portable engine

A portable engine, preserved at the museum in Blankenhain Castle, Germany. The chimney has been folded-down, ready for transporting the engine to a new location. The axle under the smokebox (on the left) pivots to allow the engine to be steered. Towing eyes are provided on the same axle assembly to allow the engine to be pulled along. A Czechoslovak portable engine

A portable engine is an engine, either a steam engine or an internal combustion engine, that sits in one place while operating (providing power to machinery), but (unlike a stationary engine) is portable and thus can be easily moved from one work site to another. Mounted on wheels or skids, it is either towed to the work site or moves there via self-propulsion.