The Scammell S26 was the last heavy tractor range to carry the Watford badge. Built in 4×2, 6×2 and 6×4 form on Leyland Roadtrain components, it was also the model chosen for the British Army’s DROPS requirement, although by the time the 1,522 vehicles were built the works belonged to DAF.
Scammell S26 at a glance
| Maker | Scammell Lorries Ltd, Watford |
|---|---|
| Type | heavy haulage tractor unit |
| Layouts | 4×2, 6×2 and 6×4 |
| Developed from | Leyland Roadtrain components |
| DROPS version | built for the British Army by DAF |
| DROPS order | 1,522 vehicles, 1986 |
| Build location | Leyland factories in Lancashire |
| Watford works | closed by DAF in July 1988 |
There is no separate Wikipedia article on the S26; this page uses the company articles on Scammell, so it is shorter than the other Scammell pages.
History of the Scammell S26
A Roadtrain-based range
The S26 was the companion range to the S24: a family of heavy haulage tractors in 4×2, 6×2 and 6×4 form, built from Leyland Roadtrain components. The French company article places the two ranges together, the S26 tractors alongside the S24, which could be specified from 40 tonnes gross vehicle weight to more than 200 tonnes gross train weight.
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 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, close to the Watford works, so the army’s new lorries carried Scammell badges but were not built at Watford.
The end of the works
DAF closed the Watford works in July 1988 and the site was sold for redevelopment. The manufacturing rights for the S24, Nubian, Crusader and Commander, though not the right to the Scammell name, went to Alvis Unipower, which opened a new works at West Watford to support the vehicles still in service. The S26 was therefore the end of the line: the last heavy Scammell tractor designed at Watford, and the last to be built in quantity.
Design and features
- Three layouts: 4×2, 6×2 and 6×4 tractors from one range.
- Roadtrain components: Leyland group parts kept the cost and the spares network practical.
- Army DROPS: the 1,522-vehicle order of 1986.
- Built away from Watford: the DROPS vehicles were assembled by DAF in Lancashire.
Scammell S26 versions
- S26 4×2: the two-axle highway tractor.
- S26 6×2: the three-axle tractor with a single driven rear axle.
- S26 6×4: the double-drive heavy tractor.
- S26 DROPS: the army version ordered in 1,522 examples in 1986.
The S26 was the smaller brother of the S24 and shared its years at Watford with the Crusader. More lorries are in the Scammell collection.
Sources
- Scammell, French Wikipedia: S26 layouts, Roadtrain components, DROPS contract, end of the Watford works
- Scammell, English Wikipedia: company history and the DAF takeover
