Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 0

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 1

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Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 3

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 4

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 5

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 6

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 7

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 8

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Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 10

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk lawn ornament Restoration, US $4,900.00 – Picture 11

Buffalo Springfield Road Roller The Ultimate Steampunk Lawn Ornament Restoration

US $4,900.00

Freeport, Illinois, United States
Jun 9th

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Price lowered hoping to move it before winter.... Vintage Antique BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD Road Roller Originally Owned by Stephenson County Highway Department in Freeport Illinois. 10% discount offered to buyers Within Stephenson County just to keep it Local Owned. (Photo ID Required to qualify) Made by The BUFFALO-SPRINGIELD ROLLER CO. SPRINGFIELD OHIO U.S.A. I'm not sure exactly what year this unit is. I was always under the impression that it was from the Mid 1920s based on the brass operating tag stating Patented Feb 20th 1923 Other Patents Pending. With that information I always assumed it was maybe between 1923 and 1927 vintage, but someone on the SmokStak website indicated it could be a 1941 model based on the Waukesha engine that's in it assuming that it still the original 283 cubic inch Flathead 6 cylinder and not a later replacement engine. I assume it to be the original engine. In any case, the roller is somewhere between 70-90 years old. I bought this from the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club (which my Father founded in 1970) in the late 1980s or early 1990s when they ran it through one of the Charter Members Estate Sale. After buying it I found an old picture of myself looking it over in the mid 1970s as a teenager as if I was somehow destined to own it one day. It was acquired by the Club in the early 1970s through one of the club members who had worked for the Highway Department and was worked on be several other club members who got it up and running again. It was found to have a leaking radiator at that time and as a 'quick fix' they reversed the thermostat housing and plumbed it into the huge water tank under the rear half of the hood for a cooling system. It was run a few times over the years after that but never for vary long as the water tank lacked any cooling fins or airflow through it and would eventually start to overheat as a result so it saw very limited use after that. It was NOT running when I bought it and with the hours I was working at the time I never got around to working on it other than checking to make it sure it would still turn over. Each winter it would seize up but then free up again the next spring. One spring several years ago it didn't free up and I let it set that way for a few years. Then one year I pulled the plugs, oiled it up good, and rocked it back & forth eventually freeing it up and getting it to turn over again at which time I discovered the Magneto didn't click anymore on Impulse. I removed the Mag and took it down in my basement to work on it, but again with the hours I was working at the time I never got very far with it. In the mean time, it's just been the Ultimate Steam Punk Lawn Ornament setting in my front yard. Now, I've gotten to the point I likely never will get around to doing anything with it due to Health and Financial issues I have decided maybe it's best to pass it along to someone else with more ambition than I have any more. After relisting it "Auction Style" a few times I decided to go with the Buy It Now or Best Offer Format, (with of course the Higher Start Price {which is no more unrealistic than starting at $0.99 using the regular auction format}), but there's a limit as to how low I can go on it. Low Ball 'Offers' will automatically be rejected. If you're seriously interested in it, make a reasonable offer on it and see what happens. Using it as a back-drop in the pictures for many other items I've listed over the years I've turned down several offers on it over the years from around the globe with people from Ireland, Australia, and other Countries as well as a few from within the United States. Now that I'm finally willing to part with it I hope they are all looking, though again I would really like to see it stay Local as it was bought new and used here. But as they say.... Money Talks, though I am offering the 10% discount for local bidders. (Photo ID Required during pickup to qualify for that) It has sunk into the ground twice so far and is beginning to settle in for the third time after pulling it above ground again a year and a half ago before selling my little loader tractor. It is a Heavy old Beast, but getting creative and wrapping a chain around the rear wheels and using them to help roll and pull it at the same time it will rise again without too much effort. Not sure of the exact weight. I was told it weighed 9 Tons when I bought it, but looking at old brochures and operator manuals they listed them as being rated as 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 Ton Units in the 3 wheel configuration. Even the Tandem version (2 roller design) skipped over the 9 Ton (and 11 Ton) rating so I don't know if this weighs 8 Tons or 10 Tons. In either case it is one Heavy Hunk of Old Iron. Along with the previously mentioned radiator leak it also needs to have the transmission shift levers freed up. They were stuck tight when I got it. I never talked to anyone that ran it at the Threshing Show back in the 1970s so I don't know if they moved then or not. But.... Whatever gear and speed range it is in, it will move in Both Directions as it has a rather unique Clutch arrangement with TWO clutches. One in front of the transmission and one behind it with a clutch lever arrangement that engages one or the other for rapid reversing or shuttling between directions when paving the roads. It also has another rather unique feature in that the clutch linings can be changed without having to split the unit the way you have to split other tractors to access the clutch. You simple remove a few bolts and slide out the clutch lining in to half moon segments and slide the new ones back in. One other odd or unique feature on this is that due to the engine setting down in behind the front roller you can't hand crank start it from the front end. Instead, it has a long shaft running through the transmission with the crank handle on the operator platform at the rear of the unit. With that arrangement you actually crank it over backwards from what you're probably used to as it turn counter-clock-wise instead of clock-wise. It also has a cracked exhaust manifold where the goose-neck bolts on that runs down to the large canister muffler bolted inside the main frame. The Brass 'Builders Tag' with the serial number is missing but the serial number 18460 is stamped in the frame. It is missing the oil filter. I placed an oil filter canister from an F-12 or F-20 Farmall filter mount but there is No filter or hold down bolt on it. I had thought of adapting a modern spin-on filter on to it but never got around to it. Selling AS IS based on pictures and description. I do my best to describe all items as accurately as possible and use the best pictures I can to show the actual condition so there should be no confusion as to what your are getting. Payment to be in U.S. Currency through PayPal or bring Cash in person when you come to pick it up. I have this listed as PayPal Required for bidding. If you want to bid but don't have a PayPal account contact me about bidding but don't wait till the last minute to do so. With my Limited Internet access during Library Hours (and weather permitting) I could end up away from the computer for a couple days at a time though I will try my best to reply in a timely manor. YOU The Bidder are responsible for picking this up from my property. I Will NOT handle any shipping arrangements so Don't Waste Your Time or Mine offering X amount of dollars for me ship it or arrange for shipping. It is listed as LOCAL PICKUP ONLY ! You Bring Your Own Lowboy trailer or Heavy Duty deck over trailer with ramps or arrange for one on your own. This is a Heavy Old Iron Beast weighing in at either 8 or 10+ Tons. It measures approximately 16 feet long overall length. The rear rollers outside to outside are just over 5 feet 8 inches overall width, and it is approximately 6 1/2 feet tall. Make sure the trailer you bring or send can handle the load. Thanks For Looking & Happy Bidding! Please also check out my other current and future listings as I get time to photograph and list more items. Never know what I might list next from 35-40+ years of collecting and hoarding anything and everything.

“Vintage Antique Road Construction Equipment. Originally owned by the Stephenson County Highway Department. I will give a 10% Discount to buyers Within Stephenson County Illinois just to try see it stay Local. See item description and pictures for more details. Not currently running but shouldn't take much to make it run again.”

Country/Region of Manufacture

United States