Built around 1912, this steam traction engine spent its working life in the Christchurch area as an agricultural engine.
The traction engine is a wheeled self-propelled steam engine, which can move to any location to provide power when needed. Along with pulling heavy loads, for which they were initally designed, they were capable of many other tasks including running machinery in sawmills, crushing stone and ploughing ground. Despite being heavy and slow, with poor manoeuvrability, traction engines carried out many tasks previously performed by draught horses, often doing them better and more efficiently.
In the Canterbury plains, traction engines were used to drive threshing machines, which separated the grains from the stalks and husks. It was also a common sight to see these machines on country roads, travelling from farm to farm pulling a ‘train' of agricultural equipment behind them. The train might consist of a threshing machine, a caravan and a water cart.
MOTAT's traction engine was one of many J&H McLaren & Co. manufactured during the late 19th and early 20th century. On arrival at MOTAT, a crack was discovered in the engine's boiler, so MOTAT installed a Kerrick steam generator coil inside the boiler shell. It is now a semi-static exhibit, powered by steam from the Pumphouse.
Specifications:
| Type | Road haulage traction engine | |
| Manufacturer | J. & H. McLaren & Co. Engineers | |
| Country manufactured | England | |
| Date | c.1912 | |
| Engine | Steam, double crank compound | |
| Working pressure | 1241 kilopascals (180 lbs psi) | |
| Horsepower | 8 nominal HP | |
| Working weight | 12-14 tonnes |
