Editing Traction engine (section)

===Agricultural (general purpose) engine===
[[File:Tractionengine.jpg|thumb|right|An agricultural engine, towing a [[living van]] and a water cart: [[Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Ltd]] 6&nbsp;nhp ''Jubilee'' of 1908]]
General purpose engines were the most common form in the countryside. They were used for hauling and as a stationary power source. Even when farmers did not own such a machine they would rely upon it from time to time. Many farms would use [[draught horse]]s throughout the year, but during the harvest, threshing contractors would travel from farm to farm hauling the [[threshing machine]] which would be set up in the field and powered from the engine &ndash; a good example of the moveable stationary engine.

====US (agricultural) traction engine====
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:150 hp Case.JPG|thumb|right|One of the largest steam traction engines manufactured in the US: the {{convert|150|hp|adj=on}} Case steam traction engine had driving wheels 8 feet in diameter, and was over 25 feet long.]] -->
Favourable soil conditions meant that US traction engines usually pulled their ploughs behind them, thereby eliminating the complexities of providing a cable drum and extra gearing, hence simplifying maintenance. American traction engines were manufactured in a variety of sizes, with the 6&nbsp;nhp<!--NOTE: original text stated 6hp (which attracts auto-convert bots). I suspect 6&nbsp;nhp is more likely - EdJogg-->  [[Russell & Company (Steam Tractor)|Russell]] being the smallest commercially made, and the large engines made by [[Russell & Company (Steam Tractor)|Russell]], Case, and [[Reeves & Co|Reeves]] being the largest.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}