This is one of two aerial ladder platforms (ALP) in Gloucestershire. It’s built by Carmichael and is not much longer than an ordinary appliance due to the use on windy roads around the county. This unit is believed to be the ‘county’ unit, the other ALP being used only for Cheltenham.

Here is an old appliance now used for educational purposes.

This self-explanatory vehicle (with its partner, background) is a Mercedes diesel van, spotted outside of the York city station.

PAJ 576R is a turntable ladder from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. It is a HCB-Angus / Metz dating from 1976

Above is a Land Rover Fire vehicle at York City’s station. The vehicle has no markings and just the two rotating beacons on the roof. It will probably fulfill the same role as a fire car as shown and described above.

G429 KBO is a North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service aerial ladder. The red and white pole you can see is one of four stabalisers for when the ladders are fully erect.

A262 JAJ is Bedford TK1260 Prime Mover. The registration tells us it was first registered in 1983.

P875 KCN is a Northumberland Fire and Rescue Volvo FL6.14 from Carmichael. It was one of three identical engines based at Blyth in 1996.

GKK 241V is a preserved Dennis appliance.

Three aged fire engines, including a Dennis with the military registration 46 RN 53

P875 XCN is a Volvo FL6 Northumberland Fire and Rescue pump.

The crest of Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

R296 FPT The next picture shows two views of a Vauxhall Pick-up truck. This is one of many used by N’land for numerous purposes, including pulling equipment trailers and accessing remote areas of hilly Northumberland.

T97 BBR is a Ford Galaxy people carrier.

R763 HFT It is painted conspicuously for high-visibility.

Two self-explanatory supplementary equipment trailers.

Here is a very strange vehicle. Towed by horses or men, this gladiator trailer would have been used hundreds of years ago. So why is it in immaculate condition? And why has it got blue lights and siren fitted? It is used for charity events by Northumberland firefighters.

P246 DNL is Vauxhall Astra Van multi-purpose fire car.

Three identical Vauxhall Corsa diesel fire cars, including R548 AWP

This is a special operational support unit (OSU) Mercedes-Benz 310D.

A Long-wheel-base Ford Transit recovery fire vehicle. It was used by Cleveland Fire Brigad.

A Vauxhall pick-up (as above) getting hooked up to a support trailer.

The checker markings on the trailer above indicate that it is an accident command control unit.

The following is a vehicle that falls into the ‘ambulance’ and ‘fire’ categories: a fire victim support unit. Victims of house fires can use this converted camper van for shelter, to make a cup of tea and even to sleep in, if their house is badly damaged by fire. The British Red Cross can also council victims.

Now we have a Northumberland Community Fire Safety vehicle. Registration L566 KKS, it is an Iveco Daily 49.12, used for fire education.

LRG 556X is parked next to an old Ford appliance. Both vehicles date from the early 1980’s.

A Dennis appliance owned privately. Everything is still in full working order, including the extendable ladders, shown here at about 1/3rd height.

T196 ASE is a Scania P94D-220 tender from Aberdeen, call sign 781. The unit was based in Dyce on the outskirts of Aberdeen when the photograph was taken.

N389 RCN is November-zero-four, a Tyne and Wear emergency tender. Notice the radio control at the rear of the vehicle.



The rear of the tender.

A Bronto Skylift. You’ll notice the red and white patterning on the wheels and county badge on the door. The hand to the right is picking up the fire engine to show you the cab horizontal. You can see the dry patch where it was sitting. If you look closely you can also see one of the supporting feet which can level the vehicle on any slope!

A Mercedes van used by Tyne and Wear fire brigade for general transportation. It is not used for fire fighting. Vehicles of this type have a call sign starting ‘X’.

This is an old Carmichael engine, registered in 1984. It was a training vehicle, but had a new lease of life as a front line appliance. The reason for this is that the manufacturer of the modern appliance was being sued, and while this was happening they cannot use their vehicles.

N873 XPY is a fire car from North Yorkshire; a Peugeot 306 XLD. Note that it has no markings, but a magnetic blue flashing light has been attached, giving it the same rights as any other blue-light vehicle. This may well be used by a commanding officer on route to oversee a major incident.

This is a fire demonstration trailer. Used at community events, it is the pro-active role of educating people about fire prevention.

A line-up of York’s appliances in the late 1990’s.

This is a (model) Volvo fire appliance.

An old Dennis MPT 740P and an ERF engine. Both have seen active service, but have now been sold to enthusiasts who restore them and enter them for shows.

Another older turntable ladder, which was replaced by the Bronto Skylift.

This is the rear of Victor Zero Five P183 CNL, Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade’s Operational Support Unit. It is actually a detachable fork lift truck, which can be used for moving heavy objects and dangerous containers.

Below is every firefighter’s idea of heaven, the mobile refreshments trailer. It can be towed to any major incident where firefighters will be working long hours.

A309 FRA is a Freight Rover Fire Engine used privately by Rolls Royce. The Freight Rover was a demonstrator offered to Rolls-Royce by its manufacturers to fill a stop-gap requirement to replace a Carmichael Land Rover FT5 which had been seriously damaged in an RTA. It was not a satisfactory purchase, and was not up to the job required of it. Within weeks of use, the exhaust pipe from the pump set fire to the rear of the appliance!

A regular Scania turntable ladder.

Tyne and Wear’s Victor Zero Five, with it’s tarpaulin sides and fork lift truck on the back.

This is a detailed view of the inside of Tango Zero Six, Tyne and Wear’s Salvage Tender. Basically these vehicles carry a whole manner of equipment for almost every possible scenario. Included are such items as a chainsaw and inflatable cushions to lift heavy objects.

P276 CPY is a Toyota fire car, used for restricted access areas on the North York Moors. It was photogrpahed at Ripon Fire Station.

Here we have a Bronto Skylift. The engine can level itself on the steepest of slopes, and the cradle can carry firefighters around corners and up many stories. This vehicle has a life expectancy of 15 years, then it can be recycled to make new fire engines.

E475 KVN is a regular Volvo engine which is used solely for training drivers

M654 ECU is a Volvo flatbed truck used Northumberland Fire and Rescue. It can be used for transporting debris from fires or crashes.

D830 EVN A Bedford flat bed truck which is used for driver training.

This is Victor Zero Three, a Dennis Turntable Ladder from Gateshead.