For nearly thirty years, John Haining (under the pen name 'Countryman's Steam') contributed a vast range of designs and constructional articles to the pages of Model Engineer magazine. These covered all types and sizes of engine:- steam traction engines for the road and field and standing engines, and the way they worked with ploughs, cider mills, elevators and threshing machines. The articles were always popular with those seeking steam experiences away from the railways, and as a result the author built up an authoritative reputation for the extent of his knowledge in this area. As a technical consultant to Model Engineer, the author built up an enviable reputation for the extent of his knowledge and the immense trouble he took to reply fully and clearly to readers' queries and problems. This book was originally written in 1982 to expound on some of the problems encountered by engine owners, both in full size and in small scale. It places particular emphasis on design and construction, and the care of steel boilers, with formulae and data used by the top firms.
A new and enlarged edition was extended to cover more fully the design, construction and care of steel boilers in general, with formulae and data used by firms of repute. An extra chapter was included covering the author's designs of three vertical boilers, the Sentinel, the Caradoc and a 3 inch scale version.