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Scammell Pioneer Gallery


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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.

 

The 8LW is a very rare engine indeed. This variant did not appear until 1946, and very few were produced - fitted to a few Atkinson 8 wheelers and Foden heavy haulage units (I only know of one in a vehicle - Gary Grysa's 8 wheler Foden Pickfords truck)

 

And the prototype 8LW resides not far from me in its original wooden crate, (well it got me excited when I saw it!).

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The 8LW is a very rare engine indeed. This variant did not appear until 1946, and very few were produced - fitted to a few Atkinson 8 wheelers and Foden heavy haulage units (I only know of one in a vehicle - Gary Grysa's 8 wheler Foden Pickfords truck)

 

And the prototype 8LW resides not far from me in its original wooden crate, (well it got me excited when I saw it!).

 

That truck SGG6 is no longer with Gary,he sold it years ago, but at one time he had two of them, both 8lw engined. The second was I believe an Adamson vehicle, with a wooden coachbuilt crew cab, but unlike SGG which had been re-engineered several times retained its original 6x4 design. sgg had been built in this format and Charlie Roades rebuilt it as a 8x6. sgg was new to the Glasgow Hiring Company and ran for Gavin Wilkie, for some years nefore passing to Pickfords.

 

And of couse the 8LW evolved into the 8LXB which were built in larger numbers.

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I There was one of the 4x4 pioneers built and this was last seen in use by the fairground family Roses in 1970.

 

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

 

The caption accompanying this photograph says, "Scammell's first 4 X 4 model, a prototype gun tractor for the Admiralty, was delivered in March 1939. After the war it passed to Messrs Rose Bros. of Hounnslow, Middx, now trading as Rose's Pleasure Parks Ltd. It was completely rebuilt by Reall Coachbuilders Ltd. Slough, Bucks. the Scammell petrol engine being replaced by a 6LW Gardner 'oiler'. Other alterations including a coachbuilt cab and body and a rear end crane for lifting the Skid centre. In 1970 the bicycle- type front wings (or cycle wings) were replaced by box-type units as shown and the whole vehicle given a repaint.

 

sc004314cd.jpg

 

Source for this and the following post; "Fairground and Circus Transport" Edited by Bart H.Vanderveen and published by Roundoak in 1973.

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"Most popular of all wartime Scammells was the 6 X 4 'Pioneer' type supplied in various forms. A small fleet of Model R100 heavy artillery tractors was used by Dorking, Surrey. caterers Tom Benson & Sons for a number of years. The example shown here was one of the first acquired in 1950"

 

sc0043470d01.jpg

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I've driven through Salisbury loads of times and I've never seen it. Has anyone heard of, or know anything about, this one ?

 

"An immaculately turned out example of the SV/25 'Pioneer' recovery tractor was travelled by Bernard Cole & Sons, Southampton for many years. The integral body incorporated a roller shutter at the rear. Later, 'Sir Hilary' as it was called (to commemorate the 1953 Everest Expedition) passed to Jimmy Williams of Tadley, Herts. and finally into preservation with Steve and Vicky Postlethwaite of Salisbury, Wilts.

 

sc00475b7e02.jpg

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This one wound up in a scrap yard in cornwall,how it got there not too sure, it then passed on to a guy in summercourt in the west country who never did much to it, I think it now resides in the Southampton area and is due to be restored. I only know all this as Dad used to remember this machine when it attended Salisbury fair and has tracked its progress ever since. Will stick some photo's on when next home to scan them in, of it in its current dilapidated state. The same firm also ran a pair of Whites which were cut down to 6x4 tractor units (were rigid tank transporters) and re-engined with 6lw's. Both still exist.

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I would love to know where either one of the 6x6's or the 4x4 is!Ed

 

I overheard a chap in the Scammell Register display trailer saying he had tried to buy the 4x4 from the lady who still owns it, but she will not sell, this was a couple of years ago, so it probably still exists.

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I cannot recollect this Pioneer tank transporter tractor being shown on here before. It was at a Scammell rally at Beltring about 12 years ago, I think. According to the history card on it, it had only recently been disposed from RN use at a base on Southampton Water, pulling boats I presume, up a slipway.

 

Anyone know it? Must have been the longest serving Pioneer.

pioneer.jpg

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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.

Bowles2.jpg

Bowles4.jpg

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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.!!

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As with the Matador thread I've decided to have a look back through some olf albums and found some pictures out which can be see below.

 

The first pic if from Birdingbury Steam and Country Rally 2007

The next three are all the same Pioneer from Birdingbury 2008

The last pic I can't remember where it was taken but it was sometime in July 2008 lol :???

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031.jpg

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FUF 47 was Jeff Theobald's Pioneer. He used to tow a 7 1/2t recovery trailer with universal carrier on it...............a long time ago though.

 

Oh right thanks for the info Richard. I didn't see a trailer or universal carrier nearby so maybe it has changed hands, like you say it was a long time ago.

On a different note the Birdingbury Rally is a lovely little Rally that is well worth attending as there is always a big military presence their as can be seen by the pictures in the Explorer thread.

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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.!!

 

Fantastic! Glad to know Herman is still around! I'm not at all surprised by what you say as he did some pretty serious jobs during his working life. Thanks for your info nptimber. I was pretty enthralled by this old Scammell as a boy.

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That looks like the Pioneer owned by Kevin Watkins, North Island, New Zealand.

 

Gun Tractor, Chassis no. 3623, wartime reg.H4500335, still working!

 

Holds the honour of moving the first house of the millennium at one second past midnight January 1st 2000.

 

I think he still has another very rare Scammell high on Andy's lottery list!

Edited by gritineye
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Guest catweazle (Banned Member)
That looks like the Pioneer owned by Kevin Watkins, North Island, New Zealand.

 

Gun Tractor, Chassis no. 3623, wartime reg.H4500335, still working!

 

Holds the honour of moving the first house of the millennium at one second past midnight January 1st 2000.

 

I think he still has another very rare Scammell high on Andy's lottery list!

It is New Zealand so i expect you are correct found on a truck site somewhere.:-D

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Pioneer Tank Transporter on a flatbed passed me on Gypsy Patch lane, Bristol (outside Rolls-Royce) just before lunch. In need of restoration but looked to be in desert livery. Intrigued....

 

Anyone know of its identity?

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