Just when you thought your wallet was safe, along comes a company that is building steam tractors again. Its been more than 70 years since these were being manufactured, but once again, there is a builder in the UK producing new steam tractors, to the original specifications, but with modern materials. These new tractors fully comply with the current UK and EU steam regulations. The engine pictured is a new build 1904 Foster “Wellington” 7hp tractor, by the firm of Dawson’s of Bicker, in Lincolnshire. Dawson’s purchased the rights to the name “WM. Foster of Lincoln” and their tractors will be numbered from the last used original Foster engine number. Build time for this particular engine was just over two years, and the cost? Well, lets just say its one of those “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it” things.

This Foster was commissioned to be as close to the original builder’s plans of the 1904 Foster as possible. To that end, Foster style safety valves and lubricators were re-created, using the parts on an original Foster as patterns. The tractor has the following specifications:

• Single cylinder, simple engine, Bore 6″ Stroke 9″
• Length 12ft, 9″, Width 4ft 10″
• Height to chimmey top, 9ft 3″
• Height to flywheel top, 6ft 4″
• Rear wheels, 4ft 6″ diameter, 9″ wide
• Front Wheels, 3ft 5″ diameter, 5″ wide
• Flywheel, 29″ diameter
• Operating boiler pressure 140 PSI
• Fuel, coal
• Transmission , 3 shaft, two speed selectable
• One feedwater pump, one injector

For those of you who wonder what its like in the drivers seat:

What self-respecting Steampunk wouldn’t want one of these in the driveway?