Scammell (Leyland) Contractors in Australian Service?

[Dianaa]

A friend is just about to take delivery of his latest project an Australian Scammell Contractor tank transporter. Many of these were plated Leyland but are the same truck.

Does anyone have information on their ARN, overseas service or unit histories? The photo below (one of Noel Patrick's images published on the REMLR site) is ARN 101-964.


Large image: http://www.remlr.com/photos/pics10/Vietnam8.jpg

Diana

[Mike Cecil]

Dianna,

Read 'Mud and Dust: Australian Army Vehicles and Artillery in Vietnam' for details on their Army testing and overseas service in SVN, plus several images.

But I am looking for more if anyone has any pics ....

Mike C

[Ian Patrick]

Hello Diana and Mike,
Attached are some more pictures from the same series of photos as the one posted in the first post.

[Ian Patrick]

Some more photos of "Spetic" being loaded onto the transporter. All photos taken by my Dad in or around Vung Tau in 1971. If anyone wants any higher res images let me know.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Ian,

Really interesting set of images of the M48 being loaded. This was one of the loan tanks, fitted with a mine roller system, used by 1 Fd Sqn (RAE) for route clearance. There are a couple of images of it in Mud and Dust, too. As Dianna has queried, the tank had the name 'SEPTIC' painted on it at one stage (for Septic tank = Yank ... an endearing term for our US allies!)

I'd certainly like high res .jpeg or .tif copies of these please, and you fathers name in full, and unit if possible. Could you please send them direct to me via email at mike@krystiimelaine.com?

Great images!

Mike

[Ian Patrick]

Hello Mike and Diana,
Yes, I agree "Septic". My typing got the better of me.

Any photos of your's mates truck Diana? Would be interesting to see and no doubt it will be a large restoration project.

Email on its way to you Mike.

Ian

[Stuart Kirkham]

Diana

The following photos show Leyland Contractor 172-524 in Australia 1980. Coincidently, it is towing the very same trailer as shown in your first post photo.

To help identify the truck, your friend should sand back the paint on the drivers door as it appears that this was a good place for unit markings etc.

Of interest is the photo showing a different trailer with ARN 101-954.

[Mike Cecil]

Nice pics,

The nomenclature of the 'Contractor' reflected the fact that it was used for both the 35 ton plant trailer and the 60 ton tank transporter. Both trailers were used in South Vietnam, though I think the early Steco prototype (the one sent to SVN) had to have the goose neck winched back into position by the tractor, rather than have its own hydraulics.

The M577A1 ACV on the back is an interesting one. Do you know an approx date and unit for it, per chance?

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

I'd have to hunt that ARN up, but the interviews and the trials reports stated that it was winch-lowered and winch-raised, as I state in some detail in Mud and Dust pages 231-232. The Steco prototype, along with the one of the trials Contractors, was sent to SVN because of the shortage of low loader transport. To help relieve that problem, one phase of the user trials for both 'vehicles' took place in SVN, rather than in Australia.

Mike

[Philliphastings]

Hi Diana,

I think you will find markings from either the Perth Logistics unit or 22 Construction Squadron under the paint on the Leyland/Scammel contractor I sold. (I still have the battery Key and ignition key somewhere safe - just not sure where)

A friend in the local Military vehicle club used to work on it when it was still in service. He remembered hVing to repair the transmission housing with helicoils and sure enough - one of the spare transmissions here still has that repair showing.

I sold my series 2A 88' GS yesterday which was also an ex 22 construction Squadron vehicle by coincidence.

Being an ex 26 Transport Squadron tyre biter I had secretly hoped there may have been some 158 Tank Transporter Troop markings somewhere under the paint. Both were part of 9Transport Regiment.

158 were heavy users ofthe Leyland/Scammels for Cent then Leopard carting as well as misc plant and heavy loads

Cheers

Phill

[Stuart Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

The fourth image shows the Steco trailer, this trailer that dropped the front off the fifth wheel, the gooseneck then lowered down flat and loaded from the front. When the load had been transferred on or off, the gooseneck rose under it's own hydraulics and then was winched back onto the fifth wheel. The SME museum has one of the Scammells, currently not operational, but it does have the Steco trailer. John Belfield also has one of the Steco trailers, but the gooseneck has been welded in the up position, he had it at Corowa last year. The good thing about these trailers is that they can load vehicles with a low ramp-over angle that would have difficulty loading onto a regular float.

Photos

[Philliphastings]

Hi Diana,

No worries as it's no secret. I'm glad to be able to get the rig into the right hands. Perhaps we shouldn't mention the keys as I haven't seen them since I moved my entire collection and that was 3 years ago...

Tommy - as always a timely pic post.

In my time with 26 Tpt Sqn I operated Mack Tanker, Dump and GS Cargo. As well as a stint with the 1 ALSG Ambulance Section (hence my continued public obsession with Land Rover bloodboxes), but mostly I operated Mack and ISO trailer carting M113 FOV - generally ACV on the truck and APC on the trailer.

