Some rare machinery will be rolling into this summer’s Tractor Fest.
Three historic pre-war motor rollers will form part of an extensive display at this year’s show, held at Newby Hall and Gardens near Ripon over the weekend of 6-7 June.
And with just six weeks to go until the annual tractor, engine and car extravaganza, motor roller enthusiasts from across the country are putting the finishing touches to their machines ready for exhibiting.
Derek Rayner of York is showing his rare Motor Units roller at Tractor Fest.
A roller enthusiast since school, Derek is vice chair of the Road Roller Association which is exhibiting at the show.
Derek’s career with British Rail meant that when he saw a motorised roller advertised, he recognised it as a one of only 200 such rollers manufactured by Coventry-based Motor Units Ltd.
This one had previously been used by the LNER. Operational from 1935 on the Hull-Barnsley line, the roller is powered by a Villiers 250cc two-stroke engine, and was used to compact ash, the byproduct from burning coal, as part of platform construction.
On retirement it was used by a grounds contractor to maintain British Rail staff’s cricket pitch in Hull.
Bought at auction for £35 in 1975, the roller is one of only 26 remaining in the country.
Following extensive detective work on its history, which included tracking down a missing toolbox and lid which would have been fitted to the original machine, Derek took the roller apart and painted and rebuilt it.
The engine was restored by a friend’s father who serviced lawn mowers with the same engines. Christened ‘Rosette’, the roller is now licenced to run on the road.
Derek is also the proud owner of ‘White Rose’, an Aveling & Porter steam roller which he acquired in 1964 and which he has spent many years restoring.
Derek said: “As vice chair of the Road Roller Association, I am delighted to see motor rollers being given such a prominent role at this year’s Tractor Fest. We can’t wait to share our enthusiasm for these machines.”
David Gardner from Northallerton will be exhibiting his rare 1932 14-tonne Aveling & Porter motor roller at Tractor Fest for the first time this year.
One of only three in the country, the roller will be the biggest at the show and was built in the UK for road construction on the continent, before being purchased by a collector and returning to the UK some ten years ago.
David said: “Designed in 1923, the roller had a ground-breaking engine – the first cold start diesel engine using high-pressure fuel injection. It hadn’t run for more than 30 years and I’ve been painstakingly restoring the Blackstone open crank diesel engine for some time now, so Tractor Fest gives me a firm deadline for completion of the project.”
