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ROA 652G Hydraulic Platform Birmingham
Fleet No57 of Birmingham Fire & Ambulance Service based at my station B11, Ladywood, Birmingham, UK. Registered in 1969, this was taken in 1971.
It's an ERF SS85 Simon Snorkel, 80ft to bottom of cage when elevated to max. Big wide jacks gave excellent stability in all positions. Big petrol engine and manual gearbox. Very noisy in cab so could hardly hear radio. I drove it to jobs all over B'ham, without mishap. It was the city's first aerial platform and i was pleased to be one of the first trained for it. 7-8ft overhang at front made for some close shaves with trees/road furniture when cornering. Thankfully, excellent brakes for an 18ton vehicle.
Fleet No57 of Birmingham Fire & Ambulance Service based at my station B11, Ladywood, Birmingham, UK. Registered in 1969, this was taken in 1971.
It's an ERF SS85 Simon Snorkel, 80ft to bottom of cage when elevated to max. Big wide jacks gave excellent stability in all positions. Big petrol engine and manual gearbox. Very noisy in cab so could hardly hear radio. I drove it to jobs all over B'ham, without mishap. It was the city's first aerial platform and i was pleased to be one of the first trained for it. 7-8ft overhang at front made for some close shaves with trees/road furniture when cornering. Thankfully, excellent brakes for an 18ton vehicle.
I drove this in 1973, it was petrol and had an air assisted clutch and brakes, together with a huge gearstick. We found that if you turned the ignition off on the overrun and then turned it on again you could get the mother of all backfires, we did this outside Ladyhood and the flame from the exhaust went thro the front wheel of a cyclist and he fell off.... did we get a blocking for that one !
Personally I found the brakes tended to fade after a fast run and coming down the hill from the Soho Rd to the island my foot was banging on the stop and the HP wasn't stopping ! - we pulled up by the skin of our teeth.
Added by Phil Webb on 25 January 2016.
Personally I found the brakes tended to fade after a fast run and coming down the hill from the Soho Rd to the island my foot was banging on the stop and the HP wasn't stopping ! - we pulled up by the skin of our teeth.
Added by Phil Webb on 25 January 2016.
ERF
Added by Peter Williams on 18 November 2012.