The World’s first fully-tracked vehicle

Ray Hooley’s Ruston-Hornsby engine pages have the history and photos of many of the Ruston-Hornsby engines/machines including this “chain tractor” – ” The World’s first fully-tracked vehicle – 1905 Hornsby chain tractor: 20hp Hornsby-Akroyd engine, weighing c. 10 tons crossing a 1.4metre wide water-filled ditch. Meanwhile, they achieved speeds of 25mph (40km/h) with more advanced versions of the oil tractors. Alas, the world was not ready for this brilliant new means of transport, and Hornsbys sold their ideas very cheaply to the American Holt Tractor Co. – now the Caterpillar Tractor Co,” [via] – Link.

Related:

• 1905 Hornsby chain tractor scale model – Link.