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The
Danish mechanic F.A.H. Petersen established in 1875 a workshop in the
street Borgergade in Copenhagen. In 1898 the workshop changed to a real
factory named Vølund A/S. In 1921 moved the factory to a new place in the
street Øresundsvej at Amager near to Copenhagen.
Vølund
A/S produced at that moment boiler units, laundries, pipe works, ship
engines and steel constructions of all kinds, among the most famous is the
Paris wheel in Tivoli in Copenhagen.
In
1963 stated Vølund production at a new factory in Esbjerg. To day all
kind of boilers using coal, oil, gas and biomass, and gasifiers are
produced.
Another important
product is waste incineration boilers, where the monumental L90 in Esbjerg
with an incineration capacity of 24 t/h is a great representative.
In
the period 1924 to 1932 produced Vølund A/S 36 Steamrollers, 28 Vølund
Senior and 8 Vølund Junior steamrollers.
All
Steamrollers were produced at Øresundsvej. Here a special factory for
repair works on steam locomotives and production of steamrollers was
established.
All
produced steamrollers were traditionally one-cylinder
engines equipped with piston valve. The weight was from 8, 10 to 12
tons.
A
carefully investigation shows that the Vølund Senior has some details
common with the German Zettelmeyer steamroller. The design seems to be
much better at several details.
The
world greatest producer of steamrollers Aveling has also given some
inspiration.
Aveling
had as logo on all steamrollers a horse in bronze placed at the consol
over the front roller. Below the horse there was a streamer with the text
“ INVICTA” witch means unbeatable.
In
order not to be in the shadow of Aveling
Vølund chose a logo from the Nordic Mythology witch was very power
full. They chose the blacksmith Vølund known as the blacksmith who made
the hammer of the famous Nordic God Thor.
The
bronze figure of Vølund was as usual placed at the consol over the front
roller.
The
figure of blacksmith Vølund is still the log for Vølund A/S all boilers
delivered from the factory is equipped with this logo.
All
steamrollers produced at Vøund A/S were sold in Denmark. To day two Vølund
Senior steamrollers exist, one is at the technical Museum in Helsingør.
This steamroller has not been steamed since it vas delivered to the museum
in 1966. The other Vølund Senior is in the collection owned by
Damptromlekubben. Now the steamroller as a part of the steamrollers owned
by Damptromleklubben can be seen at the working open air Museum
Andelslandsbyen Nyvang near to the town Holbæk, 65 km out side
Copenhagen.
Damptromleklubben
has also a Vølund Junior steamroller, which can be steamed and can be
seen driving every second week during the summer half year at the museum
Nyvang.
In
many years it has been we the members of Damptromleklubben has had a witch
of bringing Vølund Senior in working conditions again. This means mayor
overhaul of boiler and check of all mechanical parts. A new painting is
also a part of the work.
Vølund
A/S which originally has constructed and fabricated the steamroller has
for several years showed interest in doing the overhaul work. It is now
reality and the 20. August 2002 members of the Damptromleklub have
transported Vølund Senior to the factory in Esbjerg.
The
steam roller will the coming year go trough a large overhaul done by Vølund
and volunteers senior mechanic workers from Esbjerg, with technical
support from damptromleklubben , where some members still can do special
boiler work as riveting and valsing of boiler tubes.
When
Vølund Senior is full renovated there will be driving of steam roller in
Esbjerg for a while before the roller returns home to the museum at Holbæk,
where it will be steamed together with Vølund Senior.
The
renovation work can be followed at damptromleklubbens web side www.damptromleklubben.dk
19. august 2002
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