Fire Engines Photos

I think Darlington was the only UK brigade to operate a crane like this, although London and a few others had what were essentially breakdown trucks at one time or another.

Big cranes - 40 or 50 tons, or more - are very common in German fire departments, and are also to found in some stations in Scandinavia, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

But in the rest of the world, it seems fire services do not have any need for them.

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 February 2017.

How about Avon and Gloucestershire (Photos on here somewhere) Both had Rescue Tenders fitted with Holmes 750s.

Added by Avonmouth on 16 February 2017.

But why so few?

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 February 2017.

Gloucestershire's is picture 20819 on a Ford D series chassis; and Avon's is picture 16945 on a Dodge K series. Hertfordshire has an AEC. Glamorgan had a Diamond T wrecker picture 34406 and there were more later like the Essex Scammell bigfoot - picture 22196. Avon had something similar on a Scania picture 33057 - it is a special interest of mine, fire service wreckers.

Added by Peter Williams on 16 February 2017.

So did the then Royal Berkshire Fire Brigade on a Dodge chassis, refered to as a Heavy Rescue/Recovery Vehicle.

Added by alan jones on 19 February 2017.

Hertfordshire was one of the first on a Bedford S type chassis and the trend followed the opening of the various motorways, Herts A1(M), Gloucester M5

Added by Brett Clayton on 21 February 2017.

I think the Darlington acquisition was also motivated by the construction of the A1(M) bypass.

I don't know if it was used very much.

Added by Rob Johnson on 22 February 2017.

The Appliance attended many incidents in its County Borough days as the Brigade was part of the North Riding Accident After Care Scheme forerunner of the (BASICS) & as the Brigade mobilised Ambulances under their control they responded to all RTA calls, after Amalgamation in 1974 the standard County policy of attending only person reported trapped incidents and the fact that county standard was ET's the RaV was designated to BL status and on request only so was semi retired sat in the end bay, after a new DCO was appointed in the mid 1980's, who saw the appliances potential it was re designated RaV and placed back on the initial attendance for RTC's.
It was used at a multi vehicle & multi fatal RTC on the A1(M) in 1991 to separate an entanglement of charred vehicles to reveal 3 various models of Ford Sierra's instead of the 2 thought to be involved !, it transferred to Bishop Auckland following the introduction of Rescue WrL and the removal of ET's in the Brigade until replaced in 1996 by a 6 wheel Volvo Boniface HRV

Added by Brett Clayton on 23 February 2017.

in action



Added by Petros on 02 August 2026.

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