Fire Engines Photos

They should preserve this appliance.RAF fire service also owns this appliance as their main crash tender.Royal Army also owns Thornycroft trench digger.

Added by Bomba Boy on 14 December 2006.

Do you know if this is the Mark 5A model and is it still in Blackpool. Can I get to view it
Thanks

Added by Brian on 24 December 2006.

Believe it or not.The Somalia airport fire services still use this Thornycroft crash tender.It is still operational until today.

Added by AFPO on 28 December 2006.

i beleive this is a mk7 due to the fact it carries bcf on the rear

Added by Steve Wright on 25 April 2007.

This is a Thornycroft Nubian MK9 some were built "civi" versions (for use on airports) and some military they changed in shape a little from one version to the other all had cummins v8's and all were some would say the best crash truck around

Added by Jason Lester on 02 May 2007.

Hi,
My brother bought a Thornycroft Nubian yesterday with twin headlights, on a P reg declared manufactured 1976, first registered 2002 presumably when it came out of service from military airbase.

Added by Paul Jackson. on 02 May 2007.

i have a thornycroft crash tender 1969 ALP155H that I wish to sell runs and drives needs a little work but what a truck!not for the faint hearted

Added by Tatty on 03 May 2007.

I used to drive a Mk 5A in 1957 at Colerne Airfield and I am trying to find photos of this particular model .Can anyone Help Please.

Added by Brian on 03 May 2007.

This is actually a thorney croft nubian Major 1500/ 1400 (water capacity) Civil version prior to the Mk9 RAF crash tender entering service in 1977

Added by Bobe on 03 May 2007.

hi i have a nubian major mk9 in perfect condition i got it from the raf base in cyprus thats were i live its got a 15ltr engine and it roars and run beautifully my aim is to transform it into a funbus type thing ive stripped all the tank and pump out whitch i have kept and resprayed it to its origonal colour it looks fantastic. i am after electrical drawing for this beast can anyone help??

Added by Terry on 28 May 2007.

if there is a fire truck that lived its name the nubian major (Simon Glostersaro) had it all. its a perfect machine and stable . i think its best to restore andpreserve such a truck. well i miss this machine. the last time we used this type of a truck was in 1991.Kenya

Added by Mark Mwakio on 15 November 2007.

This is not an ex RAF crash truck it is not a mk5a mk7 or mk9 it may be a civilian version of the mk9

Added by David Wickwar on 22 November 2007.

I have a Nubian 6 x 6, that used to be in service in Pretoria, South Africa.
A local security company scrapped the body and built an armoured structure on the rolling chassis.
Does anyone want spare parts?

Added by Stuart Plunkett on 31 March 2008.

Check out the DP3 in Malta, appareantly its the last one left in the world, visit maltahistoricvehicles.com

Added by Malcolm Mifsud on 18 April 2008.

I think this is a pre "Nubian Major", similar to the RAF Mk 9 and very common on UK airports in the seventies. The RAF Mk 7 used the Rolls B81 petrol engine and was squashed so it could be air transported. Was the Blackpool machine a protoype? We had one at the fire school at Stansted in 1979.

Added by John Stott on 23 September 2008.

Definitely a civilian version of the RAF's MK9 Nubian Major. Best Crash Tender since the Alvis Mk 6 which we have at the RAF Fire Service vehicle collection currently housed at Barkston Heath near Grantham Lincs. It's Nothing like a MK5 (it was a four wheel Thorneycroft Nubian) (anyone know where we can get one) or a Mk7

Added by David Hughes on 10 November 2008.

Don't know if there are any 5s left David, the last I saw was at the school in 1973, we used it on the Tac course and I haven't seen or heard of any being preserved. Its a pity as I liked it for its roomy cab, now the 7! Yuk!

Added by John Stott on 11 November 2008.

ahhh but the only problem with the Mk 5 was that it tipped over at the drop of a hat. There are two in a storage hanger at RAF Cosford that we hope to get out in the future. one is waxoyled and would only take a couple of decent ex RAF firemen a weekend to put in mint condition again. It even has the original copper branchpipe with hermaphrodite couplings. I think it is the actual one from the school. I was there in 1970 with Sgt Sellars

Added by David Hughes on 17 November 2008.

