Fire Engines Photos

One of the classics HP's of all time, a 1968 ERF/Fulton Wylie/Simon
Snorkel 85ft Hydraulic Platform.Nice picture, thanks for sharing it.
Bring back the HP's, thats what I say.

Added by Pete Matten on 25 September 2008.

thanks for sharing a great picture . i remember watching this platform in action at darlington forge fire in the 70s

Added by Mark Everett on 28 January 2009.

Grand picture Phil, the Darlington lads came to demo this to us when I was at Catterick fire school and I remember some green faces from one or two RAF lads after "a go"!

Added by John Stott on 28 January 2009.

See what other Pictures comment, on the ERF Trucks' Driver seats being so high... I am guessing that being a Mid-Engine rig, there were structural members that prevented the front seats from being set lower.

It is a great HP (Snorkel).

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 29 January 2009.

During the "snorkel craze" of the mid sixties, Darlington just had to buy one. Because the Chrysler Cummins diesel engine factory was in Darlington, this one was built with a locally-manufactured Cummins instead of the standard Perkins V8 - another example of "parish pump politics". Its arrival in 1967 meant that it shared first response to high structure calls with the 1960 Firemaster Magirus, and - as such calls came in once or twice a month, both had a very quiet life!

Added by Rob Johnson on 26 April 2009.

Thank you Phil for this great picture. It's the same with the Greek ERF except blue lights.

Added by ILIAS BEBEKIDIS on 03 February 2010.

I read with interest the comments regarding the fitment of the Cummings engine, I would comment this was also the time of Civic pride as Cummings presented the Mayor with a Chrysler Limo as its parent company and it may well have been a local support gesture in having its new appliance fitted with an engine built by a plant in the town, 25 years later a similar support event took part at the factory with the arrival of the new Cummins powered Rapier appliances hence Darlington's carried a Cummins badge. The HP along with the TL fought most of the major blazes in the town for 25 years including alongside the Firemaster's replacement and was often used at chimney fires with it's boom capabilities one could say ahead of it's time now an ALP is standard practise with working at height regulation's ! I was grateful for it when as a young fire-fighter I was stuck at the top of the TL when the pawls would not clear and had to wait for the sections to be tied of by a crew on the platform and then climb down into the cage after nearly an hour on a very cold winters morning !

Added by Brett Clayton on 05 August 2013.

Knowing very little about HP's, can someone explain what the compressed gas cylinder carried horizontally at the back is for? (I assume thats what it is) Is it nitrogen?

Added by Michael G. on 06 August 2013.

It is compressed air.Used to supply firefighters working in the cage with clean air via airline to their facemasks.

Added by Gearóid Blake on 07 August 2013.

Looks like a compressed air cylinder for supplying air lines in cageCheshire had an ERF SS70 based at Ellesmere Port and that originally carried a similar cylinder

Added by Tony Jones on 07 August 2013.

so did the Liverpool one.They were removed by some brigades, (Liverpool)think the reason was no BA control.The same thing happened to Air Lines when I was a BA Instructor back in the 70's.

Added by Dave Price on 08 August 2013.

Thanks gents, now it's explained it makes perfect sense!

Added by Michael G. on 08 August 2013.

SHN999F for searching. I had it as Jennings bodied but might be F&W.

Added by Petros on 17 May 2021.

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