nptimber

Another pic, but may already be on here- my mate 'big chris' has put a load of pics on in the past.

I think XSK460 was once owned by Paul (piggy)Thompson from Gretton nr Corby Northants have got some photos somewhere will try to find them this weekend

Is there one on the other side of the vehicle you could pinch?

already pinched that one and put it on the other side?

"Who immediately swapped it" .....not a very happy affair.

 

This Militant Gun Tractor was subsequently cut in half and exported to Bongoland for timber extraction. The body ended up on the Militant Gun Tractor that Richard Grosvenor recently sold.

only half of this militant went to bongoland i bought the front half ( less transfer box/ rear bogie)for spares

A couple of pics of 'Herman', Q807 HNG owned at the time and probably still owned by Malcolm Bowles of Southery, Norfolk. Gardner 6LW powered and the reason I am now a Scammell ower! He let me take it for a (slow) spin around his yard aged about 12 and that as they say, was that! I knew this one for a long time and I think it had two rebuilds during it's hard working life.

Herman now lives with my pioneer as he was bought by my brother a couple of years ago to save him from being scrapped. He looks to have had a very hard life as the chassis is bent in front of the crane and at one time the front drawbar hook has been snapped off ,the pto on the gearbox has been broken off possibly caused by letting the clutch out while the winch was unwinding after winching in. But apart from its battle scars its got lots of potential and if live to 120 and win the lottery it might get restored one day.!!

his one

was made out of these two

These two were operated by NP Timber co ltd. Rothwell road sawmills .Kettering .Northants . I bought 605ABM in 1987 along with 618AYD for spares . I found BCS675 on ebay a couple of years ago its a complete wreck but still runs and drives . I recently found photos of them loading timber in bletchley in the 1970s . Anyone got any photos or info of these matadors ?618AYD is a somerset number . 605ABM is a bedfordshire number possibly once owned by CR Jackson Maulden Beds bought from LW Vass in Amptill.. BCS675 is an ayrshire number ? which is a long way from Kettering driving a matador!!

And a Thornycroft light trenching machine hiding away!

While on the subject of Thornycroft light trenching machines does anyone know where i can get a brake drum for the front axle from ?

Anyone know anything about u.s.a.f dodge ram w150 1/2 ton full size pick up. 4x4 hi/lo transfer box 5 stud wheels. Any pictures /info please.

Think they opererated out of shooburyness gunnery ranges the other one being LOO512V which now lives in R.E.M.E museum bordon in the care of john atlee.

Some interesting unipower pics on FLICKR .look on scammell amazons photostream .

Ben (nptimber,) doesn't sleep in the cab of a Scammell, he's built a bed under the bonnet of one?

I am in trouble now mike my mums found my collection of scintilla mags under my matress !!!

Ben (nptimber,) doesn't sleep in the cab of a Scammell, he's built a bed under the bonnet of one?

And the front grill is great for bacon and sausage sarnies !!!!

Ben (nptimber,) doesn't sleep in the cab of a Scammell, he's built a bed under the bonnet of one?

That radiator is just the job for coffee first thing in the morning !

Yawn, yawn....When do you ever find time to go to bed?

I live in the sleeper cab on the scammell

That one wasn't on your list of vehicles, on introductions and Welcome!

Sorry mike unipower slipped my mind as did Scammell crusader eka . Unipower hannibal . thames trader tipper . dodge w1500 4x4 (ex u.s.a.f) . Bedford T.M w/winch .Scammell S24 6x4 tractor unit. cannot think of anything else at the minute will have a look around yard at weekend !!!!!

The write up I have seen for it says Matador Axles. Caption to the picture on page 123 Of "Mud, Men and Machiners" Says Perkins V8 510 driving into 5 Speed Eaton, two speed Thornycroft Aux box, (it says Maudsley axles) elsewhere attributed to AEC Matador. Was Also available with fifth wheel York Big D.

 

The one I have the picture of an Artic version, HLU 428K, which was new in 1971 to Cross of Southall, and passed on in ballasted form to Richard Burt, an earthmover near Towcester.

 

An Alternative source says the Transfer gearbox was also AEC Matador.