Thats nice to know David, its amazing what is hiding and where! I might be able to help with a cleanup, e mail me if and when. I did basic in 1971, Sgt Nelson with Mr Shearn as WO ic. Happy days!

Added by John Stott on 20 November 2008.

Anyone wants to see a MK7, MK6, DP11 or Bedford Domestics look on the RAF Fire service museum website. I have Cottesmore's original ACRT half restored, should be at Fairford next July all being well!

Added by David Hughes on 27 November 2008.

This def A thorney croft nubian Major 1500/ 1400 (water capacity) Civil version NOT an RAF Mk9 This a similar appliance we had at The George Best Belfast City Airport. It has a Cummins 903 engine semi Auto select gears same as the Mk9 But gents it is a Nubian, The MkV the Malta historic Vehicle trust has one hoping to restore it.

Added by Robert Ewing on 27 November 2008.

Dont forget that there is an RAF & Defence Fire Service Association if any ex firemen are interested.Good Reunions twice a year with a chance to catch up on old times with ex comrades in foam (or beer)

Added by David Hughes on 28 November 2008.

There is a Thorneycroft Sun fire crash tender wasting away at a landfill site in Lymm Cheshire. This is one of two maintained by Fazakerley Engineering Liverpool for the RAF base at Wick in the 70s. The site owner has not moved it for over ten years. A fine restoration progect.

Added by Colin G on 25 January 2009.

Brian I have photos of a Mk5A if you are interested
Tatty What Thorneycroft are you selling and how much
Terry I may be able to help with Mk9 wiring diagrams

Added by David Hughes on 06 March 2009.

Colin could you advise as to the location of the site at Lymm...its just down the road from me.

Added by Barrie Green on 06 March 2009.

I have one much like this, GPM 506N, served most of it's life at The Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnboro. Hants.
It was Home Office run, not Military, served from 1975 till 2004,and was the last Thornycroft commissioned for the RAE.It is now stabled with another from the same Airfield, KYK 945D, which was the first Thorny commissioned for the site in 1966.These vehicles ran and worked side by side for almost 25 years.(KYK is a pre-production model and is unique.)

Added by Stan Tarrant. on 14 July 2009.

A pic of our KYK 945D has just been posted on this site by Pete Madden. Thanks Pete.

Added by Stan Tarrant on 14 July 2009.

A real classic picture of KYK 945D appears in the 'Fire Engines 2009 Calendar'along with another twelve old classics from days gone by.

Added by Pete Matten on 14 July 2009.

Thanks Pete, the photo was taken at Laverstoke, on the route of the old Test Route used by Thornycroft of Basingstoke.The event is the Hampshire Road Run, organised by the Thornycroft Society , and driven by me.

Added by Stan Tarrant on 15 July 2009.

Please could anyone tell me whats the operating pressure for the monitor on the Mk9?

Added by Paul on 16 April 2010.

Also if the branchman requests 'water on' and doesn't ask for any certain pressure, what pressure do you provide from the pump?


Added by Paul on 16 April 2010.

paul.The monitor pressure is 14 bar sideline 7bar.
If the branchman asks for water on then increase The pressure slowly for safety as some firefighters may struggle to hold branch at pressure,3bar to start with and increase slowly to acheive jet target area.remember fire ground signal each movement of the arm water on signal is 1 bar pressure,hope this helps.

Added by Bob on 16 April 2010.

Wow, thanks Bob thats great. I was asked the question by an ex RAF guy and he tasked me with getting an answer by the end of the week. I think you just won me a pint , cheers.

This is a fantastic site I lost a couple of hours the other day just browsing all the different fire engines. Ha Ha cheers guys.

Added by Paul on 17 April 2010.

hi The mk5 replaced the the 1945 Monitor foam tender as they were so called then I had the pleasure of driving one at RAF Gaydon 1955. And classed as a First Line foam tender. Bye

Added by Alex Mcdowall on 06 November 2011.

I am trying to remember if RNAY Wroughton had one of these and a Mk 7 when they first started

Added by Chris on 07 May 2012.

see also




Added by Petros on 09 September 2021.

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