Steam Book: Traction Engines at Work in Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely

TRACTION ENGINES AT WORK IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND THE ISLE OF ELY - by Mike Dyson\n \nTraction 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.\n \nTraction 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. \n \nThe book features the different types of traction engine that were used .