Drivers on the A272 near Haywards Heath got an unexpected blast from the past at around 4pm on Wednesday when a vintage steam traction engine—belching a dramatic plume of dark smoke—rumbled along the road.
The remarkable sight drew onlookers as the pitch-black road locomotive—dating in appearance to the early 20th century—hauled a large, wooden-sided living van along.
A living van is the traditional portable accommodation caravan towed by working traction engines, historically used to house crews while they worked away from home.
The steam-powered vehicle was spotted on the A272 this afternoon (Image: Eddie Mitchell)
The engine itself, painted in dark green and black livery, bears the hallmarks of a classic road locomotive—a heavy-duty steam traction engine designed for hauling loads over long distances on public roads.
Unlike a showman’s engine, which typically features a decorative canopy and a dynamo for powering fairground rides, this appears to be a working road locomotive, stripped back and functional, its chimney stack rising high above the cab.
Watch a video of the traction engine below.
Under current UK law, traction engines on steel wheels are limited to a maximum speed of just 5mph on public roads, which may explain why it brought traffic to a crawl.
Drivers approaching the junction would have been confronted with a sight not normally seen on modern A-roads— but a vehicle that, in its heyday a century ago, would have been entirely unremarkable on British country lanes.
The timing of the sighting may be no coincidence. The High Weald Steam Working Weekend—a popular annual steam heritage event held at Freshfield Mill Farm in Scaynes Hill, just off the A272—is scheduled to take place on June 13 and 14.
It was pulling what appeared to be a ‘living van’ (Image: Eddie Mitchell)
The farm is only a short distance from where today’s engine was spotted, raising the possibility the vehicle was making an early journey to or from the event.
The rally, which is held in partnership with the nearby Bluebell Railway, regularly features traction engines, steam rollers, and road locomotives in action.
Later this summer, steam fans in West Sussex will also have the chance to see such engines at the Sussex Steam Rally, returning to Parham Park, Pulborough on July 11-12—billed as the largest steam rally in Sussex.
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