Robey & Co

Robey and Co. was a firm based in Lincoln, England that built steam Rollers.

Robey & Co Ltd was founded in 1854, by Robert Robey, as manufacturers of portable steam engines and thrashing machines. By 1862 they had expanded greatly and exhibited a display of agricultural equipment; "fixed engines, traction engines, ploughing tackle, corn mills, saw benches etc" at the Great Exhibition. Soon they extended the range to include a complete range of mining equipment from winding engines and pumping engines to locomotives, cages and kibbles (mine bucket).

History[]

By the turn of the century the firm had been incorporated into a limited company, the works had expanded to cover 15 acres and 20 000 engines and plant had been built. Stationary engines of many types were added to the range, such as the 'Quick Revolution' vertical, for electrical generation. Indeed Robey's 'Globe works' was said to be the first factory in the U.K. lit by electricity.(verification required)

New range of traction engines was introduced and the steam wagon made its appearance in 1906, various models of which remained in production until 1934. Road rollers were made from 1914 and steam tractors enjoyed a ready sale. Road locomotives (Steam trucks) became popular, especially in overseas markets; a few still exist in Australia. An inspired innovation was the development of a tandem roller from the stayless wagon boiler and engine unit.

Engines with simple slide valves, expansion gear, piston valves and drop valves were developed for application in many industries (our Class E is a good example of the latter). Colliery winders up to 84" stroke were amongst the largest of these, exported all over the world. Many are still in use in India and elsewhere. The Robey Trust owns one of three examples preserved in England.

'Overtypes', 'Superheater' and 'Uniflow' engines were sold, the latter, the most efficient type of steam engine made, being a speciality of the firm. Engines were made to every configuration; horizontal, vertical and diagonal; duplex, tandem and cross compound cylinders; open and high speed enclosed, all in a variety of sizes and powers.

Robey made an early entry into the internal combustion engine market: for half a century vertical and horizontal oil and diesel engines were produced for diverse applications such as ship propulsion. Air compressors, rock crushers and hemp decorticators serve as examples to illustrate the wide range of products made.

Robey's contribution to the war effort was considerable; in 1916 Sopwith aircraft and Short Seaplanes were built in large numbers; from 1939 production centred on gun mountings, frigate engines and other heavy items. After the war the capacity and expertise of the company was used to fabricate everything from converters for steelworks to parts for the Jodrell Bank radio telescope. In the firm's later years, however, package boilers in oil, gas or solid fuel fired versions were made in larger numbers: a new boiler barrel and tubeplate for the Robey Trust's Tandem roller was the last boiler made and tested at the works before closure in February 1988.

Model Range[]

Stationary Steam engine
Gas engines
Oil engines
Steam roller
Steam Tractors

Robey Trust Preservation List[]

Robey Portable, single cyl. c1875
Robey no. 3331 - Thrashing Machine c1880
Robey no. 12787 - Class A single cyl fixed engine 1892, Supplied new to Pearson's Pottery, Chesterfield, in 1892, this engine was rescued from the derelict remains of the pottery in 1972 by a local haulier.
Robey no. 31821 - Five ton Steam Tractor 1913
Robey no. 32387 - Robey 3 point steam roller 1913
Robey no. 42522 - Steam wagon - ex ? of Bollingbrook, Lincs
Robey no. 42693 - Tandem roller "Stumbles" 1925
Robey no. 45655 - Tri-tandem roller 1930 - Herts Wanderer

Preservation[]

Preserved Robey steam engines[]

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to be considered complete. Relavent additions are welcome and you can help by expanding it.

