6 X 6 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 OK what happened? Did the loco come to grief under the bridge, had to be dragged out by the Pioneer and then lifted onto a transporter? Sorry, here's the link. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/53/Angela.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/53/Angela.htm&usg=__tvcEVS5iU1KF2Fhb1-2rG2DpdFo=&h=432&w=576&sz=88&hl=en&start=154&sig2=MvLNkG5y0qu2XmHonN0EfQ&tbnid=KQX5I4K_aZA6CM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=134&ei=mY5qSfCkBsasjAfd982vCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3DScammell%2BPioneer%26start%3D147%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz76 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Great story 6x6! This bit makes me giggle- "At this point Mr Vernon moved his Scammell a little further away" Quite right- I would have done this rather than having a loco and crane plus part of a bridge land on top of it :-D:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 "At this point Mr Vernon moved his Scammell a little further away" Me too ! I nearly became involved in a horrendous accident while assisting an "expert" who was unloading a lorry off a low loader trailer. I now do all my own checks even if it gets peoples back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz76 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) Me too ! I nearly became involved in a horrendous accident while assisting an "expert" who was unloading a lorry off a low loader trailer. I now do all my own checks even if it gets peoples back up. Remember: "Ex" ("Has-been") , "(S)pert" ("A drip under pressure") :cool2: Edited January 12, 2009 by daz76 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) I was lucky I got to drive this Scammell at Beltring in 2000. I was very impressed by it's pulling power: with two Scammells on tow, driving it did not seem to make any difference! Picture courtesy of Chris Shillito. Regards, Hanno Edited January 15, 2009 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boely Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hello Hanno, Nice to see you here! Great picture,must be awesome to drive such an gigant!! Greetz! Jelle aka Boely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Someone posted a comment to one of my YouTube vids mentioning the 6x6 Pioneer and said it was called a Scammell Prospector, has any one heard of this name before? I haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Someone posted a comment to one of my YouTube vids mentioning the 6x6 Pioneer and said it was called a Scammell Prospector, has any one heard of this name before? I haven't. Called the Prospector because they're like gold dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Called the Prospector because they're like gold dust. They?? is there any evidence there was ever more than one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 They?? is there any evidence there was ever more than one? If you include the Pioneer(s)? converted to 6x6 to test the Explorer concept then yes, although I assume you are thinking of the set forward axle type seen climbing the factory wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 http://www.scammellregister.co.uk/history-of-scammell.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yes, they are the two types side by side, the recovery version having a fixed front mudwing on the nearside and a cycle type on the offside. I can find no sales or photo records for the early one with huge bulbous axle so it may only have existed as a prototype.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Hi Isn´t this a odd jib, ore is it a SV/1S Pioneer :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Hi Isn´t this a odd jib, ore is it a SV/1S Pioneer :confused: Looks like it started off as an SV1S but it has been fitted with a different jib for engine removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Niels, It looks like a twin GM 6-71 diesel pack being removed. That would need more reach and height to remove and refit, most likely a local modification to the Scammell as it could well be from the support workshop attached to the tank unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) If you include the Pioneer(s)? converted to 6x6 to test the Explorer concept then yes, although I assume you are thinking of the set forward axle type seen climbing the factory wall. Just remembered there was also an experimental 6x6 gun tractor with the set forward axle; there is a picture somewhere with overall rear tracks fitted and towing a tank. Also JLR 80, a 6x6 with a Rolls B80 and yet another used for wading trials. 5 and counting:) It would be interesting to know why the B80/81 was not chosen for Explorer in the interests of standardization. Edited January 21, 2009 by radiomike7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Alright Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 It would be interesting to know why the B80/81 was not chosen for Explorer in the interests of standardization. Maybe it was down to engine speed being too high for the gearbox and axle, also the capacity about half that of the Meadows, which would have had more torque. Although the War Office intentions of using the B range as standardised power units, practicality came into play. The Leyland Martian recovery was a joke, being classed as a "heavy recovery", with a smaller engine than the Explorer "medium recovery". The Martian recovery having a job to pull it self along, let alone another on the hook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Couldn't agree with you more Richard, your comments on the Martian echo mine: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showpost.php?p=99276&postcount=38 Still seems strange that Scammell went to the trouble and cost of building at least 2 prototypes with a B80 knowing them to be unsuitable, unless they acted on ministry instructions. Obviously AEC put their foot down otherwise we may have had B80 powered Militants:shake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Couldn't agree with you more Richard, your comments on the Martian echo mine: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showpost.php?p=99276&postcount=38 Still seems strange that Scammell went to the trouble and cost of building at least 2 prototypes with a B80 knowing them to be unsuitable, unless they acted on ministry instructions. Obviously AEC put their foot down otherwise we may have had B80 powered Militants:shake: Thanks Mike I would think it was MoS or WO who instigated the prototypes, there was even a old Leyland Hippo converted. Thornycroft had some lighter 6-wheel trucks that were B80 powered, I do not think they made it in to service. They were later developed into the Nubian crash tenders, and finally the LMD trenching machine which was B81 powered on what was essentially a Nubian 4x4 chassis. A B80, or even 81, Militant does not bear thinking about :-D. A good engine......but in the right application of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edd Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The 6x6 gun tractor was a rebuild of an earlier 6x6 prototype. Probably one with the square body work. There was a very good article in wheels & tracks on the both the 6x6's and the one-off 4x4. Shame I can't find my copy of it! Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The 6x6 gun tractor was a rebuild of an earlier 6x6 prototype. Probably one with the square body work. There was a very good article in wheels & tracks on the both the 6x6's and the one-off 4x4. Shame I can't find my copy of it! Ed Found the photo I as thinking of - 'Breakdown' p 52. It seems to have the normal gun tractor bodywork but with a set forward front axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 There is some evidence that when AEC were trialling the AV1100 dump truck engine in a Antar, they rebuilt an existing vehicle, and this was later rebuilt again, but keeping the AV1100. It Might be that Scammell had a similar approach, then unless anyone has a photo of five 6x6 Pioneers side by side, it may just be that one (or two) were rebuilt several times for differenet trials, incorporating the developing knowledge into each new re-incarnation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edd Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I've just found the wheels & tracks articles which helps fill in some of the info. There was one of the 4x4 pioneers built and this was last seen in use by the fairground family Roses in 1970. Of the 6x6's there is no definite number but the article seems to suggest a minimum of 3 of the early type and 1 off the explorer prototypes. The author suggests that either the one explorer prototype was rebuilt a number of times or there may have been 2 or 3. At one point fitted with a Gardener 8LW. Of the earlier type it mentions photos of both civilian and military prototypes climbing up the factory wall. That would lead me to think that there were at least 2. Then it mentions would prototype for the Indian army in 1929 and then another one for the british army in 1930. The second one originally had the square bodywork. It was then rebodied to become the gun tractor 6x6 that is in Breakdown. The 4x4 had a forerunner of the explorer front axle but the original 6x6 had a completely different axle. I would love to know where either one of the 6x6's or the 4x4 is! Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 There was one of the 4x4 pioneers built and this was last seen in use by the fairground family Roses in 1970. I may be able to post a 'photo of this Pioneer in a few days time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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