Tractor show celebrates Scammell’s role in Britain’s industrial past

One manufacturer which was pivotal in the early to mid-20th Century is Scammell, which developed an articulated six-wheeled low-loader after WW1 and went on to produce the three-wheeled Mechanical Horse to replace horses in rail, postal and other delivery applications. 

This evolved into the Scammell Scarab, with the single front wheel offering exceptional manoeuvrability and the rounded steel cab providing driver comfort. 

Matt Baker bought his Scarab in 2002 – originally built in 1967 for use at Mersey docks moving goods around the harbour, it had more recently found use on classic film sets. “When my friend said it was for sale I took his hand off,” says Matt. “It was already restored and running - my friend Tim is doing up an ex-Cadbury Scarab so while he was doing that I restored the trailer for him.”

At the time, Matt was volunteering at Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, so he repainted the Scarab into British Railway’s grey livery to exhibit at the Mountsorrel & Rothley Heritage Community Centre. This year, he started volunteering at the Newark Air Museum, where the six-tonne vehicle, named ‘Lilibet’ now resides, wearing its new RAF livery, carrying the markings of 54 Maintenance Unit, 43 Group Maintenance Command, which was based at RAF Winthorpe in the 1950s. 

“The Newark showground is on the old RAF Winthorpe airbase, which was used to repair aircraft, and Scarabs like this would have moved spares and components from Newark Castle railway station to the airbase,” says Matt. 

The original Wheeled Horse was designed to replicate the manoeuvrability of horse-drawn carts, and the Scarab can turn, with a trailer, 360 degrees within its own length. “In 1952 Scammell advertised it as requiring less maintenance than a horse, but being less good for the roses.” 

The 1967 model came with a 3.3-litre Perkins engine, while the 18-foot covered box trailer was built for British Railways in 1957 and features the patented automatic coupler, which allowed a vehicle to automatically connect the brakes and lights for seamless operation. 

“I’ve done a lot of re-enactments with it, for example at Great Central Railway, but this is the first show I’ve done,” says Matt, who makes train axles in his day job. “If we didn’t keep them and restore them then we’d lose them.”

Next year’s event will be on November 8-9. For more information visit www.newarkvintagetractorshow.com