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The Traction Engine in Scotland

This organisation owns Marshall traction engine No 47731 of 1907 Sir Hector, which this book puts in its historical context with details of its construction, acquisition and restoration. NMS also owns a Scottish-worked Tuxford of Boston portable engine, No 1234 of 1886, donated in 1951. But a key feature of the book is the large number of contemporary photographs, many not previously published.
As well as being aimed presumably at the curious museum shop purchaser, the detail is still enough to satisfy the steam enthusiast, engineer and historian, for all 24 Scottish engine builders and agents (and fitters for English manufacturers) are listed and usually illustrated – with some fine examples such as Chaplin & Co of Glasgow’s ‘Improved Steam Roller’.

Scottish influences went worldwide – there’s even a page devoted to the Bow McLachlan & Co of Paisley-built traction engine that languishes in a Zimbabwe museum – surely a good contender for repatriation?

At this price it’s worth anyone’s money and we thoroughly enjoyed our browse with the full intention to enjoying a deeper look when we’ve gone to press!

By Alexander Hayward, s/b, 144pp, £16.99 from bookshops, tel. 0131 247 4083
or via www.nms.ac.uk/books ISBN 978 1 905267 58 3