Fire Engines Photos

Thanks for another classic picture Bob,this time like your pictures from Weston-Super-Mare,the picture actually shows an AEC Regal/Merryweather 100ft Turntable Ladder-not a Leyland.Sorry to be critical,but its better to get the facts straight.
In 1947,Merryweather & Sons needed to find a suitable chassis for their 100ft 4-section TL and decided on the AEC'Regal'coach chassis.An order for 10 appliances had been placed by the Home Office and following this the first one of these appeared in 1949 and went to the Surrey Fire Brigade,eight of the appliances actually also had pumps fitted.
Bob,your other pictures which showed Weston's TL,reg-LYB 388 was delivered to Somerset Fire Brigade in 1950 and as you said went on to serve that station until 1974 before being disposed of.It was sold to a window cleaning company and repainted yellow,but then repainted red and went finally into preservation.

Added by Pete Matten on 23 July 2009.

This is a Ex Denbighshire Fire Brigade (North Wales) machine serving at Colwyn Bay and Wrexham. It went out of service in 1976

Added by Wayne Davies on 23 July 2009.

Pete,thanks for the correction,just shows,you are never too old to learn!

Added by Bob on 23 July 2009.

Pete,on further checking,this TL is actually an
AEC REGENT not Regal,it was new to Denbigh and
Montgomery fire brigade in 1953.
The Weston TL is a Regal as you stated.
Information taken from the fire brigade handbook,vol 1,special appliances.

Added by Bob on 23 July 2009.

I often wondered what happened to this AEC Regent which I photographed at the Wrexham station in the 1960s. It's interesting that this latest shot shows it at Weston Super Mare, because that station did indeed have an AEC Meryweather 100ftTL, but not this model, the grille was more rounded than this classic. I'm glad to finally hear that it is in preservation.

Added by Bob Graham on 24 July 2009.

Thanks Bristol Bob/Bob Graham for identifying this exact model AEC.They certainly looked very simular in design which made me think it was a Regal.I was right on the AEC/Merryweather bit though,so thats not bad.

Added by Pete Matten on 24 July 2009.

And, Pete; don't forget that you are a dab hand on the USA Fire Engines as well.....so, pretty darn good.

Folks - have a look at the Sutphen TTL in picture 18423, that he "nailed". Binghampton Tower Ladder.

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B



Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 24 July 2009.

Nice appliance indeed. She was housed at Denbigh fire station for a few years during the 1980's and after the terrible incident in Cornwall where the ex FSC AEC Mercury TL's ladders suffered a complete collaspe she was removed after inspection of the ladders and falcrum frame.

Added by Andy Middleton on 02 November 2009.

This appiance was at colwyn bay station until mid seventy's and then was at denbigh fire station where it was worked on by fireman from denbigh partime station until it had to be removed

Added by Ken Jones on 23 September 2011.

Its not a REGAL, its a REGENT MkIII, with 6PC Meadows petrol engine and not one of the ten Home Office machines. One of eleven in the batch this was the only UK one. Chassis No P61009R. Ron

Added by Ron Henderson on 24 September 2011.

Was this also the TL stationed at Wrexham when they were first allocated an Aerial appliance?


Added by Gary Simpson on 24 September 2011.

She was indeed Gary. Transferred from Colwyn Bay in the embrionic day's of Clwyd when OUN543M arrived at W2 in April '74, albeit the latter was registered on 18th March 1974.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 24 September 2011.

Quite right Ron - and as you say this was the only one in the UK, and was not one of the ten HO machines.

Added by Ian Moore on 25 September 2011.

Lancashire County had one of the REGENT TTLs it was based at Accrington fire station.

Added by Dave Price on 26 September 2011.

The Lancs one, now that was a REGAL. Lancs had two of them. Photo coming soon

Ron

Added by Ron Henderson on 26 September 2011.

This appliance is live and well, residing in Clevedon as part of the Shopland Collection.

Added by Avonmouth on 25 January 2017.

I was one of the personnel who renovated the TL at Denbigh. The last time I saw it was around 2005 at an industrial park in Atherstone, Warwickshire, sadly at the time the woodwork was beginning to rot away.

Added by John Stephenson on 03 June 2017.

Still with us and was at a local event this weekend. Does not seem to have changed since my original picture.

Added by Bristol Bob on 11 June 2023.

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