20-05-2019, 08:16 PM
Some years ago I assisted my friend Ian move his decrepid looking steam roller from Mellington Hall in Montgomeryshire, to Woore in Shropshire over 2 days. Driven under its own power. The over night stop was outside his parents home in Shrewsbury.
At this point I didnt have a steam roller licence, but he did.
The first day went perfectly. The second day started well until just beyond Shawbury a pipe feeding live steam via a valve to the magical implement called an 'injector' which magically uses steam pressure to squirt water into the boiler against that same pressure. Not good. There was a mechanical feedpump which seemed to be in a good 'mood' that day but was usually troublesome in the extreme. And generally the non preferred methid of boiler feed.
Ian didnt think much of my suggestion of a temporary repair incorporating some garden hose and a ruck of jubilee clips. So he buggered off with the pipe in his dads car to 'fix it'.
I plodded on on my own, at this point it dawned on me i had no L plates (a car licence allows you to drive a steam roller on L plates). After an hour I had to stop to fill the water tank from a hydrant. And to replenish the coal bunker, a physical task on your own, even when your 20 something!. Another hour later Ian returned having made a bronze sleeve on his lathe and silver soldered the lot together. We fitted it and it was no bloody good, the silver solder hadn't taken on one side. Ian saw his arse and buggered off again. I carried on.
I next saw him while i was going round the Market Drayton bypass, mid afternoon, by which time I was very weary (my sandwiches and bottle of pop were in Ian dads car). The pipe this time was spot on, and Ian declared we would have lunch there. I told him we were having lunch in the pub round the corner, and he was buying!. And he did.
At this point I didnt have a steam roller licence, but he did.
The first day went perfectly. The second day started well until just beyond Shawbury a pipe feeding live steam via a valve to the magical implement called an 'injector' which magically uses steam pressure to squirt water into the boiler against that same pressure. Not good. There was a mechanical feedpump which seemed to be in a good 'mood' that day but was usually troublesome in the extreme. And generally the non preferred methid of boiler feed.
Ian didnt think much of my suggestion of a temporary repair incorporating some garden hose and a ruck of jubilee clips. So he buggered off with the pipe in his dads car to 'fix it'.
I plodded on on my own, at this point it dawned on me i had no L plates (a car licence allows you to drive a steam roller on L plates). After an hour I had to stop to fill the water tank from a hydrant. And to replenish the coal bunker, a physical task on your own, even when your 20 something!. Another hour later Ian returned having made a bronze sleeve on his lathe and silver soldered the lot together. We fitted it and it was no bloody good, the silver solder hadn't taken on one side. Ian saw his arse and buggered off again. I carried on.
I next saw him while i was going round the Market Drayton bypass, mid afternoon, by which time I was very weary (my sandwiches and bottle of pop were in Ian dads car). The pipe this time was spot on, and Ian declared we would have lunch there. I told him we were having lunch in the pub round the corner, and he was buying!. And he did.