Vølund Junior

Seven copies of the the Vølund Junior steamroller were built between 1927 to 1928.

The story goes that the managers of the Vølund factory saw a Robey tandem steamroller in Copenhagen and decided to make a danish version of a similar design.

Today, the Damptromleklubben has contact with "The Robey Trust" in England who, as would be expected, possess one of these original tandem vehicles.

The most remarkable feature of the "Junior" model was the boiler which was constructed with a cylindrical firebox having a steel welded top which was certainly unique. A strong steam-tight tube passed through the upper part of the cylindrical rear boiler through which the main axel passed and was supported by two strong bearings located on the inclined chasis that encircled the vehicle.

The front roller was controlled by a worm screw whilst the rear was chain driven.
The driver sat in a typical metal agricultural type seat of that period and could open the firebox door with a pedal and stoke with coal through a shute. If the result wasn't satisfactory, the driver could jump off the roller and open the main fire door to the left of the vehicle in order to distribute the coal more evenly.

The "Junior" model, as it was known, weighed 7 tons and, as far as we know, was painted in the traditional dark green color. It was decorated at the front with a small emblem of "Vølund", the Norse blacksmith god. It also came with or without a sun-roof.

From the information we have today, it is difficult to know whether the "Junior" model was either a success or failure because the same year that it was launched the motor driven roller was also introduced so the market for road rollers was probably quenched.

The last "Junior" was sold to Bandholm county after having laid in the Vølund factory for several years. The Damptromleklubben acquired the first example (vehicle number 1501) from Viborg County Road Authority and, in 1981, restored it to full working order in which condition it still stands today.

Read more about Vølund Junior 

After 20 years it was time for new tubes:  Read here.

We have a hydrolic boiler test every 2nd year done by Arbejdstilsynet. Read here.

In the last days of the 2002 season Vølund Junior started to sound strange.
Read here.