Fire Engines Photos

Thats a Thornycroft Nubian/Sun Engineering Faom Tender fitted with a Vactrol foam system. Normally supplied to the Ministry Of Transport & Civil Aviation Fire Service....I have never see one on an RAF station. I trained on one of these at the Airport School at Stansted 1967

Added by Barrie Green on 24 March 2009.

Wick was an RAF station during the war but you can see the CAA lettering on the door and civil registration,sad state but at least it still survives.

Added by Bob on 24 March 2009.

agree with barry the sxt registrations were 1957 vintage three being new to gatwick when it opened in 1958 sxt107 foam tender as above and sxt 122 & 126 water tenders .two man cabs larger water tank smaller foam tank same pump etc..we also used sxt111 a foam tender div spare kept at heathrow.sxt107 is in preservation i believe

Added by A.alexander on 24 March 2009.

Whereabouts in Lymme is it Col G contact me offsite if you wish [email protected] I live about 8 miles from there and would love to see it.
A Alexander...no doubt you will remember learning all about Vactrol at Stanstead ? having to draw the components in great detail ?

Added by Barrie Green on 25 March 2009.

Barrie i was a w/shop supervisor at gatwick we used to keep them working properly.Till the early 70s if the memory's right

Added by A.alexander on 25 March 2009.

I am the present owner of sxt 107 and restoration is coming on well!!!I would love to purchase 135.I have many spares.I drove 107 at gatwick in i974 and also did the training at stanstead.transfered to heathrow 1979

Added by H.shrimpton on 27 April 2009.

Hi all.
The contract we had was issued via the MOD but I could not say who the owner was. I believe they had three on site and each year one was released to FEC for overhaul. I recall the state of them when they arrived and the gleaming condition the were delivered back to Wick. The vehicle was owned by Leigh Waste Disposal. Google shows it still outside a large shed at the site. A57 Rixton, Moat Lane, T/L Moss Side Lane, 3rd left go 300 yards.
This vehicle was rolled into a ditch while being delivered back to Wick, within site of the gates and then rebuilt by FEC.

Added by Colin G on 14 July 2009.

Vactrol Foam System - Barrie, do tell us about it - uh, no sketches necessary !

Lemme see - there's the "round the pump" system; direct-proportioning system; portable eductor tank and nozzle; Compressed Air Foam System.....which one was it similar to, do you think ?

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 24 September 2009.

Heck Pat.....I did my Stansted course in 1968....we had to learn all about the Vactrol system but after 'graduating' I never saw one again! It was a foam proportioning system using vacuum.....cant remember the details but I think it must have been from the inlet side of the engine, there was a selector on the right of the drivers seat and you had to select how many branches in use. I wish I still had my notes...yes we did have to draw one in cross section. Sun Engineering had the concession to market the Vactrol. All the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation crash tenders during the 1950s and early 60s were so fitted......the RAF and Manchester Airport Fire Services bucked the trend and used 'blown foam'

Added by Barrie Green on 24 September 2009.

Barrie, I never could get my head around why everybody went for a different system, the air blown was a complicated set up and after the Mk8 (yuk!) was dropped. It involved washing lines out and then blowing out after production, took ages! Vactrol was mentioned on my CAA course in 79, but just out of interest in comparing systems. Happy days of fireschool!

Added by John Stott on 25 September 2009.

John....the whole 'basic course seemed to revolve round 'vactrol.

Added by Barrie Green on 25 September 2009.

Barrie I know the pain too! I send myself off to sleep most nights by remembering 600 cubic feet of air at 8psi in the airblower...zzzzz!

Added by John Stott on 25 September 2009.

I remember SXT 135 from my childhood, my father was chargehand fitter at Wick Airport up to the middle 1970's and was responsible for the maintenance of all airport vehicles. There was a water tender as well, VXN 870 I think. I remember them as big red shining vehicles with Rolls Royce engines. Sad to see SXT in this condition.

Added by John Macleod on 17 October 2009.

According to the DVLA, SXT 135 was first registered in April 1958 and was last on the road in July 1995.

Added by Tom on 10 February 2010.

SXT 116 and SXT 127 were issued to Liverpool Airport and were in service with Merseyside Fire Brigade.

Added by Dave Price on 16 February 2011.

SXT235 Bedford Ambulance VXN870 Thornycroft Water tender as John says 226BLR Bedford rescue tender all based at Wick Airport

Added by Willie Macleod on 28 April 2014.

Hi, There were 3 SXT thornyCroft fire tenders in Orkney. Unfortunatley 2 went to the scrap but one still survives and is in a shed since it came out of service. Sure I have photos of the 2 that got scrapped.

Added by William shearer on 27 February 2016.

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