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Fire Engine Photos
Leyland Fire Master Metz TL - 1960
This is the only surviving Leyland Fire Master Tl (of which only two were built). It was based on a under floor mid mounted engined Leyland coach chassis. The cab is very spacious, as there is no intrusion by the engine into the cab area. It is two pedal operation with the a pneumatic gearchange using the Leyland pneumo-cyclic 4 speed gearbox. It was based at Darlington in County Durham throughout its whole service life.
This is the only surviving Leyland Fire Master Tl (of which only two were built). It was based on a under floor mid mounted engined Leyland coach chassis. The cab is very spacious, as there is no intrusion by the engine into the cab area. It is two pedal operation with the a pneumatic gearchange using the Leyland pneumo-cyclic 4 speed gearbox. It was based at Darlington in County Durham throughout its whole service life.
Correct - it is indeed a Magirus. In case anyone is wondering, the other Firemaster TL (which also had a Magirus ladder) was 9990 DA which was with Wolverhampton.
Added by Ian Moore on 09 March 2008.
Added by Ian Moore on 09 March 2008.
I must have been napping when this one was posted, I like it, , Okay, where do I have to go to view this magnificent TTL (nz) now??
Added by Pavel- Western Australia on 10 March 2008.
Added by Pavel- Western Australia on 10 March 2008.
Yes a slip! Why do all Tl makers have a name beginning with 'M'! I must have been thinking of my true love 0Z9607 (really a Dennis Metz) when I posted this. Anyway this is what my website says about the Fire Master.
999MHN is a Leyland Firemaster Magirus 100' Turntable ladder. The Firemaster marked the return of Leyland Motors to fire engine production at the end of the 1950's. It was based upon the Leyland 'Worldmaster' coach chassis with an underfloor mid-mounted 0.600 Leyland 6 cylinder diesel engine. Only ten were ever built, 7 being pump escapes, 1 emergency tender, and 2 turntable ladders. This Firemaster is the only surviving Firemaster TL and was delivered to Darlington Fire Brigade in July 1960. It was withdrawn from service with Durham County Fire Brigade in September 1983.
The Magirus ladder is all hydraulically operated and was fitted to the Leyland chassis by David Haydon Ltd. who were the U.K. Magirus Concessionaires. The gearbox is a four speed semi-automatic without a clutch pedal which was very advanced for a fire appliance in 1960. A two speed axle is fitted, which is electrically controlled by a small switch on the lighting panel (So when you put the beacons on you have to be careful that you don't change gear....). The picture shows the Firemaster after it has come back from a day acting as a water tower, which explains the suction hose on the rear decking. The Firemaster TL's did not feature a PTO driven pump unlike the 7 pump escapes. These appliances carried a front mounted pump behind hinged doors where you would normally expect to find the radiator.
The local newspaper the 'NORTHERN ECHO' reported on November 2nd. 1983
Runging out the old
The Hero of some of the biggest blazes to hit a County Durham town is being retired with full honours. The 100-foot turntable ladder once saved a whole row of shops from a fiery end and plucked a teenager from the top of a town centre store. Now it's to take pride of place in the new National Fire Services Museum at Moreton in the Marsh Gloucestershire. For the engine, with the appropriate registration plate 999MHN, is the only one of its kind left. "Only two were made, and the other was scrapped some time ago" said Darlington fireman Chris Binney. "It is a beautiful machine and has been thoroughly reliable. I will be very sad to see her go". The turntable is being replaced by a new £150, 000 one featuring many electronic extras and capable of covering a much wider range of angles.
It now safely lives with many of its old compatriots from Darlington only a 'Beacons Flash' from the roads it knows so well.
Added by Barry on 11 March 2008.
999MHN is a Leyland Firemaster Magirus 100' Turntable ladder. The Firemaster marked the return of Leyland Motors to fire engine production at the end of the 1950's. It was based upon the Leyland 'Worldmaster' coach chassis with an underfloor mid-mounted 0.600 Leyland 6 cylinder diesel engine. Only ten were ever built, 7 being pump escapes, 1 emergency tender, and 2 turntable ladders. This Firemaster is the only surviving Firemaster TL and was delivered to Darlington Fire Brigade in July 1960. It was withdrawn from service with Durham County Fire Brigade in September 1983.
The Magirus ladder is all hydraulically operated and was fitted to the Leyland chassis by David Haydon Ltd. who were the U.K. Magirus Concessionaires. The gearbox is a four speed semi-automatic without a clutch pedal which was very advanced for a fire appliance in 1960. A two speed axle is fitted, which is electrically controlled by a small switch on the lighting panel (So when you put the beacons on you have to be careful that you don't change gear....). The picture shows the Firemaster after it has come back from a day acting as a water tower, which explains the suction hose on the rear decking. The Firemaster TL's did not feature a PTO driven pump unlike the 7 pump escapes. These appliances carried a front mounted pump behind hinged doors where you would normally expect to find the radiator.
The local newspaper the 'NORTHERN ECHO' reported on November 2nd. 1983
Runging out the old
The Hero of some of the biggest blazes to hit a County Durham town is being retired with full honours. The 100-foot turntable ladder once saved a whole row of shops from a fiery end and plucked a teenager from the top of a town centre store. Now it's to take pride of place in the new National Fire Services Museum at Moreton in the Marsh Gloucestershire. For the engine, with the appropriate registration plate 999MHN, is the only one of its kind left. "Only two were made, and the other was scrapped some time ago" said Darlington fireman Chris Binney. "It is a beautiful machine and has been thoroughly reliable. I will be very sad to see her go". The turntable is being replaced by a new £150, 000 one featuring many electronic extras and capable of covering a much wider range of angles.
It now safely lives with many of its old compatriots from Darlington only a 'Beacons Flash' from the roads it knows so well.
Added by Barry on 11 March 2008.
Barry,
Yes, for years we'd all gone along with this "ten Firemasters built" quote, until a shot came to light of the eleventh one - a left-hand-drive version - that went to Kuwait.
Added by Ian Moore on 11 March 2008.
Yes, for years we'd all gone along with this "ten Firemasters built" quote, until a shot came to light of the eleventh one - a left-hand-drive version - that went to Kuwait.
Added by Ian Moore on 11 March 2008.
I grew up in Darlington and saw this unique TL many times, although never in action. It was the only Firemaster built without a pump. The Wolverhampton TL had a front-mounted 500GPM pump to faciltate use as a water tower. All of the pump escapes (Birmingham and Glasgow) and the two ET/P combinations sold to Essex County had front mounted 1000 GPM pumps, the same model as fitted to the AFS Bedford PWTs (Green Godesses). The underfloor engined layout made an excellent ET/P design and I wonder if any photos exist of either of these very unusual combination trucks?
Added by Rob Johnson on 10 April 2009.
Added by Rob Johnson on 10 April 2009.
My grandfather S/O Eric Roberts was the first instructor to teach other instructors on this and many other appliances.
Added by Dave Roberts on 15 July 2017.
Added by Dave Roberts on 15 July 2017.
If anyone has any memories of him, I would really love to hear them. I have loads of stories from his younger days.
Added by Dave Roberts on 18 July 2017.
Added by Dave Roberts on 18 July 2017.
I recently found a photo of one of the Essex PEST Firemasters on this site. The design made for a very well thought-out multi-purpose appliance in 1961.
Added by Rob Johnson on 19 July 2017.
Added by Rob Johnson on 19 July 2017.
Leyland
Added by Jason on 09 March 2008.