Does anybody remember steam rollers?

Z

zuluking

Member
As a child I was fascinated by the steam rollers used for making roads.
Speed was very slow when they travelled to where ever they were needed.
The driver was always turning wheels which seemed to control the forward and backward movement. Image every few feet travelling backward then going forward. Strange thing was they did not belch out smoke or vent steam. (Perhaps I did notice it)
 
I do indeed, Britain was once a major user of the Steam Roller, Traction Engine and Steam Wagon. We had many fine companies making these fabulous machines, most of which started out as simple blacksmiths. We have about 30,000 of preserved Steam Rollers, Traction Engines and Steam Wagons in the UK AFAIK (according to an episode of one of Fred Dibnah's shows)
 
zuluking said:
As a child I was fascinated by the steam rollers used for making roads.
Speed was very slow when they travelled to where ever they were needed.
The driver was always turning wheels which seemed to control the forward and backward movement. Image every few feet travelling backward then going forward. Strange thing was they did not belch out smoke or vent steam. (Perhaps I did notice it)
Click to expand...

Yes I remember those, especially the sounds and smells they evoked. They were of course used for road mending, rolling backwards and forwards making the tarmac smooth after the men had spread it across the road. I remember the smell of the square shaped oil lamps around the works, the nightwatchman with his coke brazier, the air compressor driven picks to break up the old surface, men leaning on shovels. I remember the tar boiler with its acrid smell. Ah nostalgia, it all brings back the awfull 50's and early 60's England. Good riddance to bad times of austerity when the impoverished UK was still struggling to recover from the war.

Steam rollers and other steam traction engines can still be seen at steam rallies that are regularly held around the UK of course.

On the whole steam engines are much quieter than diesel or petrol. We visited a giant triple expansion engine not so long ago at a mill in Lancashire that is regularly steamed. It drove an enormous drum/flywheel from which drive belts would supply the mill. Although no longer under load it was very quiet in operation in spite of its great size.
http://www.shawcam.co.uk/ellenroad.htm

Now THAT'S what I call a "Steam engine"

Les
 
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As mentioned above, steam rollers today are classified as traction engines along with other large steam tractors etc. Unlike steam locomotives of the same era, hundreds, if not thousands survived and fell into the hands of private collectors. There are major clubs in most cities of every country and they regularly hold rallies or field days. I was looking at two the other day at a fair. One was just chuffing away, whilst the other was supplying steam for a calliope (large music machine driven by air or steam). Miniature ones are popular with model engineers because they don't need rails to run on. There are plenty of sources for plans but I haven't found any free ones yet. I'm also sure there will be a few models on the DLS.
 
zuluking ,

Yes , I remember them well , they were almost as exciting to watch , as a young boy , as the local steam locomotives .

For those in the Southern California area , the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista , California will be hosting their Spring Tractor Show
the weekends of June 20th and June 27th . A must for anyone in the area that loves steam equipment !

See you there --- ,DLR
 
I wasn't around in the time when steam rollers and traction engines lumdered along Australia's roads, but I have a live steam Steam Roller and Traction Engine, they are not scale models, the Traction engine is made by Wilesco as a finished model or a kit, and the steam roller was built by the Mamod company, who still make it today.
 
Traction engines seem to have been preserved in South Africa.
Steam rollers just disappeared as none have appeared at car shows.
Of course the reason could be transporting then to the site of the show.
The steam trucks the Sentinel used by the mines have been donated to a couple of museums but I dont think they run.
 
Some Traction Engines here in Australia are still running, they go to steamfest trips etc.
pretty cool!
there really loud aswell.
Here is "Sooty":
 
Oooh yes, I remember rollers... ;) Not old enough to remember them in 'paid' use, he he. We had a roller up in Healesville, north east of Melbourne in Victoria (Australia), as well as a foden steam lorry. Both had the whistles changed over at varying times. Steam roller had a VR K class' 5 chime whistle, as well as varying other whistles mounted on the 'standard' spot :) :)

Zec
 
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