Wabco 300

WABCO 300 Scoopmobile

I had long known that WABCO (as in Westinghouse Air Brake Co.) had purchased Scoopmobile and closed it shortly thereafter. What I had not seen are any of the product made by Scoopmobile after they were owned by WABCO. Then in late 2009, Daryl Eldred, of New Plymouth, ID generously forwarded me photos of his 'Wabcoized' Scoopmobile. the only thing on it that is clearly of Wabco influence is the Radiator guard. If you compare it to our WABCO 30 you can recognize the the late 1960's squared off style. Wagner had historically used a cast iron grill as part of a counterweight. This model is said to be of a 1970 manufacture.

As with most of the later Scoopmobiles, everything that could be fabbed was fabbed and the internals were made of off the shelf parts from other suppliers. This model, about a 3 yard machine, featured a Detroit Diesel 6V53, Allison Transmission and Clark Axles. At one point they even private labeled these machines as John Deere tractors, as Deere struggled to get into the giant articulated tractor market. In that configuration they went the other direction--engine in front, and had a manual transmission and usually a Cummins engine.

Unfortunately WABCO changed corporate directions shortly after buying Scoopmobile and closed it down. Alas, however, Scoopmobile left their mark on the industry forever. I give them credit for being the first to successfully market an articulated loader, for for that matter an articulated anything machine. Before Scoopmobile, a spin off of FWD Wagner, heavy rubbertired equipment was steered.