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#Post#: 15251--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Drew 5292
Date: March 13, 2012, 3:04 pm
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^^^That is sex!
#Post#: 15255--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: mr.scruff
Date: March 13, 2012, 3:07 pm
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Apparently if you can drive one of those you can drive anything!
#Post#: 15256--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Drew 5292
Date: March 13, 2012, 3:11 pm
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What's with the slanted boiler, Kev?
I can appreciate such a tilt for daft. But was it a design which
had the firebox doing some of the boiling, as opposed to simply
the tubes?
#Post#: 15270--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: mr.scruff
Date: March 13, 2012, 3:43 pm
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Sort of, on any engine the 'box does some of the boiling anyway
mate, as it is surrounded by water. I think it's more of an
operational 'thing' - the idea was that these could be operated
in far away lands by unskilled workers who would not have much
of a grasp on keeping the water level in the right place.
On a 'normal' steam roller or traction engine you don't want too
little water going down hill (you'll uncover the top of the
firebox and melt the lead plug) or too much going up hill
(you'll draw water into the cylinders - priming - and
potentially cause damage from hydraulicing).
On a Simplicity the firebox is pretty much always covered with
water, no matter if you are going up hill or down hill,
preventing both of these scenarios and keeping the thing at work
with less skill required - that was the idea anyway. In practice
I don't think they built many (20?) and the few that worked in
GB got a reputation for being a bit of a git to keep steam in,
especially on the road. Not that you'd want to road one very
far. Quite a few worked in London I think as they were handy
size for tight areas.
Here's a conventional loco boiler, the Simplicity is basically
constructed almost just the same, but the angle of the firebox
top matches that of the sloping boiler barrel.
HTML http://www.bpde.co.uk/lhr/images/loco_Works2.jpg
HTML http://www.stationroadsteam.co.uk/archive/2233/images/2233-g.jpg
That's a model one, there's six survivors, the one in Mark's
picture, one at Hollycombe museum, one at Statfold Barn railway,
the prototype in Somerset and I think another one in Shropshire.
One was exported to America and there's a chap not far from here
building a full size replica.
#Post#: 15273--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Drew 5292
Date: March 13, 2012, 3:51 pm
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Considering the harsh, suspension-free ride and, obviously,
absence of power-steering, did the worm-gear at the end of the
steering rod wear out quicker on this kind of engine?
Just looks a bit odd in comparison to the 'capstan' roll effect
of the chain-steered roller.
#Post#: 15278--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: mr.scruff
Date: March 13, 2012, 4:00 pm
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I don't think so, they are certainly a lot quicker to react
which I guess is good for rolling some surfaces. Wallises were
pretty forward thinking in a lot of their ideas and if you look
at one of their 'Advance' steam rollers (or even a Simplicity)
you'll find a lot of ideas which were ahead of their time, an
Advance was specifically designed for rolling tarmac for example
so has no flywheel to aid quick reversing.
#Post#: 15281--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Drew 5292
Date: March 13, 2012, 4:02 pm
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More knowledge gained :thumbs:
#Post#: 15291--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Edd80inch
Date: March 13, 2012, 4:12 pm
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My pc and all my pictures are still boxed up in the shed and I'm
on the iPad or I would post some pictures of my little 10 ton
beast. My steering is on a quadrant much like the advance but I
have a radial 3 cylinder steam engine to give you power
steering! This gives very fast movement so fast you have to cut
the engine right down on steam or you risk going in the hedge!
The simplicity is said to be a bugger to keep any water in the
boiler, one minute it there the next it's gone.
Edd, on a mission to get some pictures up!
#Post#: 15331--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: mat777
Date: March 13, 2012, 4:52 pm
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As Kev says, both the worm gear steering of a Simplicity and the
similar system of an Advance (but with a set of bevel gears
inbetween):
HTML http://engineweb.co.uk/images/DSF_Advance%20Roller%2001.jpg
are a much more advanced design than the crossed chains on a
roller normally employed. From what I have heard, it is of
significant advantage when it comes to neatly rolling the edge
of a road, because it eliminates the slop in a normal system
caused by slack in the chain links that would result in the
front roll being steered to some degree by surface
imperfections.
According to steamy people and a few books I have, the
Simplicity was designed mainly to be exported to far flung
countries for basic roadmaking and as such had to be rugged,
simple for inexperienced people to fire and keep running - and
therefore with the firebox crown remaining covered to a much
lower water level than a normal horizontal boiler, to quote
another roller owner I know, "If you run a simplicity dry then
you really shouldn't be around steam engines".
However as Eddie says, it is sometimes hard to keep the level
right which I can only presume is due to it being a diddy little
boiler.
Hope this helps,
Matt
#Post#: 15345--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rollers
DIR By: Wooden
Date: March 13, 2012, 5:13 pm
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Hey! Welcome back from the Fail Bin Matt. I bet you feel like
Virgil after his day out with Dante. :smile1
Talking of books, anyone seriously interested in all things
steam traction could do a lot worse than finding a copy of G F A
Gilbert's "Traction Engine Design and Construction" (together
with the third volume "Steam Thrashing" should your interest
divert to agricultural accouterments). Money well spent.
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