Make way for Leaping Lena: heavy haulage with the Scammell 100-Tonner

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There are lorries, there are heavy lorries; and then there is the Scammell 100-Tonner. This mechanical giant was developed at the end of the 1920s for haulage work that had previously required several steam traction engines and a sizeable crew. Only two examples were built. KD 9168, better known as ‘Leaping Lena’, is now coming to market.

The impetus for its development was the need to transport British-built steam locomotives to the port of Liverpool, from where they were shipped to customers overseas. Moving them by rail was not always possible. Locomotives built for export could have a different track gauge, while low bridges and tunnels presented further obstacles.

The haulage contract was held by Marston Road Services of Lightbody Street, Liverpool. The company already worked with Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Scammell and asked Scammell Lorries to build a vehicle capable of carrying loads of unprecedented size.

Scammell itself referred to them as ‘the world’s biggest lorries’. Technical director Percy Garibaldi Hugh and chief designer Oliver Danson North are said to have needed just eight months to develop and build the two vehicles. Ernest Marston was also reportedly closely involved in the project. He was ahead of his time in believing that vehicles with many wheels distributed their weight more effectively, thereby reducing both axle loads and wear on the road surface.

Scammell’s factory records show that order number 1287 was raised on 23 May 1929. The Model Y 100-Tonner, chassis number 1428, was delivered to Marston Road Services on 20 January 1930.

The original outfit consisted of the tractor unit and a special 100-ton transport trailer, as can be seen in the video. The tractor rode on eight enormous Henley tyres and was initially powered by a seven-litre Scammell petrol engine producing approximately 80 bhp. An innovative four-speed gearbox allowed it to reach a top speed of around 10 km/h. Fuel consumption was reportedly about one litre for every 300 metres travelled.

In the early 1930s, the thirsty petrol engine was replaced by a Gardner 6LW six-cylinder diesel. Depending on the quoted specification, this produced approximately 105 to 112 bhp. The Gardner offered greater pulling power, far better fuel economy and the legendary reliability that made this engine such a favourite among British haulage companies.

What KD 9168 lacked in speed, it more than made up for in pulling power. In the service of Marston Road Services, which was later absorbed into Edward Box & Co Ltd, it carried exceptional loads throughout Great Britain.

The Scammell is said to have transported more than a hundred locomotives across the Pennines. Other assignments included the Queen Mary’s 35-ton propeller, which had to be carried from London to Southampton; a 53-ton rudder for the Berengaria; the 73-ton armature of an industrial electric motor; and countless boilers weighing around 60 tons. Its heaviest load may have been a transformer weighing no less than 170 tons.

Under heavy load, the Scammell’s front wheels could begin to bounce or even lift clear of the road. This reportedly earned it the nickname ‘Leaping Lena’.

Following the nationalisation of British road haulage in 1949, KD 9168 passed to British Road Services and subsequently to Pickfords. Both KD 9168 and its sister vehicle, BLH 21, wore the familiar Pickfords colours until they were withdrawn from service during the 1950s.

KD 9168 was then purchased by Hardwick & Sons, which preserved it and took it to historic vehicle events. In the 1970s, it passed into the ownership of the Hudson family. From 1983 until 2018, the Scammell was displayed at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Lancashire, where thousands of visitors were able to admire it.

Since leaving the museum, KD 9168 has been stored indoors and maintained in running condition. It is now being offered once again, at Brightwells’ public auction on 18 August. Anyone with an exceptionally large empty space in the garage could fill it in one fell swoop!

Details:

• Auction: Vintage Commercials, Brightwells
• Date: 18 August
• Estimate: £150,000–£200,000
• More information >>

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