Fire Engines Photos

Hi there.
Can anyone provide any furher information on this appliance please?.
Any information would greatly apprecated.
Thanks in advance....JCT

Added by John C.Thompson on 03 October 2011.

The chassis looks like a F2 but the body might be a locally built one.

Added by Neal Glover on 03 October 2011.

Hi Neal
Thanks for your input, for sure its an Dennis F2, I wonder if it was a local rebuild from a normal Dennis bodied F2 Pump Escape?
Further comment welcome. JCT

Added by John C.Thompson Doncaster UK on 04 October 2011.

According to the Dennis database this was delivered as a chassis/scuttle job, so it would seem that the bodywork was built in Australia.

Added by Ian Moore on 04 October 2011.

Many thanks Ian.

Added by John C.Thompson Doncaster UK on 04 October 2011.

UKAEA had an F2 with Braidwood style body.

Added by Peter McCombie on 06 October 2011.

John,
Could the one mentioned by Peter have been at A.W.E.Aldermaston in the early years, there are not many people of that era left to ask!
Maybe someone can enlighten us?
Does Newbury and Caversham Rd ring a bell.

Added by Alan Jones on 07 October 2011.

During the time I served at Newbury I together with Newbury's duty Crews visited AWRE Aldermaston and apart from being conducted around the site and shown the various risks and the means of dealing with fires we did visit the Fire Station on site and I vaguely remember seing a Dennis F2 PE Braidwood type Machine, however, following the stand down of the AFS in 1968 I never had the opportunity to visit the site again so I have no idea of its fate.

Added by John C.Thompson Doncaster UK on 09 October 2011.

John,
You are one and the same, Birmingham Fire & Ambulance is in your history! I served in the AFS at Caversham Rd 1960-62 then went wholetime, marrying Jane in 1968.
Les Evans, Jock McKew & George Lowe being officers you would remember!
I am in touch with retireed members who served at Aldermaston and will make enquiries,
Regards Alan Jones

Added by Alan Jones on 10 October 2011.

The Aldermaston appliance was a totally different vehicle, and the one subject of the above photo was supplied new to Australia.

Added by Ian Moore on 10 October 2011.

I think Pilkington Glass works in St.Helens had a couple of F2 appliances and carried the large 45' ladder.

Added by Dave Price on 10 October 2011.

Perfectly correct, Dave. The most recent Pilkington F2 jobs were FDJ 451 (1956) and NDJ 869 (1961). They also had a 1950 F2 which was apparently ADJ 998.

Added by Ian Moore on 10 October 2011.

Your right Dave. You can see one of them on the DvD Classic Fire Engines on Show.

Added by Grant Melville on 10 October 2011.

Dave, your right about one F2. ADJ 998 ran alongside another machine and two ambulances. There's a photo on the wall of the transport museum in Hall Street.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 10 October 2011.

There seem to have been a few F2s built, most with open bodies of one sort or another. The only limosine body I know of was Birkenheads pump or that is what it ran as at the end.

Added by Neal Glover on 10 October 2011.

A 1957 Dennis F2 Pump, Reg. No. GSR.540 (car No.8), cost A$18, 885.00, engine no 336W2, powered by a 8 cylinder Rolls Royce straight 8 petrol engine. Water capacity NIL, Foam tank 200 galls (900 litres), Dennis Pump No.3 1, 000 gpm (4, 500 lpm) "centrifugal turbine pump".

The body was probably built by the brigade workshops but Grummet Co. of Thomastown, Melbourne, had just started building bodies for the M.F.B. Allocated to H.Q. fire station, Eastern Hill, Melbourne. Now at Fire Service Museum, Newport, Melbourne. It is still maintained by the M.F.B. and used as the funeral carriage when a full brigade honours is required. Surely this must have been one of the last F2's built.

Added by Graham Dickens, Australia on 11 October 2011.

Yes I have seen the picture in the transport museum.Pilkington glass fire brigade was a combined Fire/Ambulance service as you say having to appliances and two ambulances at the HQ in canal street.They did write on off one the F2s in canal street on a shout taking a medical team on it to a factory accident. they turned the appliance over.They also would respond into the town as first turn if we were all out.

Added by Dave Price on 11 October 2011.

Very many thanks Graham for your full explanation of this Machine, it must be an outstanding "Classic" in the World of Fire Engines.
Best regards....JCT

Added by John C.Thompson Doncaster UK on 11 October 2011.

Dave and Andrew...I have sent you a copy of the said Pilkingtons pic

Added by Barrie Green on 11 October 2011.

Hi John, are you the JC Thompson who wrote the Green Machine book? If so, I am the person you requested to research Green Goddesses in Tasmania for you. Hope you are well.

Added by Graham Dickens, Australia on 12 October 2011.

Hello Graham. Yes, I am that same John Thompson, very pleased to hear from you.
I have now issued an up dated CD of "The Green Machine" bringing the story up todate.
Grateful for your help in the past.
Best regards....John.

Added by John C.Thompson Doncaster UK on 12 October 2011.

I believe two of the Pilkington F2 appliances were preserved one was owned by a person in Winsford Cheshire but not sure about the other.Sure Barrie Green will have the answer.

Added by Dave Price on 12 October 2011.

There's one of these for sale on ebay at the moment. How rare are they?

Added by Matt Ireland on 12 October 2011.

Yes Dave.....it was owned by Bob Millington who was a member of Cheshire FB He doesn't have it now though.

Added by Barrie Green on 12 October 2011.

The F2 on EBay shows the Log Book as being ex Winfrith, unfortunately it has been tarted up with modern "posh" seats. It states fully operational but the pump gauges are not there!

Added by Neal Glover on 12 October 2011.

One of the ex Pilkington machines is owned by a Cheshire guy who is the director of a car recycling company.......I am trying to find out where it is and which one

Added by Barrie Green on 19 June 2012.

The Melbourne F2 seems to be chassis no 4243 Works Production Order 41021 completed Dec 1955 and delivered 13 06 1956

Re the ex Pilkingtons NDJ 869 is still owned by the guy from Cheshire

Added by Barrie Greeon on 06 August 2012.

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