Aveling & Porter as a firm are justly famed for their steam
road rollers,the basic design continuing in production for 50
years,and whilst other manufacturers made rollers,some in high
numbers,it is the Aveling with which the public identify as the
humble road making steam engine which came down every road and
street,until superseded by modern technology. Thomas Aveling,a
farmer interested in engineering, started an agricultural machinery
repair shop in 1850 in Rochester,Kent. Aveling experimented with
traction engine and agricultural machinery design throughout the
1850s,and set up an iron foundry and engineering firm also in
Rochester.Aveling also had workshops at Strood,Kent,on which at a
later date the famous Invicta Works were built.The emblem of Kent
is the 'rampant' horse,and every engine from the factory had this
emblem plus the word 'Invicta' below,which is the latin word for
'unconquered'. In 1862 Richard Porter brought capital and his name
to the firm which from then on became Aveling & Porter Ltd.
Aveling & Porter besides their famous steam rollers made
ploughing engines,portables,agricultural traction engines,steam
tractors,road locomotives and showmans engines,wagons,and a full
range of agricultural equipment.It was the steam roller which
dominated production however representing two thirds of total
output.The firm expanded during the later years of Queen Victoria's
reign,and by 1895 was employing a thousand workers. The firm sold
its products around the world,Australia being an important market.
After the First World War,like many steam engineering
companies,falling orders due to the march of the internal
combustion engine,compelled Aveling & Porter to join the
Agricultural and General Engineers Ltd consortium,which failed in
1932.The road roller side of the business was bought by
Barfords,and Aveling-Barford Ltd of Grantham continued to make
steam rollers,and eventually internal combustion engined rollers to
recent times.There are 600 examples preserved in this country,of
which 75% are steam rollers.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
