The mighty Scammell Explorer; in North Africa by my guess.

I've been amazed lately by how much leeway the Internet gives folks for talking out orifices other than their mouths.
I've waxed obsessive about these rigs before and was hunting for more wartime photos of them. In so doing I came across a model-making forum where one member was as interested in the Explorer as I am.
His desire to try and model it however provoked a response which, summing up, stated that a better rig to model would be a Russian, Ural Six-by.
It was said to be bigger, heavier, more powerful with a higher payload and (?) bigger tires.

There's more differences than similarities between these two units though.
Now of course the Ural 4320 (pictured) is certainly an imposing chunk of machinery - and, of the two, is the one I would prefer to own.
This is the truck we saw in the crazy, Russian logger video in this post.
"Bigger" is hard to gauge since you can't find a pic of them side-by-side but the Scammell eats the Ural's lunch on weight alone. Can't find figures for an Explorer but the 6X4 Pioneer tips the scales at eleven tons; the Ural: about seven, seven-and-a-half. And the Pioneer is the baby brother.
With a payload of six tons, the Ural wins on that count only because it's a transport truck.
More powerful engine, certainly, but that's because it has to be (theoretically) able to be driven at highway speeds while the Scammell tops out at less than 25 mph.
The Scammell is classed as a "Heavy-Duty, Break-Down Tractor" rated at ten tons - but that's not what it can carry.
If you can handle the excitement, this obsessive post shows a Pioneer pulling - with its winch - a 30 ton Churchill tank out of a ditch - sideways - uphill.
In short; when the Ural gets stuck, the Scammell gets it out.
Apples and oranges.
But, I did score on photos so I'll now bore you with those.
First up, it's a bit-player. You can see it in the right background.

More of interest is the unhappy day the driver of what looks to be a T-series MG must have had. As near as I can tell, he hit, head-on, an armored car - at a good clip too being that it looks like while losing half its front end it also skewed the armored car a bit.
Wartime Malaysia.

A pre-war photo of a Pioneer in its capacity as a 30 ton, tank transport.

Here's one of the hundred-tonners being chased by a locomotive.

Another Pioneer.

Yet another Pioneer.

I'm not going to tell you. You should know by now.
Korean war by the way.
Best for last.
A recovery crew posing next to their Scammell. Can't tell is it's a Pioneer or an Explorer.

Notice the crossed feathers on the fender; same marking on the armored car seen above so methinks, Malaysia again.
And check out what they're armed with.
Enfield Mk 1 #5 Jungle Carbine.
I've got one of those!
4 comments:
Nice page with some interesting photos. I love the Scammell trucks too, the last of your photos (with the crew in front) shows a Scammell Explorer, you can tell by the square box in the upper right corner of the photo and the grille on the side engine cover.
Regards,
Jan
"Still got a thing for trucks" you expected to get over it? Definitely some badass "crummies". Also liked the packageing bit, as well as the crew with the Jungle Carbines. One of these days I'll score another. That wandering zero crap is right up there with the grassy knoll and Obama's birth certificate...
Alas Andy, it's treatable but there is no cure.
Fat boy got me kicked out of the club.
He seems to feel that I was making fun of him.
And Jan, thanks for the info.
In the late 70s-80's the REME had Scammells based in Colchester, . My step dad was a driver so many interesting days out as kid to Borden, Harwich and Nottingham cruising at 25mph to pick up broken vehicles! Pretty raw cockpits full of hot fumes and the noise...
Seeing your pics it took me back.
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