I think from memory the last three numbers of my truck were 200. I'd love to be at the auction with $$$ when it comes up.

I wasn't qualified on the Scammel, only Mack Road Train and variants but rode in the Scammels as 'Coey' many times.

26 always maintained a unit photo album/scrapbook which from memory had lots of Svn pics as well as more recent stuff. I belive they shifted to Amberly these days which made sense as we spent so much of our time in convoy from Puckapunyal to Shoalwater Bay and even as far as High Range

86 Transport Troop used the Camel as their stencilled symbol
158 Tank Transporter Troop used the stork with baby
87 (Tipper) troop - I can't recall - nearly 30 years ago now but 87 Tp usually
joined us for general taskings and APC carting
Workshops called themselves the 'Camel Brickers' and had a slightly cryptic stencil - use your imagination.

All in all we had so e bloody good times back then. I have a hell of a war story involving the Gin Gin Qld war memorial, my truck/trailer, acouple of M113A1's and a hell of a near death experience - and some pics probably best kept for the campfire...

I'd like to come over and see the Scammel some day.

Cheers

Phill

Cheers

Phill

[Philliphastings]

Some time ago a fellow former 26 member mentioned he still had a manual for the Scammel. i'm afraid I lost his details but ge was a member of the 85 Tpt Tp association

Cheers

Phill

[Philliphastings]

I just dug out a pic of my old Mack - the ARN was in fact 36-090 callsign A3 not sure where the 200 came from but I had Land Rovers and ultimately M113 FOV's as my 'personal' mount later in my career.

Cheers

Phill

[Philliphastings]

I still haven't found the battery key but do have the rear cross member c/w massive pintle hook which can load with the transmissions...

Cheers

Phill

[phoenix]

Always nice to see some of these heavy haulers set for restoration.

I have added a lot of vehicles to the REMLR database of late, and the Contractors are some of these vehicles and appear on the Leyland page.

http://www.remlr.com/ARN/ARN-leyland.php

[Philliphastings]

Well done Richard and thanks - (REMLR saves the day - again)

It should be no problem to trace the ARN via the chasis number.

The engine number may be another matter as my best detective work has failed to locate the original cummins engine - despite rumours it is still powering a pump on a minesite near Coolgardie...

Winch unknown but radiator and surround went for scrap and the fifth whell equipment was never know to be in the district. The Scammel hauled a huge water tank for most of it's local service.

Cheers

Phill

[phoenix]

I don't know about save the day, but it's some of them. I'm not sure how many were delivered, and I certainly don't have every registration between 100-000 to 180-999, although i'm working towards it

Maybe I should have a heavy hauler chapter to compliment the inter chapter, or maybe I should finish some 1/2 finished projects first LOL !!

[Mike Cecil]

Answers:

(1) don't know.
(2) There was only one Army spec. The official description includes '35 ton/60 ton' which says it all: the tractor was for both 35 ton (STECO 35 ton plant trailer and 60 ton Aust No.1 Mk1 tank transporter).
(3) See 'Mud and Dust' heavy vehicle chapter. Time you bought a copy, Dianna!
(4) No: there were two. Again, see 'Mud and Dust' for details.

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Read your latest with some interest.

I have to ask: where has the story of the 5 unassembled trucks, which presumably were manufactured to the Army spec, but never assembled, and then sold back to Leyland rather than through the auction process, who in turn didn't assemble them, but sold them to a civilian company to assemble them themselves, come from? Is the source reliable?

Knowing how the Army/Defence did business, it sounds just a tad implausible to me, but hey, I'm all ears!!

Mike C

[Cameron Reed]

Hi Diana, if you havn't already, try having a look or asking on the hcvc forum big range of trucking knowledge on there. Beamish heavy haulage have a few of those folding type gooseneck trailers.
good luck with your enquiries
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Answers:

(1) don't know.
(2) There was only one Army spec. The official description includes '35 ton/60 ton' which says it all: the tractor was for both 35 ton (STECO 35 ton plant trailer and 60 ton Aust No.1 Mk1 tank transporter).
(3) See 'Mud and Dust' heavy vehicle chapter. Time you bought a copy, Dianna!
(4) No: there were two. Again, see 'Mud and Dust' for details.

Mike C

I know this is dredging up the past, but I was filling pout some missing contractors on the REMLR lists after seeing an article about one of the scammel badged vehicles (although that article had a number of mistakes but I digress).

THe description of the Contractors doesn't appear to match any defined census code that I have found to date, was there one on the vehicles data plate at all??

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Richard,

I have the CC listed as 6815.

You'll find it in the AMB books, Vol 6.

Mike

[phoenix]

I thought I had completely digitised that book here http://www.remlr.com/ARN/census-all.php


Apparently I didn't finish, thanks for that Mike, i'll update my lists.