Steam Tractor

As only a few days remain for this project, I'd like to thank you all for your support and for all the kind words. This has gone farther than I ever expected, but unfortunately it didn't go all the way.

If you like the traction engine theme, please check out my new project "Big Steam Tractor", which takes the subject up on a larger scale.

Hope to see you all again some day on Lego Ideas, and keep bricking!

Mr_Kleinstein

I'm still amazed how many variations I can do with this idea. Lately, when I visited the Mildenberg Steam Fair in Brandenburg/Germany, I saw a model constructor ride his steam crane. That's a steam tractor with a crane on the front. Now, here's my rendition:

The crane boom can be raised and lowered, and the hook with the attached load as well. Check out the colour scheme with the black spoked wheels and the dark green body!

Talking about green, there was at least one showman's engine that left the factory painted green (a Burrell in 1913), with the vast majority of the others being painted dark red. This is what it must have looked like:

Another beautiful colour combination is blue and red, so I thought, and made this steam roller:

Look at the wheels, that is another new detail. This construction is so far the coolest way of making red Wheels this size.

See you soon,

Mr_Kleinstein

Here's some more pictures showing the trailers and machinery I created for the steam tractor. The plough, the harrow, the hay wagon, and the water tanker are fairly easy to build. The threshing machine is far more complicated, as it is fully functional. A motor can easily be attached.

I've also created a new look for the steam roller, which really looks like business in dark bluish grey.

Thank you for all the support so far. It looks quite possible now for this project to reach 1000+ supporters, which is just awesome!

Yours,

Mr_Kleinstein

Dear fellow Lego enthusiasts,

after creating the model Steam Tractor, I asked myself if it wouldn't be possible to add power functions. After all, the functions were already there and all it took was the power! Employing two micro motors, I came up with this:

The minifig instantly liked it, so I tried it in the steam roller and the tractor. With the steam roller I was less successful, because the roller in the front has not enough traction to make the engine actually take turns. There was simply no space for a differential, though I'm still working on a solution... Anyway, the tractor has rubber tires in the front, and they have enough grip to overcome the resistance that the rear wheels pose to steering. It now looks like this:

The micro motor has just about enough power to drive the steam tractor on a flat surface. By the way, I use the 9V battery pack and two pole reversers as a wired remote control.

Now it's the end of July, harvesting time, and that's why my minifigs brought out the threshing machine! It can also be powered (it's of course fully functional), but it takes more than a micro motor to do the job. The machine's design was inspired by the old Lanz threshers of the 1910s. Would this be a good addition to this project, or is it more like a project in itself?

And now I will show you pictures of a steam roller, this time in green. Mind you, it's the same basic structure for all of the tractors and rollers in this project. It just takes some additional parts to convert the vehicle from one type into another.

Can you see the fire in the boiler? It's a good idea to have a fire extinguisher at hand!

Thank you for all your support and appreciation so far. Even if this should never make 1000+ supporters, it's still an incredible lot of fun!

Mr_Kleinstein