by Aveling-Barford Ltd in the 1950s before being donated to the Science Museum.
Built in 1870-72, it is the oldest surviving traction engine to show all the features that became standard on all traction engines for the next 60 years.
Traction engines were often used as a portable power source for various machines, driven by a long belt from a flywheel. The engines would travel from far to far at harvest time, where they would drive a threshing machine (which separated the wheat from the chaff and stalks).
For many people, the traciton engine was probably their first encounter with the "machine age." In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, published in 1891, Thomas Hardy described the harsh pace of the new machinery as Tess helped to feed corn into the threshing machine. "It was the ceaselessness of the work that tried her so severely .... For Tess there was no respite; for, as the drum never stopped, the man who fed it could not stop, and she, who had to supply the man with untied sheaves, could not stop either."
Traction engines were also used to haul heavy industrial equipment and also pulled 'road trains' consisting of several wagons. However, their average speed was slow - about 4 mph.
Aveling and Porter exported steam engines all over the world. They also pioneered the steam road-roller - really a traction engine with heavy rollers for wheels - thus steam "paved the way" for the petrol, diesel and electric vehicles of today...
All information from the Science Musuem's website and noticeboards.
Aveling & Porter Steam Traction Engine
In 1860 Thomas Aveling invented the traction engine, offering an alternative to horses in agricultural haulage. Eleven years later, approximately when this engine was built, Aveling was improving his design for the self-propelling power plant. This engine was one of the first to be steered by its front wheels (earlier designs were steered by a fifth wheel) and to have gear-driven rear wheels. These features, as well as the Aveling patented method of supporting the crankshaft, were to become standard on all traction engines. This engine was renovated by Aveling-Barford Ltd in the 1950s before being donated to the Science Museum.
Built in 1870-72, it is the oldest surviving traction engine to show all the features that became standard on all traction engines for the next 60 years.
Traction engines were often used as a portable power source for various machines, driven by a long belt from a flywheel. The engines would travel from far to far at harvest time, where they would drive a threshing machine (which separated the wheat from the chaff and stalks).
For many people, the traciton engine was probably their first encounter with the "machine age." In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, published in 1891, Thomas Hardy described the harsh pace of the new machinery as Tess helped to feed corn into the threshing machine. "It was the ceaselessness of the work that tried her so severely .... For Tess there was no respite; for, as the drum never stopped, the man who fed it could not stop, and she, who had to supply the man with untied sheaves, could not stop either."
Traction engines were also used to haul heavy industrial equipment and also pulled 'road trains' consisting of several wagons. However, their average speed was slow - about 4 mph.
Aveling and Porter exported steam engines all over the world. They also pioneered the steam road-roller - really a traction engine with heavy rollers for wheels - thus steam "paved the way" for the petrol, diesel and electric vehicles of today...
All information from the Science Musuem's website and noticeboards.