the scarab

[mw0njm.]

phil fantastic pics of the scarab.i remember br and brs.did any other company have them? any one know any more info on them great little work trucks.
pete

 

[jennyann]

Hi Pete: I worked for British Railways in the late l950's and remember the Scarbs very well at New Street Station in particular. The Scarbs were also used by fruit and vegetable marketers in Smithfield Market. Companies such as Baragwanath's, etc. I also worked for Francis Nicholls but can't remember if they used Scarbs. Here is the Wiki on them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scammell_Scarab

 

[Phil]

Pete

A couple more when they were still a working tool. not just an exibit at a vintage motor show or in a museum. I think I only ever got to drive one once and I didn't make a very good job of it. Mind you I was only a bit of a kid at the time.

Phil

 

[mw0njm.]

phil,great pics thanks.
jennyann ta for link great reading.
pete

 

[Lloyd]

There is a preserved ex-Cadbury's one (now in more typical British Railways livery) which was restored as part of a TV series called Salvage Squad.
There is a club for enthusiasts of these and similar 'mechanical horses' with a website at https://homepage.ntlworld.com/malcolm.ruscoe/index.htm

 

[mallyb2]

Hi,it's strange that a vehicle such as the Scarab should be built by Scammel,a company that built some of the mightiest vehicles ever made.The Scarab also incorporated a very ingenious automatic trailer coupling,whereby the trailer landing legs retracted automatically,at the same time the electrical connections for the lights were made,and the brake coupling was made.All the vehicle driver had to do was to release the trailer handbrake.Mind you,the brake wasn't always applied,to save even this little job.It was the introduction of the M.O.T. test,together with construction & use regulations,requiring brakes on each axle,that saw the demise of the Scarab,which couldn't meet the braking regulations..........Mal.

 

[lencops]

Mechanical Horse. Len.

 

[mallyb2]

More Scarabs...............and their big brother !View attachment 33236

View attachment 33237

 

[leonard price]

Its great to see some pics of the scarabs I passed my driving test in a scarab way back in 1963 for British Rail at there driving scchool in the old Sutton park railway station and worked from Aston goods yard in Avenue road Aston

 

[williams]

My Mum May worked in the office at Aston goods, i think she was still there in 60s, she started in 1940, during the war she and the other women did a lot of the jobs the men vacated when they went to war, she stayed on at the wars end, but was transfered to the office. i think she dealt with the invoices of goods coming through the station. she even drove a Scarab at one time. Jackie

 

[leonard price]

Hi Jackie my mom also worked there in the 40s doing a bit of everything her name was Hilda Price and she came from Lancashire
Len

 

[williams]

Hi, Len, I wish my Mum was still around, i could have asked if she remembered your Mum. I do'nt know how they coped with some of the things they had to do, i do know they had to push small containers (not sure what they were called) along the tracks from one part to the other. My Mum did get knocked down by one of them and ended up with a broken arm, she was back at work a few days later, the arm in plaster, she was given light duties until it healed. In those days if you did'nt work you did'nt get paid. Jackie

 

[len]

I past my driving test in a scarab in 1963 with British rail Aston goods depot