GYJ 41 Angus Area Fire Brigade Karrier Gamecock 72A / Carmichael This was one of two water tenders (with GYJ 40) supplied to the Angus Area Fire Brigade in 1957. It left service in the mid 1980s and is now in preservation.
669 XUB Bedford RLHZ ‘Green Goddess’
London & North Eastern Railway Fire Hose Cart from New Holland Station
Ampleforth Abbey Fire Squad helmet.
The North Yorkshire abbey and college had a fire squad for about sixty years, run by volunteer monks. It was formed in the Second World War and its first vehicle was an old estate towing a trailer pump. The squad continued until about 2000 when it was dissolved, mainly on the ground that it was the abbey’s biggest risk because of its amateur nature. It had largely ceased to be necessary because of the enormous increase in smoke detectors, and the efficiency of the local fire service. By 2000, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service could attend the rural location of the abbey within about 20 minutes, whereas the abbey’s fire squad took about 10 minutes.
They never had more than one vehicle at a time, but there was a succession of cast-offs from North Yorkshire FRS, usually through Malton. The last (and best) was a Green Goddess Bedford RLHZ, purchased direct from a job lot of 750 at Rillington airfield, South of Doncaster. They chose the demonstration model as they knew it worked!
The monks of the fire squad attended a number of fires over the years, but only two (1954 and 1962) showed any tendency to get out of hand, but failed to achieve this. From around 1952, they acquired a siren to use as a call and for general information (but not as a local alarm). In later years they had some problems with Civil Defence, since by about 1970 any air-raid type siren meant that an air attack was imminent. Most local people did not seem worried about this, and the Civil Defence and military sites were out of earshot. It was also used for a time to clear the buildings on the occasion of a bomb-warning. All were hoaxes, and nearly all were from the same man. Some contractors sacked him from working on the site and when he saw college concerts advertised he reached for his telephone (or so it appeared). They of course laid a trap, and he fell into it!
Another Ampleforth Abbey Fire Squad helmet in yellow.
The fire squad acquired a job lot from New York’s fire brigade when they were replacing theirs. The helmets were made of plastic and offer little protection compared to modern equivalents. A small fire squad sticker was attached. The monks looked after their equipment and so this helmet was damaged at some point after it finished service with them.
RDU 941W Chubb / Silverstone Jaguar XJ6 used at the motor racing circuit as well as for the Thrust 2 world land speed record attempt
C133 GOH BIP Fire Brigade Dennis used at the Birmingham plastics factory. It is an ex-West Mids appliance
Jaguar XJ7 fire car used for the Thrust SSC world land speed record attempt
G477 BKY HCB Angus Land Rover 6×6
V679 BNH Jaguar Fire Department Ford Cargo / Angloco
KFP 697P Cape Hill Brewery Fire Brigade Land Rover Defender
RUY 140V ex-Hereford and Worcester Dennis appliance
CFC 603Y Cape Hill Brewery Fire Brigade Bedford appliance
AOM 53B Triplex Fire Brigade Austin Gypsy light pump
AEY 532W Caterpillar Dodge pump based at the Shrewsbury plant
F222 WPR Conoco Ford Iveco / HCB Angus water / foam unit
P833 DVN Teesside Emergency Services Emergency One Hush Pumper used at the ICI plant in Cleveland. It is left hand drive.
TES 333S SembCorp Utilities Teesside Volvo FL6
JPY 811W An out-of-service Dennis / Chubb appliance with ‘Emergency Services’ wording down the sides
JDH 172D Union Fire Service Land Rover Series IIA used at the Union plant
G37 ALC Marconi Fire Brigade Ford Transit
KDU 998D Lucas Varity Dennis F36 Pump Escape Emergency Tender. The vehicle started life with Coventry Fire Brigade in their novel yellow colour scheme
G967 NUG BASF Emergency Services Mercedes 1120 / Angloco emergency tender based at the Teesside plant
PVC 931W Peugeot Fire Brigade Dodge S56C / Pilcher Greene light pump based at Ryton. This 1980 vehicle was still in active service in 2000.
VRG 161T Dunlop Fire Service Range Rover / Carmichael
XPG 995N Massey Ferguson Fire Brigade Land Rover forward control used by the factory’s in-house fire team
VNP 786L Continental Contract Developments Ltd Thornycroft Nubian Major / Carmichael. Used by the now-defunct Worcester company from 1992-2000. This fire appliance is now in preservation and has undergone some minor revisions, including some small changes to the paint scheme and the ‘Continental’ wording above the grille changed to ‘Carmichael’.
