Fire Engines Photos

I don't surpose anyone know's where gxn 210 is these days or what has happened to it.

Added by Ben Wilson on 20 February 2009.

Ben, this Austin K4/Merryweather 60ft TL-ex NFS/WSFB is still around today, and I took this photograph back in 2002 at the Mayfield Fire Brigade Centenary Rally.
Although there was a programme in reference to the Mayfield Fire Brigade, within
it, it did'nt state what appliances would be attending.I don't know were it is,
or who the present owner is, but yes its still about...........Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 20 February 2009.

i remember having many good times as a young child riding in the back of this TL ! Good times back in the day ! When rallies, were proper rallies !

Added by Fiona Bayes on 27 February 2009.

Ben/Pete, this can be found outside a house in Southampton. It now looks in a rather sorry state. I can post a picture if you would like. Stuart

Added by Stuart Purves on 27 February 2010.

Stuart,I would certainly like to see another picture of this ex-West Sussex Austin K4 TL in its present condition.Do we actually know whether its still to be kept in preservation,or being left to rot away.Any information would be much appreciated please.(Pete-ex West Sussex).

Added by Pete Matten on 27 February 2010.

Picture uploaded Pete, brace yourself.

Added by Stuart Purves on 28 February 2010.

Thanks Stuart for sending your up-to-date picture into the site of this appliance (picture 22469).It was a real shame to see it now in such a poor state though.
If the present owner is going to do nothing with it,I'm sure the Amberley Working Museum (West Sussex) would love to have it donated for there proposed war-time fire station. I'm sure a few of us could bring the old gal back to life.Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 04 March 2010.

This appliance is still outside the house shown in photo on this site.Seen on Friday 2nd april 2010. regards Chris Wild

Added by Chris Wild on 05 April 2010.

This appliance is now up for sale on ebay at this same address in Southampton.The asking price is £1,500 but don't expect it to look like this.Look at other picture mensioned above from Stuart Purves,and checkout more pictures on ebay.

Added by Pete Matten on 30 April 2010.

I bought GXN 210 from Mike Stallwood of R&R Services in 1976 and drove it straight down to Cornwall where we had great times. It was renovated by the Firefighters of Crownhill Station. I regret selling it.

Added by Paul Stupple-Harris on 16 May 2010.

I have now bought GXN 210 and she has been turned in to a drop side truck and she is ready to show again. She may be a Netley Marsh show this year.

Added by Mark James on 25 June 2011.

Mark, you've really up-set my weekend in now knowing that this ('One of the few') grand old lady's from a historical period in our firefighting history has been sadly turned into a drop side lorry.
I'm certainly glad I photo'd her before she lost her shine, her pump, the crew shelter, and now sadly finally her ladder.
Nearly 70 years of history - 'Gone for ever'.

Added by Pete Matten on 25 June 2011.

Pete, I knew this fate was going to happen to GXN 215 and I, like you felt that this is a shame as it will never be the same again or impossible to return to original. However "Mark" had other ideas for this project and in his defence one has to ask this appliance was up for grabs and could for the asking price been anyones if we all want to see these engines as they operated then its down to us to purchase them if we can't for whatever reason storage/finances/time then thats the way it will be at least its running as a commercial it could have been scrapped and cut up.
On a positive note GXN 215 lives on in the Nottingham area and looks good dispite being minus the crew-cab and looking as she did in 1971 so all is not lost, also there are several variations of this style of Turntable Ladder on the rally fields so you can't save them all. One of my favourite war time fire engines is the Dodge 82a Dam Lorry/Water Tender seen at Odiham Wow! do I love that engine but also understand it may have been sold with a view to converting it to a commercial haulage lorry. If I were not in the situation I, am in I would have purchased it just to save it from this fate its a lovely lorry.

Added by BOB CARVER on 27 June 2011.

GXN215 is gradually being restored to NFS grey livery. There is a video on youtube of it taking part in a display. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEupoxmgiDg

Added by David Moore on 27 June 2011.

Bob, knowing now what this eventualy went for I'd have bid for it myself and until restored, stored it at Amberley.There are several people in the know who would over a period of time have loved to have got this back to her former glory.
Sadly, its now to late to salvage GXN 210, its nice to know though that GXN 215 is still being looked after.


Added by Pete Matten on 27 June 2011.

There are two GXN210's One is as is illustrated by Pete Matten in 2002 and the one I owned in Cornwall. They are different. Mine had no crew cab and no forward pump. Mine had larger headlights mounted lower down on the wings. Mine was sold at Exeter auctions in about 1978 for £400. I have more photos to prove ownership and differences.

Added by Paul Stupple-Harris on 28 June 2011.

