Fire Engines Photos

Hello Shaun, Dennis D Series/Jaguar WPM 557J was in deed based at Burgess Hill as first pump in 1974 alongside a Bedford T.K Water Tender of 1963 vintage 8049 AP. On the 1st April 1974 Burgess Hill became station 25 of the new West Sussex Fire Brigade. WPM 557J was returned to Brigade Workshops at St Pancras Chichester where it had a major overhaul, this included the fitting of fibreglass warning light mountings offside and nearside, and also a new Dennis 464 Ladder Head Gantry being equiped with the new 464 ladder and
remarked offside and nearside cab doors with the West Sussex Fire Brigade it was returned to Burgess Hill as first pump. In the March of 1978 it was withdrawn to the Brigade Training Centre at Tangmere near Chichester as B Division HGV Driver Instruction Vehicle. It was to spend the remaining days of its life in this role.
It became a casualty of the "Moss" back axle.
All later Brigade Dennis "D"s from the suffix N reg were fitted with Moss back axles prior to this it was "Eaton" rear axles as the early models
came up for disposal the axles were removed and fitted to the later models as the "Moss" variant was always failing. WPM 557J was broken up for this reason and the final remains of the appliance were cut-up by a ferrous metal dealer at Tangmere near Chichester. WPM 557J was finished in a colour of Wrexham Red a darker shade of red favoured by East Sussex and the Isle of Wight Brigades of this era. I passed out my HGV Class Three on this appliance in the October of 1980 in this appliance with its five speed constant mesh gearbox! not for the faint hearted.
Hope this is of interest to you.

Added by BOB CARVER on 15 July 2010.

Shaun, I do apologise, I have mis-informed you here the fibreglass warning/flashing light support
mountings were in fact fitted by the East Sussex Fire Brigade Workshops from 1972 they altered the specification of their deliveries to accommodate dual roof front mounted flashing lights I saw "Uckfields" brand new. My records show they were'nt fitted by West Sussex.

Added by BOB CARVER on 16 July 2010.

Bob
Can you enlighten me on the moves surrounding WPM 557J to Driver Training Applaince, i thought the moves where:-
TCR 352T Dennis R133 WRL to Chichester.
LOW 305R Dennis R130 WRL Chichester to Burgess Hill.
JCR 328P Burgess Hill WRL(1) to WRL(2).
TCR 352T was delivered to Brigade 12/78, went OTR in 1979. You are saying 3/78 for WPM 557J to DTV.

Added by Martyn West on 06 February 2011.

Martyn & Bob,
I have never really worked out Burgess Hills allocation 100%, so perhaps you can help!
I have Bedford HAP 292D being at Burgess Hill (from East Grinstead) till 1979, which would have allowed WPM 557J to go to Driver training in 1978, when JCR 328P arrived from Shoreham, and then LOW 305R replaced HAP 292D in 1979. Any idea when Bedford 8049 AP left Burgess Hill as I recall it as a spare at Worthing in about 1976.
Thanks in anticipation! Jon.

Added by Jon Godden on 08 February 2011.

During early 1978, this D Series was replaced at Burgess Hill by a later D Series JCR 328P this was originally a second appliance at Shoreham by Sea being replaced by Dennis R Series OTR 211S which was brand new to the station.
On the 1st April 1974 a look through Burgess Hills Station Doors revealed Dennis D WPM 557J which was operating as a Water Tender (35ft Ajax Ladder) and next to it a Bedford T.K HCB Water Tender 8049 AP (35ft Ajax Ladder). In very early 1975 East Grinstead received a brand new Dennis D Series A4 (D600-Jaguar 4.2) VPO 699N WrL this moved Bedford T.K Pump Escape HAP 292D to second pump at Burgess Hill, but not before it was returned to Brigade Workshops and was converted to take a 464 Ladder making it the Brigades only operating pump ladder mean while some weeks previous Bedford T.K 8049 AP was itself converted to take a 464 Ladder making it a water tender ladder. During this time it was fully stowed with equipment to become the Brigades fully equiped Brigade spare to enable workshops to do appliance change overs (i.e new appliances) and tailor fit equipment to the new pumps placing 8049 AP in the station. My notes show that WPM 557J had revised 464 Ladder Headstock fitted during the August of 1974 as well as additional blue light installations I have a note also to comment new style Brigade badges were fitted in October 1976.Please ignore the comment above about East Sussex fitting them. In 1980 HAP 292D had another tank fitted from a Bedford J/5 Wrt giving it a 400 Gallon Capacity (Previous 250 Gallons) the tank had been removed from 3129 BP which had some time previous gone for disposal giving HAP 292D Water tender ladder status.

Added by BOB CARVER on 09 February 2011.