Known machines built by Robey & Co. Ltd in preservation (TER 2008 list 70 known in UK)
view • talk • edit
Engine No.	Name	Build Date	Type	Weight	Power nhp	Reg No.	Owner	Image	Other info
Robey no. 2216	Name ?	c.1880	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 5513	Name ?	1880	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 5637	Name ?	1879	PE	weight	7 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 6529	-	1881	Portable	-	5 nhp	-	owner ?	to add	At Beaulieu Steam Revival 2010
Robey no. 7406	-	1883	Portable	-	6 nhp	-	Bursleden Brickworks Museum
Robey no. 10247	Name ?	1887	PE	? ton	? nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ? Canterbury
Robey no. 10330	Name ?	1888	PE	weight	power	-	Preston Services, Canterbury		T42 at Preston Services/Projects
Robey no. 10456	Name ?	1888	PE	weight	power	-	Preston Services, Canterbury		T38 at Preston Services/Projects
Robey no. 10809	Name ?	1889	PE	weight	3 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 13166	Name ?	1892	PE	weight	5 nhp		Owner ?
Robey no. 15598	Name ?	1895	PE	weight	3 nhp		Owner ?
Robey no. 19420	Name ?	1891	PE	weight	power		Owner ?
Robey no. 19435	Auld Jock	1899	TE	weight	7 nhp	AO 8122	Owner ?
Robey no. 25961	-	1906	Portable	-	3 nhp	-	owner ?	to add	At Beaulieu Steam Revival 2010 - Repatriated from Australia
Robey no. 28086	Dartmoor	1908	PE	weight	5 nhp		Owner ?
Robey no. 28094	Pride of The Walk	1908	TE	9 ton	5 hhp	AO 8932	P. Wallington, Oxfordshire		At Bloxham Steam Rally 2009
Robey no. 28295	Name ?	date built ?	Traction engine	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, New Zealand		Resident in New Zealand^[1]
Robey no. 29330	name ?	1910	TE	9 ton	6 nhp	CT 4101	owner ?		-
Robey no. 29333	Wally	1910	TE	9 1/2 ton	7NHP	AD 9899	Owner Paul Antell, Dorset
Robey no. 29450	King George V	1910	Traction engine	? ton	6 nhp	AB 9453	John Collins collection, Worcestershire^[2]		Moved to Bob Davis's yard in 2012
Robey no. 29531	Name ?	date built ?	Traction engine	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, New Zealand^[3]		Resident in New Zealand
Robey no. 29911	Name ?	date built ?	Road engine	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, New Zealand^[4]		Resident in New Zealand
Robey no. 30708	Name ?	1911	PE	weight	12 nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, ROI
Robey no. 31821	Name ?	1913	Steam Tractor	5 ton	4 nhp	Reg no. ?	Robey Trust Museum		Robey Trust collection
Robey no. 32387	Name ?	1913	3 point steam roller	10 ton	power?	DE 2592	Robey Trust Museum		Robey Trust Collection
Robey no. 33348	-	1914	TE	?	?	Z 200	Robey Trust Museum
Robey no. 33810	-	1915	Portable	-	power ?	-	Hollycombe Steam collection	To add
Robey no. 33957	Village Queen	1915	ST	4 tn	6 nhp	FE 1620	Owner ?		Rebuilt as no.40798 in 1922
Robey no. 35548	Sir Giles	1916	TE	? ton	6 nhp	DO 2046	Owner ?
Robey no. 37657	The Guvnor	1918	ST	4 tn	5 nhp	AP 9341	Owner ?
Robey no. 37871	Name ?	1918	PE	weight	14 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 37958	Jill	1918	PE	weight	5 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 37962	Name ?	1918	PE	weight	5 nhp	-	Owner ? ROI
Robey no. 38020	-	1919	Portable	-	8 nhp	-	Vinderup, Frilandsmuseum Hjerl Hede
Robey no. 38403	Hercules	1919	PE	weight	10 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 38818	-	1920	Portable	-	8 nhp	-	P. Cummins, Trowbridge		Repatriated from South Africa. Shown at Lister Tyndale Steam Rally 2009
Robey no. 40062	Ruby	1921	Portable	-	12 nhp	-	Breamore Countryside Museum
Robey no. 40672	-	1923	Steam roller	7 ton	? nhp	FE 5391	Robert Crawford collection	To add
Robey no. 40892	Name ?	1923	PE	weight	5 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 40991	Shamrock	1923	Convertible tractor	7 ton	5 nhp	FE 5373	Owner ?
