Anorak Alert! Scammell!

More arcana from the British heavy-haulers:
I don't know how I got on this tangent but was looking at pictures of Scammell Pioneers and stumbled onto an entire treatise on the "once-largest-capacity-truck-in-the-world", the 100 ton Scammell.
Back when I discovered these things and wrote of same, I mentioned that the entire tongue weight was carried on just one axle.
Turns out, it only looks like one axle.
It's actually two axles, two wheels apiece - side-by-side.

As seen in the pic above, a central differential provided power to two double-sprockets (Meccano mock-up here).
An additional gear ratio was available at this point as well which doubled the four speeds available at the transmission. However, each, rear axle's speed had to be set serarately - from outside the cab - I assume at a dead stop as well.
The article is an interesting read but I'm into excitement.

Behold! The Mighty Scammell Pioneer that I, fool incarnate, damned with faint praise here.
I confess, I was blown away by the Pioneer's big brother the Explorer. My bad.
A year ago, when I first discovered these things I'd known that the rear-axle articulation was something special but I didn't understand the how of it.
Rather than the two differentials that the 6x6's I was familiar with used, the Scammell set-up consisted of a single central differential powering two spindles which terminate in walking beams with a wheel at each end. Said wheels being driven by chains.
Sound familiar?
Meccano showed us the way of things earlier.
Now Lego picks up the baton.
Thank you.
Okay, this is mostly a fanboy gush about the Pioneer so, with minimal further ado...
Next, one of the big boys still on the job, moving houses down in En Zed.



I'd like to point out at this time that, for God knows what reason, I never have solid handle on how big these things really are.
For example, in the film above it just looks like a big pick-up when, in reality, it's a log-truck.
A bit low-slung but a log truck nonetheless.
Settle down now. A movie of the old girl on the job.

From now on, pic fest.
First, we've got to throw a bone to the Explorer.



Ah well. Somewhere I have another photo of a Pioneer in its capacity as a tank-transporter but I fear that I may have overstimulated you.
So let's all sit back down now for a serious test of attention span (and you should know _ I've watched this thing half a dozen times already - and it just gets better and better.
Maybe I'm nuts but this shit fascinates me.
Slow-motion thrills circa 1952, courtesy of Scammell (of course), E. W. Rudd and British Transport Films.
The narration alone is well worth the price of admission so "...park it and get some corns on yer squeakers".
This is entertainment.
Shhh!