Road Repairs

More good pictures Lang. I think in the 2nd photo, the truck on the right is definitely a Chevy, the one on the left, I think is probably a little English truck, probably a Morris-Commercial. The big Albion with the set back front axle is a tough looking truck.-Hamish Petrie

Reason I said REO was the radiator above the bonnet was their trademark carried through until the 30's. Someone might come up with a positive ID.

Lang

Roders
What a great photo on Keilor rd. Out the front of the Chico Roll plant. My grandparents and Dad lived just down beside the Pres. Church. Are you sure it was preserved as there is one in the park just down from Duhig Ford in Keilor Rd. Craig

Roders
What a great photo on Keilor rd. Out the front of the Chico Roll plant. My grandparents and Dad lived just down beside the Pres. Church. Are you sure it was preserved as there is one in the park just down from Duhig Ford in Keilor Rd. Craig

....Duhig's might've been as far as she got...so they just parked her up and she's still there now..... :'( :'(

that first photo of bogie ford I cant seem to see no tail shaft coming out only the banjo housing appears backwards

Just checked my records and the top picture of the orange steam roller wasn't Essendon it is ex Northcote City Council. But would essentially be the same as the one in the picture from what I can tell.

Interesting looking at the list of where the rollers down at MSTEC came from (not all steam! some diesels). Box Hill City, Brunswick City, Northcote City, Shire of Ferntree Gully, Sandringham City, Nunawading City and Moorabbin city,

Top ole pics specially the abm trucks your right mrsmack i can't see the shaft and it don't look like a mack style forget the proper name of them someone will square us up i'm sure and the no mirror thing the ole man even to this day when backing around to tha right looks out the door and thats how i learnt can't help it hads lots a comments specially when backin a dog with a sar or 650 standin on the battery box and the floor lookin round the stack but goes in first time every time,well mostly anyway

Me thort the rollers with the scarifyerz n with the narro wheels were 2 do with the tramways

Can't remember where Bill Mckinnon bought this one from but tiz a Cowley Steam Roller

that first photo of bogie ford I cant seem to see no tail shaft coming out only the banjo housing appears backwards

These Ford trucks would have the Thornton tandem drive conversion. With the Thornton drive the first axle was turned around with the diff head facing backwards, the second axle faced the right way. The driveshaft drove to the Thornton 2 speed transfer box which was mounted between and above the 2 axles. Two short shafts drove out of the transfer box, one driving forwards and one driving backwards to drive the 2 drive axles. The Jailbar Ford in the photos has got Eaton 1350 2 speed diffs, rather than single speed Ford diffs, so would have a possible 16 forward gears-4 speed gearbox x 2 speed Thornton transfer box x 2 speed diffs. In N.Z. this would be a model EF29E=29,000 lbs gross/Eaton diffs. The model with standard Ford axles was an EF26F=26,000 lbs gross/Ford diffs.-Hamish Petrie

Bill's cowley was ex Williamstown City.

There are some for tramways but they are rare. And I don't think ever heard of a steam one!

Width of the wheels is all to do with pressure on the road. Obviously the wider the wheels the less pressure. As I understand it one of the (many) reasons Steam rollers went out of action was the wheels were too narrow thus to heavy for asphelt roads. Also the big heavy flywheels standard on most meant that their is a delay as they change directions. Which would leave a dip in soft asphelt.

So need either lighter or wider wheels and quick reversing. The only steam roller which I know of that was designed for asphelt is MSTEC's Buffalo Springfield roller.
Steam rollers generally did have scarifiers set up on them or fitting for them. Most of the english ones only had a scarifier behind the back wheels. The buffalo has a fullwidth which is unusual (not fitted at the moment).