Paul, Please excuse my registration number errors in my original comment. GXN 210 was sold from the West Sussex County Fire Brigade during the June of 1970 along with its sister Turntable GXN 215.
When they were sold they both were basic Turntable Ladder appliances bright red with a single lucas acorn blue light mounted on the centre of the cab and the two-tone horns being placed on the forefront of the cab West Sussex Badges applied to the offside and nearside cab doors they were sold via tender at Brigade HQ.
Some considerable years later 210 appeared at a West Country (Devon) fete still in red livery but with a wooden container placed behind the crew cab it was sign written "Devon Fire Brigade" I have a photo of it with two Plymouth based fireman. Many years later 215 turned up in grey N.F.S livery in a field in Cornwall, it then was purchased by a Derbyshire Fireman (Gent) whom restored it to its original specification. The parts that allowed this conversion to take place were stripped from an identical Austin T.L laying in a state of dis-repair in a scrapyard in either Somerset or Lincolnshire it was then as depicted in Mr Pete Mattens Photo. I do get confused with these two engines as they were, during their early career switched over as one suffered a major ladder collapse and the ladder was so badly damaged it was returned to the Home Office Workshops at Swindon for extensive repairs. also the other T.L during the winter of 1963 suffered further problems when the Barton Front Mounted Pump froze and cracked this resulted in a decision being made to remove the pumps. When this decision was made they also gave both the T.Ls in turn a face lift with the removal of both crew cabs this was so additional funding could be obtained from the Home Office for a further water tender for the brand new Ardsheal Road Worthing fire station, so the Austin became a special appliance. Prior to this it operated and attended fire calls within the Worthing area as a Pump Turntable Ladder and was even used for the attendence of chimney fires! along with a Bedford Crewbus. I do have the dates somewhere for these conversions and repair work which came from workshop records and the public records office.
When the new five bay Worthing station opened the appliances were swopped around on numerous occasions, and to confuse matters even more when in 1964 they wrote the number one appliance off in an R.T.A. These two West Sussex Turntable Ladders were the subject many years ago in a Vintage Commercial Vehicle Magazine which went in to the history of these special Merryweather appliances giving the dates supplied and the registration numbers and allocations. Most members to this forum will be aware replacements to West Sussex for these appliances were three ERF/Jennings/SS85ft Hydraulic Platforms which were placed at the three of the Counties Divisional Headquarters Worthing, Chichester, Horsham, the Fire Rescue Service at West Sussex is into its forth generation of Ariel appliances excluding the current A.L.Ps and sadly this will mean there now is only one survivor from three generations of ariels (excluding those three in Southern Ireland).

Added by BOB CARVER on 28 June 2011.

Bob, As a most recent participant in this particular story and having read your 28th June comment I am still left with the distinct feeling that the GXN210 in the above photo is not the GXN210 that I used to own. I have photos that clearly show distinguishing differences that so far no one has commented on. I posted one photo so far, taken after the renovation by the Crown Hill fire fighters which clearly shows license plate, bell which I fitted and the particular position of the headlamps. There is also no crew box. I believe Mike Stallwood bought the vehicle at Ruddington some time in 1975. I have a few photos of its condition at that time. It was crudely painted red with even cruder 'AFS' on the cab doors. If it helps to resolve this issue (that is if anyone is that interested) I can post more photos.

Added by Paul Stupple-Harris on 01 July 2011.

Paul, I'd certainly be most interested in seeing any picture of GXN210 before and after your conversion please and I'm sure Bob will.
I do have photo's of this from the 1940's/early 50's period and so does Bob, so it will be nice to solve this little story.
Maybe once you've sent in a couple of your pictures we can spot the difference.....should be fun.


Added by Pete Matten on 02 July 2011.

Paul, How very interesting, my friend of old, Mr Martin West who is very sharp on detail explained this was not the correct "Barton" front mounted pump and in fact does differ from the original.
It would not be the case that there are two GXN 210 running on the roads D.V.L.A would have immediately picked this up I, will say the gent in Derbyshire did do extensive work and rebuilding programme on this vehicle which could account for those differences. But there is one other possibility and I, must be very careful here what I suggest but I do know a lot of parts were removed from a donor appliance within a scrap yard crew compartment/pump and numerous other items can you read between the lines?

Added by BOB CARVER on 05 July 2011.

Hi there could someone tell me if the barton pump fitted to gxn 215 was fitted post war or is an original specification of these two TLs


Added by Rick Bailey on 16 December 2015.

Alan House in his excellent book Wheels of Fire states that the Barton pumps were fitted in 1947. At this at least one, 225, was painted red with black wings. This was the NFS standard from late 1945.

Added by Neal Glover on 17 December 2015.

Rick, none of the 50 Austin/Merryweather 60ft TL's (Reg GXN 201-GXN 250) manufactured between 1942/44 were fitted with the front mounted Barton pump.The Barton pumps though were fitted to most at a much later date.

Added by Pete Matten on 18 December 2015.

I have just seen a pic of GXN 210 for sale on ebay as a dropside lorry. It is painted maroon, & I believe it is in the Southampton area. this post timed 03-03 23/12/15

Added by Chris Wild on 23 December 2015.

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