In 1890, when horsepower still meant horses, Robert Wynn, founder of the legendry heavy-haulage dynasty, ordered a wagon for moving steelworks and other heavy industrial plant. Its load capacity was 40 tons. Moving at maximum capacity required 48 draught horses harnessed in 12 four-abreast teams.
Forty-five years later, the era of super tractors began. Liverpool heavy haulage specialist MRS (Marston’s Road Services) became the world heavylift champion. Its Scammell Hundred Tonner moved a165-ton steel ingot mould for a steelworks in Sheffield. The Scammell and its load had a combined gross of almost 200 tons.
As the Hundred Tonner designation indicates, the load was 65 tons heavier than the vehicle’s rated capacity. The reserves of performance epitomise Scammell engineering.
How could such a feat be performed with the 108-bhp of the Hundred Tonner’s Gardner 6LW? Scammell engineering again. The four-speed Scammell gearbox of the two axle tractive unit had a lowest ratio of 196-to-1. Speed was not an issue. Such is the nature of heavylift outfits that, even today, especially in urban environments, progress is typically at walking pace or not much quicker.
Level roads – tarmac or graded earth – are one thing. Heavylift moves that are uphill and down dale present a different order of challenge. The Hundred Tonner was custom designed to meet performance specs stipulated by MRS, fundamental to which was gradient ability. The order placed by MRS with Scammell covered the motive unit and two swan-neck girder trailers, one with a two-wheel row bogie and a
