Portable Steam Engines

Portable Engines

Portable engines were the forerunners of Traction Engines as we know them. The portable engine was produced in large quantities and was sold all over the world. The earliest portable engines date from the first quarter if the nineteenth century. The production of portable engines continued until well after the demise of the traction engine from production. The portable engine soon took the form of a locomotive type boiler with four wheels, the smokebox end wheels normally being able to turn. The cylinder is normally mounted at the firebox end and the crank motion being near to the chimney. The chimney is normally of great length to lift the smoke and any sparks well clear of the job in hand. It also creates a good draft, when travelling the chimney may be lowered by virtue of a hinge. Portable engines were built in a great range of sizes from 2 N.H.P. through to 15 N.H.P or greater.

Portable engines were also built as "centre engines" to power roundabouts and other fairground rides. Firebox sizes could vary depending upon the fuel to be burnt. Normally in Great Britain coal was the standard fuel but fireboxes existed to allow the burning of wood, straw and peat. Water supplies were a problem with portable engines as they have no tender of their own, so water supplies needed to be brought to the location where the portable engine was at work.

R Hornsby Portable Engine Class D in two sizes from 1891 Catalogue R Hornsby Portable Engine Class D in two sizes from 1891 Catalogue


Garrett Portable Engine from 55 to 100 B.H.P. Garrett Portable Engine from 55 to 100 B.H.P.
Illustration from Wansbrough The Portable Steam Engine 1912.


Biddell & Balk Patent Removable Boiler 1858 Biddell & Balk Patent Removable Boiler 1858 as used by Ransomes.
Illustration from Wansbrough The Portable Steam Engine 1912.


E.S. Hindley Portable Engine E.S. Hindley Portable Engine Upright Type


E.S. Hindley Portable Engine E.S. Hindley Portable Engine Two Wheel Type


Page from Garrett Portable Engine Parts List Garrett Portable Engine Parts List Page
  1. Steel casing for Boiler Barrel.
  2. Steel casing for Firebox.
  3. Cast Iron Frontlet.
  4. Manlid.
  5. Bridge Piece.
  6. Manlid joint (not illustrated).
  7. Graham Spark Arrestor as shown (without chimney)
  8. Standard Chimney with Joint Ring 190.
  9. Joint Ring alone.
  10. Chimney bottom.
  11. Strube Spark Arrestor.
  12. Wire cage for top of chimney.
  13. Firedoor Hinge.
  14. Pin for Firedoor Hinge.
  15. Firedoor.
  16. Oval Firedoor.
  17. Hinge for Oval Firedoor.
  18. Pin for Oval Firedoor.
  19. Hopper Firedoor for straw burning Engine. (Hinge and Pin for ditto – parts 194 and 195 respectively).
  20. Complete set of Firebars for W.S.A and W.S.B Engines.
  21. Side Bars only, for ditto.
  22. Centre Bars only, for ditto.
  23. Complete set of Firebars for W.S.I, W.S.II, W.S. III and W.S. IV Ordinary Boilers.
  24. Side Bars only, for ditto.
  25. Centre Bars only, for ditto.
  26. Complete set of Firebars for W.S.I, W.S.II, W.S. III and W.S. IV Colonial Boilers.
  27. Side Bars only, for ditto.
  28. Centre Bars only, for ditto.
  29. Complete set of special Firebars with ½" air space. For WS. A and WS. B Boilers.
  30. Ditto, for WS. I, WS. II, WS III and WS. IV. Colonial Boilers. 
  31. Boiler Filling Plug in Manlid.
  32. Fusible plug in Firebox (not illustrated).
  1. Mud-door and Bridge for Tube-plate in Smokebox.
  2. Joint for ditto. (not illustrated).
  3. Mud-door and Bridge for barrel of Boiler.
  4. Joint for ditto. (not illustrated).
  5. Mud-door and Bridge for arch plate.
  6. Joint for ditto.
  7. Corner Mud-door and Bridge.
  8. Joint for ditto. (not illustrated).
  9. Set of Boiler Stay Tubes.
  10. Set of Plain Boiler Tubes.
  11. Complete set of Tubes (including Stay and Plain Tubes).
  12. Longitudinal Stay.
  13. Smokebox Door, complete with Baffle, Handle and Hinges.
  14. Smokebox Handle (not illustrated).
  15. Ashpan, complete with lid.
  16. Exhaust Pipe casting (Chimney end).
  17. Exhaust Pipe casting (Cylinder end). 
  18. Exhaust ferrule or cone (not illustrated), in casting 229 (state size of hole required in cone).
  19. Axle Bracket, right hand side. 
  20. Ditto, left hand side.
  21. Axle collar and pin.
  22. Rear Wheel.
  23. Fore Wheel (not illustrated).
  24. Wheel Cap (not illustrated).
  25. Forecarriage complete (not illustrated).
  26. Fore Axle only (not illustrated).
  27. Turnplate only (not illustrated).
  28. Eye and Pin for Forecarriage (not illustrated).
  29. Tie Rod (not illustrated).
  30. Brake complete as illustrated.
  31. Hand Wheel.
  32. Cape type Brake complete.
  33. Cast iron Brake Bracket.
  34. Cast Iron Nut.