You guys need to move to the country side we all drive them
These things cost more than a fancy car!
Old bloke I know used to drive these for Sir Robert Mcalpine who (and his sons) were massive collectors of this stuff. Told me a story once about them choppering in somewhere, buying the traction engine for £150k then drove it 50 miles home, it took 3 days!
That’s why I love living in Cornwall, one local [show](https://www.tssc.org.uk/tssc/uploaded_photos/Boconnic.jpg) in particular has over 50 traction engines so it’s not uncommon to see them driving around in the summer. Very uncommon to see one somewhere like that though I’d imagine!
A friend of my grandparents used to have one of these that he restored. One time he took it to another friend of my grandparents to help him flatten a load of hardcore he had put on the lane that led to his house.
I was about six at the time and got to go along with him and ride on it while he did the work. He even let me steer it under close supervision. Plus i got to blow the whistle. It was brilliant and I ended up sitting in one of the coal boxes by the cab as it was the safest place for me to be and kept me away from the furnace.
My mum wasn’t happy when i got home though as I was covered from head to toe in coal dust and it looked like i had done a shift down the mines. My clothes were ruined and I spent most of the evening in the bath trying to get clean. I cant remember how many times i had my hair washed that evening to get the dust out.
For some reason my mum didn’t want me going back over there again but being on that steam roller is one of my favourite memories from being a kid.
I live near Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire and they have steam engine fairs throughout summer. Getting stuck behind a couple of these down a country lane is an absolute ballache. Some of them are also worth absolutely crazy money. They are really cool machines though and the blokes who run them are usually absolute nutters ha.
A few of my friends upgraded from traction engines to getting to cock about all day fixing steam engines
I don’t think that is Euro 6 compliant…
I heard of a 17-year old who, faced with extortionate insurance costs, avoided them by driving around on a 1950s tractor. Slightly more practical than a traction engine, but nothing like as cool.
Saw lots of these at Weeting Steam Rally, they would do their parade in the arena then drive them straight to the beer tent and park outside!
Chicks dig it.
From when I was young I’ve many fond memories of my grandparents taking me to the Thursford collection to see the engines.
Probably 3x the price
I miss seeing the one that came down our road.
It was probably once a year or so in the summer. I could hear it well before it came into view and I’d rush to the front room window to watch it go by.
I’d completely forgotten about it until this reminded me of it.
I miss the old Dorset Steam Rally when for a good few days all the country lanes in the county were filled with them
I saw this today in Finchley, weird
I see them on the regular at vintage vehicles rallies and husband looks after a Fowler steam roller. This one looks like an Aveling Steam Roller on its way to an event.
Also, OP, they will be ULEZ exempt because they’re old 🙃
Is that the haunted steamroller?
That’s one way to deal with the tube strike
I thought it was a rail replacement.
Good job camera person. Just stand where you are instead of going outside for a better view.
Keep rolling, rolling, rolling on….
I saw this go past my office today.
*tosses keys to the valet* “Don’t scratch it”.
We go to quite a few steam rallies during the summer. In the evenings some of the drivers take their engines down to the beer tent, then at closing time trundle back to the main parking area. You’ll need to keep out of their way at that time.
35 comments
It’ll do that all day.
If it gets attention like that I’m sure we will see plenty of them flooding Chelsea soon to replace the G Wagons
That’s the second time I’ve seen that steam roller today and I’m not even in London.
Awesome.
I overtook a steam powered traction engine on a very narrow county lane the other day.
The guy driving it looked SO happy 🙂
fred dibnah would be proud
https://preview.redd.it/htx8paikxdof1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf118ccf8cd2fe39e0492008a334bb67c8e2928e
This would make Fred happy.
You guys need to move to the country side we all drive them
These things cost more than a fancy car!
Old bloke I know used to drive these for Sir Robert Mcalpine who (and his sons) were massive collectors of this stuff. Told me a story once about them choppering in somewhere, buying the traction engine for £150k then drove it 50 miles home, it took 3 days!
https://preview.redd.it/ht8x99q6ydof1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19f6443ce11745257895cedaf73c5ab4edc69ccf
That’s why I love living in Cornwall, one local [show](https://www.tssc.org.uk/tssc/uploaded_photos/Boconnic.jpg) in particular has over 50 traction engines so it’s not uncommon to see them driving around in the summer. Very uncommon to see one somewhere like that though I’d imagine!
**Aveling and Porter** like this..
https://preview.redd.it/tw36r88dzdof1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3d8564513872b60634875e9f55859a3e820cdb9
A friend of my grandparents used to have one of these that he restored. One time he took it to another friend of my grandparents to help him flatten a load of hardcore he had put on the lane that led to his house.
I was about six at the time and got to go along with him and ride on it while he did the work. He even let me steer it under close supervision. Plus i got to blow the whistle. It was brilliant and I ended up sitting in one of the coal boxes by the cab as it was the safest place for me to be and kept me away from the furnace.
My mum wasn’t happy when i got home though as I was covered from head to toe in coal dust and it looked like i had done a shift down the mines. My clothes were ruined and I spent most of the evening in the bath trying to get clean. I cant remember how many times i had my hair washed that evening to get the dust out.
For some reason my mum didn’t want me going back over there again but being on that steam roller is one of my favourite memories from being a kid.
I live near Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire and they have steam engine fairs throughout summer. Getting stuck behind a couple of these down a country lane is an absolute ballache. Some of them are also worth absolutely crazy money. They are really cool machines though and the blokes who run them are usually absolute nutters ha.
A few of my friends upgraded from traction engines to getting to cock about all day fixing steam engines
I don’t think that is Euro 6 compliant…
I heard of a 17-year old who, faced with extortionate insurance costs, avoided them by driving around on a 1950s tractor. Slightly more practical than a traction engine, but nothing like as cool.
Saw lots of these at Weeting Steam Rally, they would do their parade in the arena then drive them straight to the beer tent and park outside!
Chicks dig it.
From when I was young I’ve many fond memories of my grandparents taking me to the Thursford collection to see the engines.
Probably 3x the price
I miss seeing the one that came down our road.
It was probably once a year or so in the summer. I could hear it well before it came into view and I’d rush to the front room window to watch it go by.
I’d completely forgotten about it until this reminded me of it.
I miss the old Dorset Steam Rally when for a good few days all the country lanes in the county were filled with them
I saw this today in Finchley, weird
I see them on the regular at vintage vehicles rallies and husband looks after a Fowler steam roller. This one looks like an Aveling Steam Roller on its way to an event.
Also, OP, they will be ULEZ exempt because they’re old 🙃
Is that the haunted steamroller?
That’s one way to deal with the tube strike
I thought it was a rail replacement.
Good job camera person. Just stand where you are instead of going outside for a better view.
Keep rolling, rolling, rolling on….
I saw this go past my office today.
*tosses keys to the valet* “Don’t scratch it”.
We go to quite a few steam rallies during the summer. In the evenings some of the drivers take their engines down to the beer tent, then at closing time trundle back to the main parking area. You’ll need to keep out of their way at that time.
Oh, and they also have little ones.
https://preview.redd.it/m9q7fylbveof1.jpeg?width=1236&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf234bf1092e1b6a0016bbeaa843f006f4b928f3
It’s the Ninky Nonk!
Steam rollers are bloody great fun, I laid down a beer can in the path of one and the driver made the can paper thin
Ahh the pot hole creator.
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