Leyland Contractors, ours and yours: Some Qustions

Got me thinking about these Leylands. Did anybody happen to see in "Just Trucks" late last year what looked like a Contractor ( Leyland I think ) for sale. It looked like an 8 wheeler, twin steer axles. Did anyone else see this, as the B&W photo was small and blurry. I presume this might have been a home made job possibly. I'll try to see if I still have the book around somewhere.

Kenworth_10x6

If It is the same one I am thinking of ,We bought our B model mack off the same guy . He also had a mack Kaiser ,with a cherrypicker on it . Ian .

Scammells. Albion etc were all allowed to have there own badging but as Leyland careered toward self destruction all export vehicles were badged Leyland as a marketing exercise, (strengthen the brand) but just ended up dragging all the branches of the group down with them.

Mammoth,

In Israel the reason they badged them as Leylands was political - the Arab contries boycoted any manufacturer trading with Israel and Leyland tried to avoid that, and in fact it worked, the Jordanian Legion also used Contractors as their standard tank transporters and theirs were badged as Scammells.

You can say what you like about them things but they were very sturdy and popular for heavy transport and tipper duty - some were still working in Israel in the 1980s.

Cheers,

T

Raising this thread back from the dead, I bumped into the below on this chap's ( www.flickr.com/photos/14707190@N06/ ) Flickr page - not sure whether he's one of the posters on the forum. Are these still alive? According to the info under the pic they were reconditioned as late as the 1990s and "put to work at BHP's Oylmpic Dam mine site". This was way later than what one would expect for such an unloved truck, so I wonder...

Cheers,

T

Calling all Contractor freaks:)

Some more pics from the "udder side of the world" as Swishy would put it...




The first Contractor imported to Israel, fitted with Cummins 290 and Wilson 8sp+splitter box. Pics by Daniel Yevzory. The Autocars suddenly look stone age...





Transporting large diameter pipes before specialized trailers were invented. These are assembled in Israel by Leyland Ashdod. Escorting police Studebaker Lark assembled in Israel also just barely visible. No idea whose pics, they came from an Israeli forum with no credit - if the person originating those sees this please shout:)



1973 war, standardised IDF transporter with captured Egyptian ZSU 23 AA SPG. Also assembled by Leyland Ashdod, they all had English-built 335 Cummins and 15sp Fuller boxes. Check the new-fangled aircon on the roof. I don't think the Aussie army Contractors ever had this luxury but I stand to be corrected.



Also from that war with burnt out Egyptian T55 or T62. Pics by I. Haramaty.

Cheers

T

g'day Tatra .. thanks for the great pics and info....keep it all coming...

...the roof mount aircon in the above pics appears to be a Kysor unit...normally manufactured in the USA, but may be built under license elsewhere....cheers mate

G`day K 10x6
Don Rhodes (Of Rhodes Ridley fame)---had Scammell contracters on the manganese run hauling from Woodie woodie to Pt Headland in 1967-68 These were converted to Twin steer at the Leyland dealers in Perth--- as they were well overweight for licencing as a single steer. They had AEC motors ( I think 18 litre)---that were used also in Shunting Locos in The UK-- RR gearboxes.They were painted Blue and white (Rhodes colours).
I spoke to Dons Son Some years ago and he said some had been sold up to Indonisia for logging in the islands. I found the remains of one out of Mullewa a couple of years ago--- but Motor and radiator and part of cab was gone.

OLDBOB 70

Happen to work at JRA (morphed out of the 'ol Leyland Australia) @ Moorebank in the mid 80's.
It was my (un) happy task to coordinate/procure the bits for "commercial vehicles" & deal with Defence for the Australian Army Contractors - confirming they were all Scammells, 335 (Pommie) Cummins, modified SCG (Self Change Gear) Wilson type preselector + most were fitted/retro fitted with Tropical Roofs (ala Land Rover's early alternative to A/C)
Around '85/86 on each of the Scammell's, the Army spent around $15K (big $'s then) on a project trying to wind up the power/torque delivery on the 335's in what were called RF Kit's - result the old 335 Scammell's became less reliable & expired (if it was possible) even sooner....as I recall they were then disposed of within a year or 2 (to be replaced by IH S-Lines?) ...methinks the whole RF project was a means to an end for the Army to demonstrate the Scammells were unreliable & not up to the task to get funding for more modern replacements (the Army drivers hated the Scammell's from the start, especially the Cabs & the G/Box so did their best to destroy & abuse them at every opportunity, & their tolerance didn't improve on what was already a very aged vehicle design in the 80's)

On balance most of the few civilian units sold in Oz didn't have the 335 Cummins & lasted quite well considering the arduous conditions/tasks than generally hauled in.
I'll try to dig up/post some photo's

G`day K 10x6
I found the remains of one out of Mullewa a couple of years ago--- but Motor and radiator and part of cab was gone.

OLDBOB 70

Quite a few good finds out that way still.
In one of my threads we went that way and came back with 2 trucks,2 tractors and a ute.
Any directions available?
Could grab a pic on the next trip.

Greenie
Be nice it is still a nice truck and has paid for its self several times over. The best part is that I had to ask Bill to give me the cab back as I do have a Scammell that needs the cab. The truck I intend fitting the cab on is a twin steer fitted with the 1100 cubic inch AEC engine. We spent a great deal of money on the ex Army truck and it has done some amazing jobs. The first job needed a truck that could fit under a 1.8 metre gantry reverse 100 tonnes gross 35 metres at a speed of 3 metres per minute up hill and around a corner. We therefore went in search of a truck with low gearing and a torque converter and that is how we ended up with the Scammell. The only problem after we finally got it to Sydney was the SELF CHANGING GEARS Gearbox did not work in low range. Yes we purchased a truck with an auto transmission so we could retro fit it with a auto transmission hence the HT 740 Allison. I put the original gearbox in capitals as I am sure any one who has been brave enough to look inside one would do the same. In my humble opinion there is no middle ground with British Engineering it is either very good or very bad the shame is that it was mostly very good but alas it has all but gone.
I may be wrong but to have a twin steer Scammell / Leyland with the AEC 1100 fitted as the original engine and fully restored will be worth the damage I may have done.
Rex

[smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]
M8

in a word
Bite u're bum

LOL

tiz a case of a job well dun by Rex n crew

with necessity the mother of invention

a means of get er dun

LOL

cya