Fire Engines Photos

my mom was born there A1 in flat 12 my grandad was stationed there Thomas (nobby) Clarke. he became station officer and lived at a few stations round birmingham. Shame to see the old HQ gone it would have made a brill museum

Added by Tom on 21 October 2011.

Does your father live at Brownhills West by any chance ? He and I used to write to each other many (many) years ago.

Added by Ian Moore on 22 October 2011.

Ian,
yes, he's still at Brownhills and it's still his ambition to write a book on BFB. The historical group have a room at Harbourne HQ and collate photos and info on the West Mids and it's former brgades with the blessing of the CFO.

Added by Ian Avery on 23 October 2011.

Hi Ian,

Thanks a lot, perhaps you would say hello to him from me next time you see him please.

Added by Ian Moore on 23 October 2011.

Now that i'd love to see Ian. The history of the second city's fire brigade with those Bedford's and the Dennis'.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 24 October 2011.

Sorry, but the Fire station in the picture is 'Bordesley Green' Station not A1. Pump 38 was stationed at BG for many years and I rode on it many times from 1966 until about 1972. All the best to any old friends. Paul Arnold.

Added by Paul Arnold on 24 March 2012.

The number 2 on the door signifies station number for Bordesley Green fire Station of the then B'ham Fire and Ambulance Service. It carried 400galls water tank to feed one rear mounted 180ft hose reel via a gear pump, the panel of which can be seen on the near side of the machine.
The main centrifugal pump was 500gpm and rear mounted. Both pumps driven by power take-off from road engine. This type of machine was pretty standard in the 1960's in Birmingham but there were a couple of Dennis PE's (1 at Central and 1 at Albion St/Ladywood)and even Leyland Comets of similar rear shape. This pump would carry an aluminium roof ladder, a timber 30ft Ajax trussed ladder and a similar 14ft 'first floor' ladder. No BA was carried on Pumps at this time (early 60's).Noise was by Carter Siren and manual bell. No power steering on this but fast enough and stuck to the road like glue. I drove Pump 21 from Albion St/Ladywood. I did temp LFm at BG in about '69 and probably rode this appliance.

Added by Tony (Taff) Madsen Fm 1565 on 09 November 2012.

Must apologise, when I first posted this picture I thought it was taken at Central. It is in fact Bordesley Green. There is still very little of B'ham FB photos.

Added by Ian Avery on 11 November 2012.

Ian,
Will see if I can add one or two pics I have of Birmingham appliances. I transferred from Brum to Cardiff in 1972. I have a pic or two of their engines too.

Added by Tony (Taff) Madsen Fm 1565 on 12 November 2012.

Cambridge ran an identical unit in the period 1963 to 1966 when I was a student there. They liked its compact dimensions, and sent it out two or three times a day to Addenbrookes Hospital after they installed an automatic alarm system there (which never reported any actual fire!). It also attended fires of course....

It shared the appliance room on Parker's Piece with an F 12 PE, one of the first (or perhaps even the very first) F8s, an F17 - Metz mechanical TLP, the unique Bedford RL 4X4 Papworth ET and another RL 4X4 with a 1, 000 gallon tank and a plumbed-in 350 gpm NFS style portable pump.

Added by Rob Johnson on 01 December 2017.

Please add your comments about this picture using the form below.

Comments

Your Name

Your email address - this will be shown on the page and will allow the system to notify you of further comments added to this picture.