The Scammell S24 was the Watford works’ heavy tractor unit of the late 1970s, developed alongside the Leyland Landtrain and Roadtrain and specified from 40 tonnes gross weight to more than 200 tonnes train weight. Its 8×6 army version won the DROPS contract of 1986, but the Leyland takeover by DAF meant the production went elsewhere.
Scammell S24 at a glance
| Maker | Scammell Lorries Ltd, Watford |
|---|---|
| Type | heavy tractor unit and tank transporter |
| Developed | late 1970s, with the Leyland Landtrain and Roadtrain |
| Engines | Cummins NT 350 or NT 400 |
| Gross weight | from 40 tonnes |
| Train weight | more than 200 tonnes |
| Cab and bonnet | shared with the Leyland Landtrain |
| Army version | 8×6 DROPS with Rolls-Royce 350, ZF automatic and Kirkstall axles |
| DROPS order | 1,522 vehicles, 1986 |
| Production ended | 1988, with the Watford works |
| Film appearance | a tank transporter in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil |
There is no separate Wikipedia article on the S24; this page uses the company articles on Scammell.
History of the Scammell S24
A Scammell for Leyland
At the end of the 1970s the Leyland group decided to develop two new tractors: the bonneted Landtrain for export and the cab-over Roadtrain for the home market. Scammell was chosen to design the Landtrain, which used the cab and bonnet of the S24, the model that replaced the Commander tank transporter. With Cummins NT 350 or NT 400 engines, the S24 could be specified from 40 tonnes gross vehicle weight to more than 200 tonnes gross train weight, a range that covered ordinary heavy haulage as well as special transport.
The DROPS contract
In 1986 Scammell answered the British Army’s DROPS requirement with a new 8×6 variant of the S24, fitted with a Rolls-Royce 350 engine, a ZF automatic gearbox and Kirkstall axles. The company won the contract to supply 1,522 of these vehicles, but shortly afterwards the Leyland group was bought by DAF of the Netherlands. DAF chose to build the S26 DROPS in the Leyland factories in Lancashire, near the Watford works, rather than at Watford itself.
The end at Watford
DAF closed the Watford works in July 1988 and the site was sold for redevelopment. DAF also sold the manufacturing rights, though not the right to the Scammell name or place, for the S24, Nubian, Crusader and Commander to Alvis Unipower, which opened a new works at West Watford to give continued support and spare parts for the vehicles still in service. The S24 also had a moment on the cinema screen: a Scammell S24 tank transporter is the vehicle driven by Jill in Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil.
Design and features
- Extreme weight range: from 40 tonnes gross vehicle weight to more than 200 tonnes train weight.
- Cummins power: NT 350 or NT 400 engines.
- Leyland family: the cab and bonnet were shared with the Landtrain export tractor.
- Military version: the 8×6 DROPS with Rolls-Royce power and a ZF automatic gearbox.
Scammell S24 versions
- S24 tractor unit: the civilian heavy-haulage tractor with Cummins NT 350 or 400.
- S24 tank transporter: the replacement for the Commander, with a special semi-trailer.
- S24 8×6 DROPS: the army version of 1986 with Rolls-Royce 350, ZF automatic and Kirkstall axles.
The S24 was followed by the S26, which DAF built for the army’s DROPS requirement, and it shared its years at Watford with the Crusader. More lorries are in the Scammell collection.
Sources
- Scammell, French Wikipedia: Landtrain and Roadtrain programme, S24 specifications, DROPS contract, end of Watford, Brazil
- Scammell, English Wikipedia: company history and the Leyland and DAF years
