A steam driven road vehicle having a firebox, a boiler, a drive mechanism operated by steam from the boiler, a water supply supplying water to the boiler, and a drive connection connected between the drive mechanism and an axle of the vehicle. A fuel bin is supported by the vehicle frame holds a supply of fuel to be fed to the firebox. A power driven conveyor conveys fuel from the fuel bin to the firebox. An electrical system is made up of a plug-in element which connects with an electric source, and a preheating element on the boiler for producing preheat in the boiler. A heat control device controls the temperature of the output of the preheating element, and a time control device is arranged to energize the preheating element prior to driving the vehicle.