Traction engines were used in Scotland from the middle of the nineteenth century until the 1960s – for road haulage, powering threshing mills, ploughing and, in steam roller form, in road making. The book explores their history, with particular focus on National Museum Scotland’s 1907 Marshall traction engine and its construction, acquisition and restoration. The large number of extensively captioned photographs give a vivid insight into the construction and use of the machines, and the conditions of those who worked with them.