Front axle and transfer box are very similar to thornycroft nubian fire engine permanant 4x4 with air accuated diff lock in transfer box . Anyone got a spare motor panels cab Guy big j .Seddon 16/4 as cab on HLU428K is more holes than cab cannot start any restoration work until donor cab is found

Hi and welcome.

Lovely collection you have got, would you by any chance post some pictures of it, specialy the Amazon and the Pioneer/R100

Cheers Niels

I think you are looking for thornycroft amazons not scammell amazons but will get picture of R100 anyway

Hi and welcome.

Lovely collection you have got, would you by any chance post some pictures of it, specialy the Amazon and the Pioneer/R100

Cheers Niels

Will try to get photos this weekend scammell r100 needs total rebuild .there are two scammell amazons in the yard one lwb wrecker with dominator 30 recovery gear owned by dave stretton and a tractor unit from sellafield nuclear plant owned by my brother

Folks - I will be doing some maintenance on HMVF tonight at 22:00 - 29th Jan so you may not be able to access the site for a bit.

 

Apologies for that.

 

Cheers.

 

Jack.

just suggested to the wife that i have 30 min to spare and thought i would try my luck ? she said ok but what were we going to do for the other 29 min!!!

Hi Ben, I was there with Alan Walker and his Explorer when we dragged the first one back to the Welland Valley site - how many years ago was that?:shocked:

 

I gather you have Stretties Amazon up there, any progress??

 

Mike

Have just got copys of photos from alans dad dave walker of collecting the matadors from kettering shows alans explorer suspend towing one of them and me steering the other on a straight bar behind dads chain drive scammell i was only 16 at the time so thats 1987 still got matador now and bought the other one that they were still using in the yard last year it still runs and drives but is a complete wreck but has loads of local history talking to original driver from np timber he has lots of photos of the pair of them working 1970s 80s

Hi Ben, I was there with Alan Walker and his Explorer when we dragged the first one back to the Welland Valley site - how many years ago was that?:shocked:

 

I gather you have Stretties Amazon up there, any progress??

 

Mike

Stretts amazon stands in my brothers yard along with his handyman and lowlowder trailer soon to be put in barn we have rented .think strett will repaint amazon this year now that handyman is finished.

Hi Ben, I was there with Alan Walker and his Explorer when we dragged the first one back to the Welland Valley site - how many years ago was that?:shocked:

 

I gather you have Stretties Amazon up there, any progress??

 

Mike

Have just got copys of photos from alans dad dave walker of collecting the matadors from kettering shows alans explorer suspend towing one of them and me steering the other on a straight bar behind dads chain drive scammell i was only 16 at the time so thats 1987 still got matador now and bought the other one that they were still using in the yard last year it still runs and drives but is a complete wreck but has loads of local history talking to original driver from np timber he has lots of photos of the pair of them working 1970s 80s

That's not Ben is it??

Remember if you are stuck for a winch call WINCHER FINCHER !!

Wondered how long it would take you to work it out ? matadors came from NP timber in kettering .

I think its about time i introduced myself . live nr market harborough leics ex Recovery Mechanic with 118 recovery coy (corby) . I have a collection of ex military vehicles some restored but most converted to timber tractors / recovery . Scammell pioneer SV/2S restored by my father in 1979 owned by me since 1989 restored again 2008 . Between us dad / brothers /nephews we have 2 0854 aecs. 7 0853 matadors .1 R100 pioneer .1 1/2 SV/2S pioneers . 1 thornycroft big ben harvey frost recovery LW Vass convertion.1 austin k6 tipper ex RAF. 1 gmc cckw bolster .1 diamond t 969 ( timber tractor) .1 aec militant w/ atlas crane .1 aec militant 0859 6x6 ? converted by grampian council for snow plough coverted by me to winch tractor . non military vehicles include scammell 45t chain drive .scammell highwayman 65 t pickfords tractor .1939 aec mammoth minor used by ministry of war transport 1939 1945,. Probably too many vehicles but better to save them than converting them into chinese razor blades !!

Great to see so much progress Jimh! Let us know how you get on with the history search, I think mine (Chassis 6002) is from the same batch of 200 ordered at the end of the war.

 

If you want to check anything on mine then just PM me, I don't think you can be more than an hour away from me!

 

Good luck!

 

Duncan

Chassis no6002 delivery date 7.12.45