Thomson Road Steamer

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The Boston Cultivator reported on a Nov. 8, 1872, trial at Bloomsdale, Pa., county seat and seed grounds of Landreth & Son: “The Landreths having recently introduced the steam plow in the tillage of their 600-acre seed grounds, with gratifying success, in their wonted generous spirit, invited a number of friends to visit them and witness the working of this modern motor for plowing, hauling, etc., on the farm.

“Two self-propelling steamers were exhib­ited to the company,” the author continues, “each being of American manufacture, and each having rubber tires on the driving-wheels. One a four-wheeled engine with compensating gear, having but one cylinder and a horizontal boiler, the power being nominally 10 horse, but actually much greater.

“The general appearance of this steamer is similar to the English engines. It was made especially for farm work, such as plowing, thrashing and hauling, and although powerful, and doubtless a very efficient engine, it appeared to be cumbrous and plethoric when compared with the second engine, to which our atten­tion was especially directed.

“This latter is supported on three wheels, two, the drivers, sustaining nearly the entire weight of the engine, the third and smaller wheel being affixed in front, and used for steering, as is the front wheel of a velocipede. The driving wheels are 58 inches in height and 16 inches face, the steering wheel 34 inches in height and 34 inches face. The peculiar construction of the driving wheels gives them great superiority over all other wheels for traction engines, for which the world is indebted to Thomson of Scotland, and to Williamson, the manufacturer in this country, of those field engines, for valuable improvements.

“The lot in which we were obliged to plow was rather short,” the Cultivator reports on the conditions of the trial, “measuring only 250 yards. As in plowing by direct traction, much is gained by working long ‘lands’ – the minimum should not be less than 300 yards, but this field was favorable for testing the steam plow under such circumstances as might occur. The engine turned out on the headland at each end of the lot, and set in again without stopping, only losing each turn, perhaps 30 seconds of time.

“The plowing apparatus consists of a frame attached, each so arranged or set as to cast its furrow into that of the plow preceding it. The width of the belt plowed of the sward, which I witnessed, was about 6 feet, and 7 to 8 inches in depth, though the power of the engine was evidently capable or plowing a much greater width and depth, as it has plowed at Bloomsdale, 7 feet in width and 10 inches in depth. The speed with which the plow advanced was about double that usually made by mules or horses in plowing. The soil was nearly free from stones and rocks, and was thoroughly plow­ed. All present pronounced the steamer and steam plowing emphatically a success.

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