A roadmaking Barford & Perkins dinosaur joins the collection…
We have recently acquired this Barford & Perkins semi-tandem motor roller from Tweedmouth near Berwick. It carries the works number R025, which I think dates it to about 1924, probably of the D4 type roller. It is fitted with its original Albion petrol engine and as these views show, it is remarkably complete although in need of a substantial restoration! I know of two other rollers of this type, one of which is in the Ipswich Transport Museum, and it is thought it may have connections with the RAF and runway construction. More research will follow its arrival at Beamish later this week. It is likely to be an early candidate for restoration, by a mixture of staff, volunteers and (I hope) the Museum’s Youth club, all to take place in the RHEC which is rapidly reaching completion of the erecting shop as I write.
If anyone can shed any further light on R025 then I would be glad to hear from them, as reasearch will commence shortly to find out as much as possible about this intriguing machine! In due course it will form a working part of the collection, hopefully engaged in real work as we progress Beamish’s development plans over the decade to come…
Superb, this is the one that was on the Traction Talk forum wasn’t it? So glad it’s gone to a good home
Hi Rob -it is indeed, looking forward to getting it back here…
I am quite intrigued by this, does look like it would be a great addition. Wouldn’t want to try and use it on the car park mind!
Can’t wait to see how it progresses, should be quite interesting.
Presumably looked like this back in the day – great looking piece of machinery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boblovelockflickr/7953737620/
That’s it Rob. If you search around on Flickr there is another in a private collection. The one at Ipswich is ex RAF – used not for rolling tarmac runways but smoothing down grass ones. The Road Roller Association will be an early point of contact in the research of this roller, and the internet has proved useful with various scanned issues of ‘The Commercial Motor’ also being very useful. It is one of those machines that has real appeal (or is that just me?!)…
Would be interested to know if ‘Barford & Perkins – Peterborough’ is on the nameplate – I am currently restoring two B & P corn grinders – I live in Peterborough – hence the interest in one of our cities great engineering companies from the past – (the ‘Perkins’ is the Grandfather of ‘Frank Perkins’ who manufacture Perkins Diesal engines at Peterborough)
Hello Graham – it is appropriately badged, as most of the rollers seem to have been, even where the ‘Pioneer’ branding is carried. As you probably know, Barford & Perkins were cooerced into joining the financially disaterous AGE group in 1919. This was instigated by Thomas Aveling (famous steam roller manufacturers) and in 1929 the Barford & Perkins factory was moved into vacant space at the Aveling works in Rochester (this taking two years to complete). Almost immediately the group entered the final throws of its existence and collapsed. With assistance, Edward Barford recovered the remains of the road roller business and set up the Aveling-Barford company on premises owned by the Ruston group. The ranges were rationalised but many models continued to be produced by AB to BP designs. In 1967/8 Aveling-Barford was assimilated into British Leyland though was later broken away and transferred to Wordsworth Holdings in 1988. There was a B&P workshplate, possibly of a hand roller, on e-bay in recent days and numerous references online that may be of interest to you. Barford (William) was an agricultural impliment maker who joined forces with Thomas Perkins in 1872. They were one of the first manufacturers to embrace the internal combustion engine as an alternative to steam for roller propulsion, as well as to develop an extensive range of lightweigh rollers for construction work and grounds maintenance.
Hi Paul – thanks for your reply, I have gathered quite a lot of information on B&P – I do some voluntary work in our library Archives and the chief Archivist wrote an article ‘The Queen Street Works’, the home of B&P, some 15 years ago.
Great result glad my pictures and find of this machine have come to light.
I see this has an Albion engine and we had had an enquiry from Chris at Beamish about this engine. we are currently looking into it, but it looks very similar to the engine in our own Pride of Tannochbrae from 1920. A video of the engine is available on our website. http://www.albion-trust.org.uk/our-own-vehicles/c20 (yours truly at the starting handle).
Brian Craigie
Chairman, Biggar Albion Foundation
We have just found the order for the engine (number BP 2016) in our Microfilm records, and it was ordered for Barford & Perkins Ltd, Peterborough, on 22nd Jan 1924 for delivery by the end of February. It is a 20HP 3.5″ bore Paraffin Engine.
Hope that helps!
Brian Craigie,
Chairman, Biggar Albion Foundation