ROT 688S Old Sarum Airfield Fire and Rescue Service Land Rover
J11430 States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Renault-Dodge G13C / Carmichael Specialist Support Unit, new in 1988 and based at St. Helier.
NPO 833R Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service Land Rover
09 AY 47 Royal Aire Force Fire and Rescue Range Rover / Carmichael crash rescue tender
537 UXT Storthes Hall Hospital Fire Brigade Ford Thames 400E Based at the psychiatric hospital in West Yorkshire that closed in 1991
LKG 390 Hoover Ltd. Fire Brigade Land Rover Series I Carrying an impressive amount of equipment on the bonnet and front bumper
LTY 352 Northumberland Fire Brigade Dennis F8 / Miles Dating from 1957. Also showing the crest and classic bell and amber flashing lights
A861 OAS Highlands and Islands Fire Brigade Bedford CF350 Based at Drumnadrochit, which lies about half way down Loch Ness
MGY 302D Murex Ltd. Works Fire Brigade Land Rover Series I
A preserved fire engine that saw service with Newport Borough Fire Brigade. The very basic vehicle now stands in a large lobby in Ryde fire station (Isle of Wight).
TFC 953 A 1953 Morris Minor fire engine. It was built entirely by Morris Motors and was used at their Oxford factory. It was operational from 1953-1983 as a front line appliance and fully retired in 1990.
The rear view. It has a 4 cylinder, 1098cc A-series engine fitted.
The overhead view showing the small dimensions and wooden ladder.
A very early fire appliance dating from 1678. This is not a replica – it is original and well over 300 years old. It was built in London by John Keeling. It originally stood on wheels and the mechanism in the centre had arms on either side (now missing) for four men to pump the water. One further man stood on top and used the hose. The barrel had to be constantly re-filled with buckets of water by further assistants.
A model of the fire appliance showing how it would have looked from new with all of the pieces in place. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, more of this type of fire appliance were ordered and by 1700 their use had become commonplace.
J4392 This St. Helier Fire Brigade Albion Merryweather fire engine dates from 1934. When new this machine would have cost £1500.
The rear view of the wheeled-escape fire engine, including trailer pump. While two crew sat at the front, the rest of the men would sit down each side and hold on tight!
This is a horse-drawn fire appliance built by Hadley Simpkin. It provided fire cover for the small Lincolnshire village of Redbourne.
A look at the side of this very old vehicle.
The old fire station in Redbourne that dates from 1733. The preserved appliance still lives here.
PFT 117L This is a ERF / HCB – Angus fire tender. It previously saw service with Tynemouth and Tyne and Wear fire brigades.
DGD 213X This is a Bedford Water Tender Ladder Midi. It is known as a Bedford Fire Witch.
XLM 845X This appliance is a Ford A Series that previously worked as a private appliance for Glaxo before being moving into preservation. It dates from 1982.
UWV 560 This is a preserved Commer Mark IV with Miles coachwork and was with Wiltshire Fire Brigade. Restoration began in 2005 when the vehicle was in a very poor condition with the engine not working. Notice the folding door to access the rear portion of the cab and the wooden ladders. Emergency warning equipment comes from a blue beacon, bell and horns mounted on the roof and a half blue static light on the nearside bumper.
E842 JYV is an ex-London Saxon fire appliance that is in preservation.
VUG 307R This small fire appliance is a 1976 Dodge decked out in red and white. The badge on the door says “Commerland Fire Service”, which is operated by Yorkshire Classic Campers.
HSU 109A This 1963 Land Rover Redwing is fitted with a Winkworth emergency warning bell and single blue flashing light. The writing on the side simply says “Fire Brigade”. It spent 27 years with South of Scotland Electricity Board before moving into preservation.
URO 552 This is a ex-Hertfordshire 1955 Bedford B series water tender. From the front it looks like it could still be operational.
The side view of the same ex-front line appliance. Clearly its role has changed as the water tank and equipment lockers have been replaced to make a mobile a coffee shop called Coffee Engine!
NOL 196X This ex-Birmingham Airport Fire Service Boughton with Carmichael bodywork is currently in preservation.
SXF 159 This is an Austin A40 which carries AFS crests and a sign saying “Property of the Scottish Home Office”. It was in active use from 1956 to 1968 as a staff car amongst other duties.
The rear view of the AFS car