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Pudsey: Roller project is steaming ahead
Engineering students in Leeds are helping to drive forward a project to restore a dilapidated steam roller to its former glory.
Pudsey Roller used to take pride of place in Pudsey Park as a family attraction but it was removed in the 1980s because of safety reasons.
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Students from Leeds City College are getting hands on experience by helping to bring the Pudsey community landmark back to life.
They were invited on a day out by the Road Roller Association to visit the site where the Pudsey Roller had been stripped down and shown the first major part of the reconstruction which included the new coal and water tender.
Tutor Paul Hogarth said: "We look forward to continuing this relationship in the next academic year when we hope to give a new group of students the opportunity to take part in this exciting and rewarding project.
"These practical tasks provide them with a real-life feel of the problems they are likely to encounter in industry and complement their academic work.
"Feedback from the students has shown us that they have enjoyed and taken pride in helping to restore this community landmark."
It is hoped that the firebox and boiler will be the next items to be rebuilt which will then make it possible for people involved in the project to think about re-assembling the main structure of the vehicle.
The restoration is likely to take several years to complete and it is hoped that successive years' students will be able to contribute to the project.
Brian Woolhouse, from the Friends of Pudsey Roller, said: "The enthusiasm of the students and teachers at Leeds City College of Engineering is highly commendable and very much appreciated.
"In such a short space of time the team has produced several items to the highest standards one can expect when working with objects that have seen better working days.
"We wish the students a well earned end of term break and hope that the experience has been of great benefit."
The roller was manufactured in 1921 by John Fowler Ltd, of Hunslet, Leeds, and was gifted to the people of Pudsey in 1959 by local benefactor Sir Walter Ward.
Leeds City Council can't sell the engine because of the way it was gifted.
Instead, the Road Roller Association negotiated a 25-year loan of the machine and a Pudsey Roller Restoration Fund was set up to fund repair work.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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