Scammell Showtrac

Scammell Showtrac - The Showman in Anderton & Rowland livery

The Scammell Showtrac was a type of ballast tractor built by Scammell of watford to meet the rwquirements of traveling Showman who after World War 1 had started to move from steam powered Showman's road locomotives to Internal combustion engined vehicles. A number of ex military vehicles had been used by some prior to World War II and modified by fitting dynamos to power the rides. Scammell developed the idea with a specially designed tractor.

Showtrac

The Showtrac was a short-wheelbase 4x2 ballast tractor, one of the few vehicles ever designed specifically for fairground use. It could be supplied with a rear body (with half-height roller shutter access doors), winch, and dynamo with the ballast block underneath. Eighteen were built, to varying specifications (not all had the body fitted, for example), between December 1945 and September 1948. Seventeen have survived and been preserved. There are many look-alike Scammell tractors, but genuine Showtracs had a special "Showtrac" badge on the radiator, and a full-width cab.

No	Registration	Name	Chassis No.	Original owner	Built	Notes
1	DWN 766	HIS MAJESTY	6032	Henry Studt & Sons, Swansea	December 1945	Preserved by the Late Roger Austin, Raunds, Northamptonshire, then his family.
2	HAU 964	-	6109	Henry Armstrong, Nottingham	April 1946	Preserved by Russell Cook.
3	EDL 111	KING	6074	Arnold Brothers, Isle of Wight	May 1946	Sold to the Tommy Benson Fun Fair Outfit in 1953, still owned by the family.
4	ACF 38		6108	Cyril English, West Suffolk	May 1946	Preserved by Joe Corbett.
5	CU 4667	UNIQUE	6111	John Powell, South Shields	May 1946	The Powell family auctioned this Showtrac on Friday, 25th September, 2009, sold for £46000 to a Fairground Vehicle Enthusiast in Devon.
6	HTO 221	PROGRESS-LEGEND	6114	Hibble & Mellors, Nottingham	June 1946	Operated by E.L. Morley's Super Plesure Fairs, Salford, from 1964, preserved by Neil B.Padgett from 1973 to 1982, then by Tom Nicholson up to around 1997, then bought by present owners, Neil & Freda Corner, Leyburn, County Durham.
7	HRL 121	KING CARNIVAL CITY OF BRISTOL	6115	J. Rowland & Sons, Cornwall	June 1946	Restored. Still owned by the Rowland family, St.Blazey, Nr. St. Austell. Cornwall.
8	DDT 181	WEST RIDING	6173	Frank Harniess, Doncaster	June 1946	Sold to showman Harry Wigfield in 1969, eventually preserved by Roger Austin. Still owned by his family
9	DDT 180	MELRAY	6188	Tom Harniess, Doncaster	July 1946	Sold to showman Gordon Eddy in 1967. Named after his two sons, Melvin and Raymond. Scrapped in 1969 at Selby.
10	GUR 148	-	6189	John Flanagan, Watford	July 1946	Went to the Alice Webb Fun Fair Outfit, then bought by Roger Austin in 1989 and restored. Still owned by his family.
11	DCO 212	GLADIATOR	6190	Anderton & Rowland, Plymouth	August 1946	Still owned by Anderton & Rowland.
12	DCO 265	DRAGON	6209	Anderton & Rowland, Plymouth	August 1946	Several owners since preservation, currently Colin DeVey of the Anderton & Rowland Fun Fair Outfit.
13	KDH 141	THE LEADER	6210	Demonstrator for Showtrac Dealer, Harrison's, from new	September 1946 to 1949	on Trade Plates, then sold to Pat Collins, Walsall. Went out of service in 1966, bought by showman Pepper Biddall in 1989. It was restored and is now owned by John & Alf Biddall.
14	EWN 437	GEORGE V	6357	John Studt & Sons, Swansea	June 1947	Was bought by showman E.T. Studt later on, preserved by a Doctor Williams from 1974, passed on to Micky Harris, but the current owner is Pete Sanders of Barnstaple, Devon.
15	LDH 253	THE MAJOR	6358	Clara Collins, Walsall	June 1947	Worked until 1976, went to the Barry Island Amusement Park, was restored to some extent and attended the Much Marcle Rally in 1980 and the 1981 Nottingham Goose Fair. Now preserved by Russell Cook.
16	JYA 962	JOHN BULL	6317	Anderton & Rowland, Plymouth	September 1947	The DeVey family, who manage the Anderton & Rowland Fun Fair Outfit.
17	JFJ 367	THE SHOWMAN	6656	Anderton & Rowland, Plymouth	July 1948	Anderton & Rowland only had this fairground lorry for a short while, it went back to Harrison's, the Scammell Showtrac Dealers, who sold it to the travelling fun fair outfit of Mrs. A Deakin. Neil Corner bought it in 1974 for restoration and preservation, then sold it to B. Herbert of North Humberside. Now currently owned by Malcolm Holder.
18	JFJ 457	CITY OF EXETER	6595	T. Whitelegg & Sons, Plymouth	September 1948	Preserved by Peter Startup, but has been restored and is now preserved by fairground vehicle enthusiast, Robbie Richards of Redruth, Cornwall. He bought this Showtrac in 2005. Now Sold to a new owner

Preservation

Two of the Showtracs are on display in the Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre in Devon. Others appear occasionally at some of the many steam rallies and fairs around the country.

See also

• Showman's road locomotive
• Fairground rides
• List of Named Vehicles
• List of Vehicles by registration number
• Fairground Heritage Trust - have information on a number of the vehicles used by showmen in there archive.
• The Scammell Register - owners club for all Scammell trucks

External links

• The Showmans Guild archive at Sheffield University (link required)
• The Scammell Register