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This vehicle (in sand camouflage) is currently on display at the Museum
The development of the Pioneer is covered in the section on tank transporter tractors, and the early development of the breakdown tractor is covered earlier in this section. When a simpler crane was needed for the Scammell, a fixed angled single jib crane was designed by John Morris Ltd, with a sliding section which enabled it to be extended to give a greater lifting height. The extension was a simple matter of winding a handle and then locking the extension piece into position. The remaining 1600 or so Pioneer breakdown tractors used this system, with a manual winch to raise the load on the jib. This was low geared, enabling a man to raise the 3 ton maximum weight the jib could bear at its shortest extension.
When Scammells were required to lift to a greater height than the jib could manage various expedients were adopted. One method being, to park the Scammell on a tank transporter trailer, another was to pile up railway sleepers or gun planks and reverse the vehicle up this slope. Such methods had to be adopted when no proper workshop crane was available.
Among much equipment provided for the Scammell Pioneer was a pair of tracks. These could be fitted over each set of rear wheels, effectively converting the vehicle into an half track. These tracks gave greater traction on soft mud, snow and some other surfaces but were not easy to fit or remove and only used in extreme conditions. An open crate-like locker under the drivers cab was designed to carry these tracks.
The diesel engined Scammell Pioneer was due to be replaced by the post-war Scammell Explorer but a few Pioneers lasted almost as long as the Explorers. The last Pioneer to remain in active Army service was in Belize where it was still used into the 1980s before eventually being returned to the UK for the Museum. Arriving in a heap of parts it was rebuilt by the then 43 District Workshop REME at Aldershot. The vehicle still carries its Belize name ‘Swampy'.
The Museum's second Pioneer SV2S was donated by the Museum of Army Transport and differs from the previous entry only in its colour and markings, being shown in desert sand camouflage.
Length |
6.09 m (20 ft 3 in) |
Width |
2.66 m (8 ft 9 in) |
Height |
2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) |
Wheelbase |
3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
Winch |
8 tons capacity |
Crane lift |
3 tons (max) |
Engine |
Gardner 6 cylinder diesel |
Further information on Scammells is available at http://freespace.virgin.net/scammell.man/.
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Email Enquiries or telephone 0118 976 3375 for further information
Page produced by Peter Eldred - Last updated 24 July 2004