Robey no. 41005	PERDITA	1923	PE	weight	12 nhp		J.R. Godfrey Derbyshire
Robey no. 41113	Name ?	1923	RR	12 ton	power	FE 5345	Owner ?
Robey no. 41492	Name ?	1924	ST	5 ton	4 nhp	FE 5736	Owner ?
Robey no. 41493	Our Nipper	1924	Steam tractor	5 ton	4 nhp	MF 3946	Owner ?		At Great Dorset Steam Fair
Robey no. 41593	Name ?	date built	Tandem roller	weight	power	FE 6255	Owner ?
Robey no. 41602	The Mistress	1924	Tandem Roller	7 ton	?	FE 6319	The Riley Collection
Robey no. 41803	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 42129	Name ?	1924	Tandem RR	8.5 ton	power	RL 75	Owner ?
Robey no. 42216	"57" Jeannie	1925	RR	weight	power	FE 6672	Owner ?
Robey no. 42493	Name ?	date built	RR	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 42520	Barkus	1925	Tandem Roller	?	?	FL 7632	Bressingham Steam Museum
Robey no. 42522	-	1926	Wagon	6 ton	? nhp	FE 5464	The Robey Trust Ex Alan Rundle, Boston		At Carrington Steam and Tractor Rally 2011
Robey no. 42550	Name ?	1926	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 42657	-	1925	Steam wagon	6 ton	? nhp	MY 318	Robert Crawford collection		At Carrington Rally 2011 Just rebuilt(2009)
Robey No. 42675	-	1927	TE single cylinder	8 ton	6 nhp	JU 8198	R.E.M. Booty	To add	At Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally 2008
Robey no. 42693	Stumbles	1924	Tandem Roller	8 ton	?	FE 7490	The Robey Trust		At GDSF 2009
Robey no. 43165	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 43388	Kernow Knight Ex Pendle Knight/ Deeside Knight	1929	Tractor	7 ton	4 nhp	VL 983	Owner ?		Ex Tom Varley collection
Robey no. 43739	Jesse	1927	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 43747	Name ?	1928/200?	type	weight	power	VK 4540	Owner ?		Wagon built from boiler of Roller 43747
Robey no. 44083	Name ?	1930	3 RR	weight	power	VL 2370	Owner ?
Robey no. 45655	Herts Wanderer	1930	Roller	?	?	VL 2773	The Robey Trust
Robey no. 46935	Name ?	1933	Tandem Roller	weight	power	CZ 2432	Owner ?
Robey no. 48869	Name ?	1939	Tandem Roller	8 ton	power	EDV 916	Owner ?
Robey no. 49364	Name ?	1941	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 49481	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 49484	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 49494	Name ?	1942	PE	weight	16 nhp	-	Owner ?
Robey no. 51956	Name ?	1940 ?	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. UP39	Name ?	1880	type	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. UP40	Name ?	1940	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. UP41	Name ?	date built	PE	weight	power	-	Owner ?
Robey no. UP71	Name ?	date built	PE	weight	power	-	Preston Services Canterbury
Robey no. UI	"Name"	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Robey no. 41000	ex PWD	date built	type	weight	10 HP	-	in Transport Museum Hobart, Tasmanian

Key	References
Machine types Key: SW = Steam Wagon, PE = Portable engine, PLG = Ploughing Engine, RR = Road Roller, SM = Showmans, TE = Traction Engine	↑ Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30 ↑ Vintage Spirit no. ? page ? ↑ Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30 ↑ Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30

Preserved Robey industrial engines[]

A number of examples of Robey horizontal industrial engines exist in various museums

Template:PML Robey industrial

References / sources[]

The Robey Trust web site
Old Glory Magazine
Show guides

External links[]

The Robey Trust web site
Robey Pictures on the Steam Scenes web site

[1] Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30

[2] Vintage Spirit no. ? page ?

[3] Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30

[4] Old Glory Magazine no. 241 page 30

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]