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This vehicle is not currently on display at the Museum
The Scammell Pioneer was developed in the late 1920s specifically for off road use. Similar vehicles were then being tested for use in the colonies where surfaced roads were scarce. The requirement matched that for military vehicles and the Army obtained a 20 ton tank recovery transporter from the Scammell Company in 1932. It was later followed by other Pioneers, gun tractors, more tank transporters and heavy breakdown tractors.
The essence of the Scammell's off road performance was its unique suspension system. Most Pioneers were driven only by the four rear wheels. These were mounted, two per side, on a metal casing containing a gear train. Each casing was pivoted at its centre allowing the two wheels to drive at a considerable angle from that of the vehicle's chassis. One rear axle transmitted power to the two gear trains.
The front unpowered axle was fitted with three attachment points, one at each end of the axle and the third, by means of an 'A' frame, under the cab. A single centrally pivoted transverse spring provided the suspension for this axle, with the result that it could rise and fall to a greater distance from the chassis than is possible in the case of the more common arrangement with a spring on each side.
The slow revving Gardner diesel engine and unusual suspension enabled the vehicle to haul prodigious weights, though at relatively low speeds, over very rough ground.
The initial tank transporter (with a Scammell petrol engine) was extensively used for pre-war training in tank recovery. By the outbreak of World War 2, a small number of production transporters became available. The first four still used the same style of transporter semi-trailer with removable rear wheels but these were soon superseded by, first a 30 ton, and then a 20 ton semi-trailer with fixed wheels and hinged rear ramps. About 500 were built before the end of World War 2.
The Pioneers were all fitted with a chassis winch which, in the case
of transporters, enabled unserviceable tanks to be winched on to the trailer.
To provide recovery crew space behind the driver's cab the chassis of the
tank transporter tractor was longer than those of the gun tractors and
breakdown tractors. The semi-trailers were permanently coupled, that is,
not designed to be easily unhooked like most commercial semi-trailers.
Tractors for the 30 ton semi-trailers were fitted with
The Scammell transporters made excellent recovery vehicles but had limitations. When used on roads in the UK during World War 2, loaded with many of the US built tanks, they were too high to pass under some bridges. In consequence, soon after the War most of the semi-trailers were sold off for scrap, but the tractor units were fitted with ballast bodies and used to tow normal trailers. Some of these survived to be restored in private hands to their original specification. Only one is known to exist complete with an original semi-trailer. The Museum's example is a tractor unit only.
Tractor Unit |
Complete Vehicle with semi-trailer |
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Length |
6.70 m (22 ft) |
10.97 m (36 ft 6 in) |
Width |
2.61 m (8 ft 7 in) |
2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) |
Height |
2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) |
3.27 m (10 ft 11 in) |
Wheelbase |
4.57 m (15 ft) |
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Engine |
Gardner 6 cylinder diesel |
Further information on Scammells is available at http://freespace.virgin.net/scammell.man/.
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Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004