Dear Jon
Re Burgess Hill from 1/4/1974, at this date:-
WRT(1) WPM 557J Dennis DJ(convert to WRL 1974)
WRT(2) 8049 AP Bedford TK/HCB.
HAP 292D Bedford TK/HCB, ex:PE 23 East Grinstead, converted to PL by West Sussex arrived during 1974 to replace 8049 AP which was converted to WRL for Reserve Fleet.
1976 SNJ 110G Bedford TK1250/HCB WRT Ex:24 Haywards Heath arrives to replace HAP 292D which is converted to WRL(tank from 3129 BP)and allocated to Reserve.
1978 JCR 328P Dennis DJ arrives as WRL(1), Ex;Shoreham, WPM 557J drops down to WRL(2), SNJ 110G Wrt moves to Hurstpierpoint.
1979 LOW 305R Dennis R130 arrives as WRL(1), ex:Chichester, JCR 328P moves to WRL(2), WPM 557J moves to Driver Training, thus I feel the date 3/1978 previously mentioned for WPM 557J to Driver Training is incorrect, do you agree?

Added by Martyn West on 09 February 2011.

Thanks Bob & Martyn, usual font of all knowledge although now complicated by mention of SNJ 110G, but putting the above together HAP 292D returned after conversion to WL with 400 gallons so WPM 557J could have gone in 78 when JCR 328P arrived!!?? - clear as mud - I never visited Burgess Hill till 1982 so no personal memories or notes to go on! Thanks, Jon.

Try another question - can you confirm Turners Hills allocation from 1974-1984? Another station i'm not 100% certain my notes are correct! Thanks, Jon.

Added by Jon Godden on 10 February 2011.

Dear Jon
Clarification:- HAP 292D ran as a PL at Burgess Hill, i.e tank capacity less than 400gallons, on leaving Burgess Hill for reserve duties it was converted to WRL(400 gallon tank).
WPM 557J left Burgess Hill, when LOW 305R arrived.
Re:Turners Hill:-1974 on transfer from East Sussex
YAP 484 Bedford J5/HCB WRT.
1976 UPN 47H Bedford TK1250(Janspeed)/HCB WRT arrives from East Grinstead, YAP 484 to Reserve.
1984 WPO 13K Dennis DJ Ex;Reserve WRL arrives after conversion to WRT, WPO 13K new to Lancing.
Hope this helps.

Added by Martyn West on 16 February 2011.

Can anybody confirm the spec (l b h) for the "D" series?

Added by Steve Toney on 10 November 2012.

Looking at an original Dennis Brochure for the 'D' Series, Width 7', Overall height with ladder 9' 6", Length 21' 2" and Wheelbase 10' 9" with a turning circle of 48'.
Early example had the Jaguar 4.2 litre engine with crash gearbox, I loved driving the 'K' reg Durham version when on reserve duties as a 10%, later Durham 'D' s, had a syncromesh box followed by the Rolls B61 engines and finally the Perkins straight 6.
Launched in 1969 and produced until 1982 were a good accessible appliance.

Added by Brett Clayton on 12 November 2012.

Brett, many thanks. I am hoping to build a structure to house one. Once again, thankyou. Regards Steve

Added by Steve Toney on 12 November 2012.

So Steve, as you are building the structure, what Dennis "D" series do you have to put in it? Is it one already on this site, or one just found, and needing restoration? I'm sure we'd all be interested to know. Thanks.

Added by Michael G on 12 November 2012.

Brett, are you able to email me a copy of the original spec?
Regards Steve

Added by Steve Toney on 12 November 2012.

Micheal, Hopefully in the near future I will have the oppartunity of purchasing MPO 55J.
Regards Steve

Added by Steve Toney on 13 November 2012.

Well good luck Steve. I tried to have a look at MPO 55J when at Amberley earlier in the year, but it was not very accessible. I take it she's not staying at the museum then.

Added by Michael G on 13 November 2012.

She has been moved to secure storage as the museum did not want it there.
Regards Steve

Added by Steve Toney on 13 November 2012.

Does anybody know the correct U.V.W. and the G.V.W of the 1971 Dennis D Series please?

Added by Steve Toney on 09 March 2013.

Mines possibly the first 'Mk2' 1976 with the Rolls Royce petrol engine and the newer cab. The MAM (GVW) is 9652kgs on the plate.

Added by Davey G on 12 March 2013.

MPO 55J now at new home. Awaiting a full service and then out on the roads

Added by Steve Toney on 29 May 2013.

Does any Dennis expert know why Dennis dropped the Rolls six cylinder engine already standard in the F8 and F24 in favor of the 4.2 litre Jaguar for the D series, and then reintroduced it again? Was the Jaguar engine not up to the job, or just too unreliable - the cars certainly were!

I had a British Leyland plant in Belgium building NATO light tracked APVs at the time. They too had Jaguar engines, and the military clientele told me: "this is not an engine you swear by, it is one you swear at"!

Added by Rob Johnson on 24 August 2014.

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