Projects

As with any classic vehicle, a lot of time and hard work goes into restoring all variants of the Mechanical Horse so we thought it would be nice to include a few club members' projects on this page with some 'before' and 'after' photos. Hopefully these will provide that little bit of extra inspiration for those who are currently in the process of restoring a similar vehicle.

We will start though with a vehicle which is owned by The Mechanical Horse Club and is currently being restored by a group of dedicated enthusiastic members in Sussex. This is an ongoing restoration so we'll be able to follow its progress through regular updates as the restoration takes place.

The 3-wheeled Scammell Mechanical Horse and Scarab models are best known for their use of the automatic trailer coupling system, but both vehicles were also available as a rigid wagon. The majority of rigid Scarabs were dustcarts but 2 were built as breakdown trucks for the Dartford Tunnel when it opened in 1963. With a very small turning circle they proved to be ideal for manoeuvuring in the 21ft wide carriageways within the tunnel. Both vehicles survive and it is one of these which is currently being restored by The Mechanical Horse Club. For the latest news on this exciting project please click on the link below.

Our second project features a vehicle that's been shown at various events up and down the country and is a first class example of a thorough restoration. The first photo shows the 3 ton Mechanical Horse after it was purchased from an auction at Ruddington in February 1968 for the princely sum of £15. This was an ex military vehicle so it had never been registered for road use. The vehicle was purchased 30 years later, and still in need of restoration, by club member (and Chairman at the time) John Downs. As you can see from the second photo, John carried out a full restoration on the vehicle, the work included building a complete new wooden cab.
   

Next we'll look at a much later vehicle, this being a 1967 Scammell Townsman. As with many of these vehicles, this one saw the end of its working life on a farm. When it was finally pensioned off it stood in a field for 20 years before being rescued and restored, the latter part of the restoration being completed by Lynx Parcels. The vehicle has now been restored to its former glory and is seen here at a show.

And now for something different! This time we look at a box van trailer rather than a tractor unit; this particular one having been owned by Binns, the Sunderland department store. The photos show it being collected from Hornsea in East Yorkshire by a group of Manchester based club members, and restored in BR livery.

HorsespareS

HorsespareS is an independant organisation which is dedicated to the purchase, supply and, in some cases, manufacture of spare parts for all variants of the Scammell 3 wheelers. HorsespareS is run by two very keen enthusiasts who have extensive knowledge of the vehicles.

Please send all enquires to: HORSESPARES, 2 The Poplars, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 5RH. United Kingdom. 

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