What improved?
Gears turn the road wheels slowly with a strong pull. Wide roller surfaces press loose road material flat.
THE ENGINE ROOM / 18
Small parts. Big discoveries.
A little steam. A clever machine. Let’s see what makes it move.
ON THE WORKBENCHSteam road roller · Aveling & PorterEarly 1900s · Restored by Fred Dibnah
Explore the steam history timeline
3D MODEL
Fred Dibnah’s BetsyBased on Betsy, works No. 7632, with green paint, solid flywheel and canopy. Sources differ on the exact build year, so the timeline date is approximate. The gearing and small fittings are simplified.
Drag to turn · Scroll or pinch to zoom · Right-drag or two-finger drag to panTap a part to discover it
Ready when you are
FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORD · Early 1900s · Restored by Fred Dibnah
THE ENGINE’S STORYMeet Fred Dibnah’s Betsy
Fred Dibnah loved finding out how old machines worked. He restored Betsy, an Aveling & Porter steamroller, over many years. A roller uses its heavy, wide wheels to press and smooth a road. Fred’s television programmes helped many people discover steam engineering.
Original, replica or teaching model?
Read the source Based on Betsy, works No. 7632, with green paint, solid flywheel and canopy. Sources differ on the exact build year, so the timeline date is approximate. The gearing and small fittings are simplified.
How did life change?
Restoration needs patience. People repair, make and fit parts so that old skills and machines are not forgotten.
In the archive
Select a photograph to look closer. Captions distinguish originals, replicas and related examples.
Fred Dibnah’s Aveling & Porter steamroller Betsy, works No. 7632, at Cheshire Steam Fair, 2014.
SG2012 · CC BY 2.0Archive record ↗
YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY
Look closer. Have a go. Find out.Think like an engineer.
Betsy’s road crew
Help the road crew smooth a bumpy lane. Choose a lane and make enough passes to flatten each patch, without overworking the finished patches.
Each patch needs 1, 2 or 3 passes. Choose one or two passes, then tap a patch. Do not give it more passes than it needs.
No timer. Try as often as you like. These puzzles explain ideas; they are not instructions for operating a real engine.