Cycling UK Forum

Does anybody know the answer to a question which might have once have appeared in a police promotion exam traffic paper.

A47 steam engine towing three vehicles stopped at 5mph

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-61716194

What is the maximum number of trailers which can be drawn by this vehicle?

NB. It's described in the BBC report as a "locomotive" but that may be ill-informed. AIUI, the unladen weight is important, but if it is a locomotive, then AIUI it is permitted to draw three trailers. (I'm not on twitter.)

Rules here (I think)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... tents/made

I’m fairly sure, but can’t find the current legislation, that “a locomotive” in the sense of a road locomotive is defined simply as a vehicle designed to haul a load, while not carrying a load itself.

If that is correct, what we are looking at is a steam powered road locomotive, entitled in law to draw up to three trailers on the Highway.

But, what we don’t know, I think, is what reason the police gave for pulling it over. The report sort-of implies that it was because it was drawing three trailers, but it might have been for some other reason. The fact that they photographed the tow-hitch to the 4x4 makes me wonder if they took exception to that, or concluded that the 4x4 wasn’t a trailer as defined in law. They may not even have applied law, they may have simply pointed out to the driver that he was causing a huge nuisance, and should do the sensible thing.

As a footnote, drawing three trailers with a traction engine isn’t exceptional, but one of them is traditionally a very small (two-wheeled) bowser, rather than a big trailer with water tanks, and the 4x4 is pretty exceptional. Under the law I can find, but which is almost certainly superseded, the water bowser wasn’t even counted as a trailer, it came “on top” of the number of trailers.

From the con & use regs linked above

locomotive

• a mechanically propelled vehicle which is not constructed itself to carry a load other than the following articles, that is to say, water, fuel, accumulators and other equipment used for the purpose of propulsion, loose tools and loose equipment, and the weight of which unladen exceeds 7370 kg.

I suppose what interests me - because it's not clear from the tweet - is what reason the police gave for pulling it over.

Well found!

I wonder if that traction engine was or wasn’t sufficiently heavy to fall under that definition.

Be interesting to know how the 4x4 was braked ?

I don't know if that vehicle falls within the definition, but Showman's Goods vehicles have their own set of rules. Up to three trailers, there's a maximum length for each and a maximum overall length, it's still a lot more than other classes of goods vehicles. They're also exempt from the usual goods vehicle testing and operator licensing.
I'm pretty sure the trailers have to have brakes, though at 5mph with a steam loco at the front they maybe don't need them.

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Ah, but that was a proper 4x4.

There's quite a bit of explanation of Showmen's Vehicles here, published by the Yorkshire Section of the Showmens Guild (based within walking distance of Thirdcrank Towers)

https://www.showmensguild.com/transport.htm