STEAM ROLLERS
I am old enough to just remember "steam rollers" working as a normal part of road repair team. They used their weight to compress the foundation and later the tarmac surface of roads and pathways. Today this function is carried out mostly by diesel engined machines.
Recently I attended the annual "Traction Engine Rally" held in the village of Much Marcle, about 25km from my home. Here are some images of different "steam rollers"
The main roller is at the rear of this Manns Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company, Leeds vehicle. The two wide wheels at the front must have made steering hard work.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Note: all these steam rollers have heavy duty adjustable metal scrapers set close to the roller and driving wheels. These act to remove any asphalt, clay or stone adhering as the roller/wheels rotate.
Notice the driver's position is on the right hand side and the steering wheel at an angle.
One wide roller at the rear. Notice the heavy duty brakes with wood brake blocks.
Aveling & Porter of Rochester was the most prolific builder of steam rollers. This one lacks the more modern safety features of later engines. Notice in particular, the boiler water gauge glass tubes are behind the transverse shaft and they lack cover glasses. If one cracks or gets broken, live stream at pressure will burst out into the driving area. The small firebox door has a chain attached to the opening latch; lift and pull, shovel in some coal and, I assume, shut the door with the shovel or boot.
The front roller is formed of two separate wheels. To make steering easier when on the road, a pin is removed allowing each half to turn differentially when the vehicle itself turns corners.
A more modern Aveling & Porter steam roller. The wooden wedge chocks the wheel when stationery; the large diameter hose is used to suck up water from a pond or river as needed to fill the on-board water tank.
This locomotive has two feed water supplies, oil lubricator reservoirs set high up off the floor and most importantly boiler water gauges with protective glasses situated in front of the transverse shaft. The diagonal black and white background pattern is an additional safety feature. Notice the water in the inner tube optically changes the diagonal pattern so, at a glance, the crew can see the precise level of water in the boiler. There is also a small brass plate, with pointed ends, between the gauges - showing the level which water in the boiler should not fall below. The brass plate below the boiler steam pressure gauge states "wash out the boiler after working 100hrs".
Detail of the steering mechanism at the front of the firebox, boiler water feed and cylinder drain cocks. The metal plate at the bottom is a driver operated damper for the firebox.
A light roller by Aveling & Porter. This one has a mechanical gear-driven boiler water feed pump.
A heavy roller built by John Fowler Co. of Leeds.
Aveling & Porter roller owned by H.Weston & Sons Ltd, cider maker, also based in Much Marcle, Britain's second largest cider producer. The roller is painted in Weston's blue livery with yellow lettering, as ids their fleet of distribution lorries. This roller has a mechanical boiler water feed pump (indicated).
Another roller built by H. Fowler of Leeds.
An Aveling & Porter roller towing its mess van. The roller crew would live in the van whilst working away from home. On the back of the van is notice for other road users - "on tow. Slow 6 mph" (6mph - 6 miles per hour or 9.7 kilometre per hour). The iron wheels, heavy duty springs and lack of brakes would not be safe at greater speeds (it does have a hand brake !)
Recently I attended the annual "Traction Engine Rally" held in the village of Much Marcle, about 25km from my home. Here are some images of different "steam rollers"
The main roller is at the rear of this Manns Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company, Leeds vehicle. The two wide wheels at the front must have made steering hard work.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Note: all these steam rollers have heavy duty adjustable metal scrapers set close to the roller and driving wheels. These act to remove any asphalt, clay or stone adhering as the roller/wheels rotate.
Notice the driver's position is on the right hand side and the steering wheel at an angle.
One wide roller at the rear. Notice the heavy duty brakes with wood brake blocks.
Aveling & Porter of Rochester was the most prolific builder of steam rollers. This one lacks the more modern safety features of later engines. Notice in particular, the boiler water gauge glass tubes are behind the transverse shaft and they lack cover glasses. If one cracks or gets broken, live stream at pressure will burst out into the driving area. The small firebox door has a chain attached to the opening latch; lift and pull, shovel in some coal and, I assume, shut the door with the shovel or boot.
The front roller is formed of two separate wheels. To make steering easier when on the road, a pin is removed allowing each half to turn differentially when the vehicle itself turns corners.
A more modern Aveling & Porter steam roller. The wooden wedge chocks the wheel when stationery; the large diameter hose is used to suck up water from a pond or river as needed to fill the on-board water tank.
This locomotive has two feed water supplies, oil lubricator reservoirs set high up off the floor and most importantly boiler water gauges with protective glasses situated in front of the transverse shaft. The diagonal black and white background pattern is an additional safety feature. Notice the water in the inner tube optically changes the diagonal pattern so, at a glance, the crew can see the precise level of water in the boiler. There is also a small brass plate, with pointed ends, between the gauges - showing the level which water in the boiler should not fall below. The brass plate below the boiler steam pressure gauge states "wash out the boiler after working 100hrs".
Detail of the steering mechanism at the front of the firebox, boiler water feed and cylinder drain cocks. The metal plate at the bottom is a driver operated damper for the firebox.
A light roller by Aveling & Porter. This one has a mechanical gear-driven boiler water feed pump.
A heavy roller built by John Fowler Co. of Leeds.
Aveling & Porter roller owned by H.Weston & Sons Ltd, cider maker, also based in Much Marcle, Britain's second largest cider producer. The roller is painted in Weston's blue livery with yellow lettering, as ids their fleet of distribution lorries. This roller has a mechanical boiler water feed pump (indicated).
Another roller built by H. Fowler of Leeds.
An Aveling & Porter roller towing its mess van. The roller crew would live in the van whilst working away from home. On the back of the van is notice for other road users - "on tow. Slow 6 mph" (6mph - 6 miles per hour or 9.7 kilometre per hour). The iron wheels, heavy duty springs and lack of brakes would not be safe at greater speeds (it does have a hand brake !)