It says CASE on the left hand side of the boiler. Don't call it a tractor. The Case company called it a Steam Traction Machine.
This one was made somewhere between 1892 and 1920. The owner could have told me, but he wasn't home.
I took the photo in Lower Bank, NJ, across the street from a little white church my Darlin' and I visited with her parents.
The Traction Machine ran on steam, and could burn coal, wood and straw. By 1920, you could add a modification which would let it burn oil.
Depending on the model, these behemoths weighed in around 20,000 pounds before adding water to create the steam.
The home itself is nice enough, but I didn't take a picture. The machine stole the show. If you find yourself traveling through Green Bank, NJ, (near Batsto) detour a little south to Lower Bank and ask where the tractor is. They'll know. They're pretty proud of it.
Mike in Tucson,
REALTOR®/Mortgage Lender
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