Mercedes Actros Titan Megaspace (8x4) tractor unit, customised in the livery of heavy haulage operator Chappell’s of Stubbington Ltd.

This model is the first release in the Search Impex Series 2 of the Haulage Heavyweights collection of solo tractor units and has been produced exclusively for us by WSI Collectibles as a certificated Limited Edition (155 pieces).

Established by Michael Chappell in 1959, the original business focussed on the buying and selling of trucks, plant and agricultural equipment. It also had a transport operation - but this was maintained simply as a means of moving the Company’s own stock. Chappell’s, however, was seen by others as being good at running its own transport service and so the business began to receive requests from other customers to move items of plant and equipment. Initially, this additional work was accommodated in and around running its own business, but by the mid 1980’s, such was the volume of this add-on transport work, that a formal decision was made to branch out into transporting equipment for clients.

Now with some four decades of experience in the transportation of large and abnormal loads, Chappell’s are recognised as experts in heavy haulage. Based in the South of England and conveniently situated between the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth, the Company undertakes heavy haulage work throughout the UK & Europe. Regular jobs include moving plant and equipment for the construction and demolition industries, including large excavators, crawler cranes, piling rigs and crushing and screening equipment. Heavy marine equipment, pontoons and work boats also feature in the workload yet, faithful to its roots, the Company also remains involved in the transportation of agricultural equipment.

Sadly, Michael Chappell passed away in 2008 but the Company continues as a family run business with a well established reputation in the heavy haulage market. The current range of trucks and equipment comprises 3, 4 & 5 axle step frames, extendable low loaders up to 150 tonnes gross, double extender flats, plant and beam deck low loaders as well as 6x4 tractor units (from 90-160 ton), the Mercedes Actros Titan Megaspace 8x4 (reported to be the first truck of this type to enter service in the UK). Abnormal load escort vehicles (fully equipped to highways authority specification) are also available.

The cost of the model is £99 each (including UK delivery & VAT).
For details of availability of this and other models, collectors can visit the Search Impex website at www.search-impex.co.uk or call on 01332 873555.