Fire Engines Photos

This appliance served for many years at Sandringham Fire Station. After disposal it was purchased by by British Sugar.

Added by Graham on 17 January 2010.

I was just wondering if any other Brigades than Surrey had Polyma bodied machines, does anyone know anything about this body builder?

Added by John D on 17 January 2010.

Hi Graham. Do you know which Sugar Factory it was based. Paul.

Added by Paul Warnock on 18 January 2010.

Very nice to see this Norfolk machine at the beginning of it's career. With recent disposals in October 2009, this chassis type has almost disappeared from the fleet. However, there is still a Polyma bodied ET on the run at Great Yarmouth (D481 LPW) and a Halton bodied ET at Norwich City (J827 CVF).

Added by Chris Wood on 18 January 2010.

Norfolk used to have 36 Sk type cab appliances,from polyma to halton,but E345FBY was Rosenbauer which had been bought from another brigade.I would list all the reg plates and where stationed in the past,but would take to long to list! Not too sure about SK1625/52 HP mountain range/simon ss263..reg G35KVG. I last saw that around GT Yarmouth about a year ago. Anyone knows, if still in service?... Oh yeah, if anyone needs to know about the Merc appliances during the 80's and 90's, I'm the one to ask.

Added by Andrew Mann on 22 January 2010.

Andrew, Yarmouth's HP is still on the run but is expected to be replaced around mid 2011 by a Scania based ALP.

Added by Chris Wood on 23 January 2010.

Thanks for that Chris, It will be a shame to see it go. You mentioned ET D481 LPW. Was it replated from D532 GVG which had been damaged in an RTA? Not too sure about that. I think Kings Lynn ET J830 CVF was written off in a RTA,to change the subect a bit. So H559 TVG was converted to a ET.

Added by Andrew Mann on 24 January 2010.

Andrew, you are correct about J830 CVF being written off after an RTA when it encountered a very icy A148. H559 TVG was converted to replace it and carried out the role for a number of years.
D532 GVG was not involved in an RTA but the body was re-chassied hence the change in registration. I believe a friend of mine has emailed you and he can supply more details about this.

Added by Chris Wood on 25 January 2010.

Hi Andrew, are you able to tell us more about the body builder Polyma Fire Protection? Fingers crossed.

Added by John D on 18 February 2010.

I have put down a deposit on the ex Norfolk Mercedes 1222F / Polyma RT as I was told that someone wanted to buy it to convert it into a motorhome and I couldn't let that happen! I have just spoken to Chris Wood who has given me some interesting info about the appliance in that it was originally supplied on a smaller chassis (as D532 GVG) but it was unsuitable as a RT and so Polyma rechassied it after a few months on an 1222F chassis (as D481 LPW).

From what I understand, Polyma make mobile floodlights and mobile generators and are based in Kassel in the Hesse State, central Germany. I believe that they came to an arrangement with Mercedes-Benz to build fire appliance bodies. Apart from Norfolk and Surrey, I can't think of any other UK brigade to use Polyma Fire Protection and the company's website has no mention of its exploits into fire appliance body construction.

For Paul Warnock's information, Chris advises that it's British Sugar's Cantley factory that currently operates E992 PEX.

Finally Andrew Mann mentions "Sk type' cab on fire appliances. Can he please confirm that the cab is the 'Schwere Klasse' (heavy series) that followed on in 1988 from the 'NG' (New Generation) cab or were NGs fitted to the earlier Polyma-built Mercedes?

I'll submit a current pix of the Mercedes-Benz 1222F / Polyma RT D481 LPW once I have finally secured it for preservation.



Added by Simon Rowley on 09 February 2013.

Thank you very much for the information Simon, and good to hear you saved another fire engine from conversion.

Added by Paul Warnock on 10 February 2013.

We now own this machine. Still going strong.

Added by on 21 June 2015.

after a fatal (8 died) gas explosion at a block of flats at the top of Putney Hill on 10 Jan 1985 at 07:15. It became apparent that lack of lighting hampered the rescue operations.
A lighting mast system made in Germany was introduced to the fire brigades but none wanted to specify it for future tenders. A prototype tender with the lighting was built in Germany for Polyma (a UK company) and led to several orders for the tender from Surrey Fire Brigade. Production was started under the name of Halton Fire Engineering in Widnes Cheshire and led to sales to Surrey, Norfolk and Wiltshire.
The tender was built on Mercedes Chassis, using a Ziegler pump and constructed a zinc dipped steel frame with outer aluminium panelling fixed on with aero engineering adhesives. Production ceased in 1993 after government imposed changes on the fire brigades purchasing procedures. The biggest manufacturer to fail was Carmichael.

Added by Jack Abrams on 12 April 2016.

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