The largest traction engine made, breaking Montana sod. L. A. Foster Photo Co. of Glendive, Montana c1910.
Big Steam….
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Translator
This looks to be a 140 HP Reeves traction engine, which is no doubt a very impressive piece of machinery. Even at the time, it wasn’t necessarily the largest traction engine – Case actually built a 150 HP “Road Locomotive” engine, but whether or not it was actually larger is up for debate… pictures are scarce, and no one living has ever seen a complete one. There is one existing Reeves 140 HP engine in Iowa.
The largest traction engines ever built were made in Germany in the late 1950s – Ottomeyer 310 HP engines. They weren’t used as this one was, though – instead they used a giant winch and cable to pull plows, sometimes as deep as six feet(!)