Fire Engines Photos

Ian, you don't share many pictures with us, but when you do they're surely classics from a great period. This picture is just brilliant. Thank, Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 12 September 2008.

Great picture Ian, appliances from the 50's to the 70 are my favorite period. Thanks Ian.

Added by Paul Warnock on 12 September 2008.

Its many a long year since you took me into Wallsend and Whitley Bay fire stations to look at these machines Ian.....fond memories !

Added by Barrie Green on 12 September 2008.

Thanks for the compliment Pete - I think I took that one back in 1968 or 1969.

Added by Ian Moore on 12 September 2008.

Ian, I see what you mean about those little flashing amber lights, over the wind-screen.

And, it is great photo of a period engine, as it was then - like Pete said; looking forward to your next picture on this 'Site.

Thanx, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 12 September 2008.

Ian Moore, this is a photo we all want of jump inside! I love the reminder of the step-up into the cab area, (hose reel in totally different position, but no problem, I can live with that!)

Added by Pavel on 20 September 2008.

Excellent pic this, you might like to trace one of the vintage commercial magazines from a couple of years ago, which featured an excellent article (over two issues) called 'Riding the Northumberland Commers' by a friend of mine-Ron Henderson.Its definately worth having.

Added by Chris Hall Teesside.(UK) on 02 October 2008.

As a young child in the 1960s I thought, living where I did, all fire engines were Commers that looked like this..Hartlepool Headland..Preston East Riding and here, Newburn, where we had our holidays staying with my grandparents...a nice photo. I am told that in Sunderland, when blue beacons were first introduced (I believe the police first used blue lamps and that they were 'legalised' for emergency vehicles in 1961, or thereabouts) rather than go to the expense of putting blue lamps on their appliances they just painted the orange flashers blue!

Added by Martin A. Routledge on 28 November 2011.

Quite a few brigades changed the lenses from amber to blue Martin but that was in addition to mounting a beacon on the roof of the appliances, I cant remember a Sunderland machine (or any other) just having converted front flashers.....the whole point (and I think covered in the lighting regs) was that the new beacons could been seen from virtually 360 degrees. Many at first were only fitted on the off-side front of the cab roof.
I am sure Ian would be able to tell us more about the early Sunderland situation.

Added by Barrie Green on 29 November 2011.

It was something someone who was around at the time told me. I have a photo that has a date of 1963 that includes BBR 501 (Dennis F12) and MBR 99 (AEC Merryweather) both with a centrally fitted blue beacon above the twin flashing lights, so they clearly fitted them retrospectively fairly early on if not straight away.

Added by Martin A. Routledge on 29 November 2011.

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