Fire Engines Photos

Nice to see it in the daylight Rick better get a Big tin of polish

Added by Dave Elms on 31 March 2013.

Nice appliance, looks very complete :)

Bolton Fire Brigade use to have one of these.

Added by Danny Jones on 31 March 2013.

Sorry ... having studied the registration document its May 1953 - not 1952 !

Added by Rick Loudon on 31 March 2013.

A slightly early Happy 60th Birthday to her then Rick!

Added by Chris Wood on 31 March 2013.

Yes Dave - I'm looking for lots of 'friends' with polishing rags at the ready ....it is very complete and drove 60 miles or so faultlessly yesterday !

Added by Rick Loudon on 31 March 2013.

Yes Chris - its quite apt that she's re - emerging' just in time to claim her pension !!

Added by Rick Loudon on 01 April 2013.

Rick - the escape looks like a Merryweather steel ladder. Am I right? Would this have been original in 1953?

Good luck with the restoration - from the photo this Merryweather looks to still be in pretty good shape.

Added by Rob Johnson on 01 April 2013.

Yes Rob

It is an early steel Merryweather - I'll post a rear view shortly - you'll notice the levers only have one winding handle (for extending the ladders)the carriage winding handle is on the carriage itself with a chain behind a protective guard like on a bicycle !

Steel Mereryweathers were in use as early as the 1930's - A West Ham Big Six and a Hinkley Leyland Cub two examples to carry them !

HB 7321 is very complete and credit must be given to her former owner (and his friends) for attaining this !

Added by Rick Loudon on 01 April 2013.

You can have a matched pair with Paul. I take it that "it would have been, ahem, inpolite to refuse the offer"?

Added by Neal Glover on 01 April 2013.

I believe there were only around 140 of these built, of which quite a number were the original order for the LCC, starting in 1950, so there cannot be very many surviving.

Using the double-decker bus chassis made for a relatively low center of gravity for its day, but I think the diesel-only power plant mustr have deterred a lot of CFOs, because it was heavily outsold by the Dennis F12 with its Rolls eight-cylinder petrol engine.

Your sixty mile drive was quite a good run for this essentially urban appliance. There were a handful of TLs and ETs built on the same chassis, but I never heard of it being used for a water tender!

Added by Rob Johnson on 02 April 2013.

Rob, I think it's a pump escape not a water tender.

Added by Michael G on 02 April 2013.

Yes. I never heard of this chassis being used by Merryweather to build any water tenders.

Added by Rob Johnson on 02 April 2013.

Lovely to see another classic going to a good home, South Wales had quite a few, Merthyr, Glamorgan and Cardiff. The Chiefs must have gone to the Showroom in Cardiff for inspiration.Arguably more of a classic than the F12 with the deep roar of its diesel engine and its sheer size. Good to see the Merryweather escape, a great piece of kit which could be slipped and pitched by one man when everyone was up to their eyes at a job.
Best wishes with your restoration

Added by Avonmouth on 03 April 2013.

I am told Cardiff hung onto one of theirs for a very long time, because nothing else they could find could move water the way it did!

Added by Rob Johnson on 03 April 2013.

Rick as Merthyr Tydfils PE would this not have been 1st attendance at Aberfan?

Added by Neal Glover on 04 April 2013.

Phew !

Lots of comments for me to answer there - having been away for a couple of days ! but here goes (and in no particular order) yes the 60 mile run was a good first test - both for myself and the AEC - I've driven the later Mercury Turntable ladders operationally though so had a fair bit of practice ! I undersand your comment Rob they only have a 100 gallon water tank so could not be used as water tenders but did run as pumps with a 35' ladder in place of the escape ladder - especially in London and there were a handful of TL's built (of which a couple remain) but only one ET (London)- also preserved !

It would be nice to have a pair (or even three !) at a certain rally in the north east but this year I intend to do a more 'southerly event' and it would have been most impolite to have declined the chance of owning this rare appliance - and I agree I would expect it to have been on the first attendance for the Aberfan disaster in 1966 !

Added by Rick Loudon on 04 April 2013.

Rick, is the escape a pre-war one even a 60footer? Looking at MoF part 2 the chain driven carriage gear would seem to be only pre war. Does this mean we won't see you at Preston Hall the last weekend in June?

Added by Neal Glover on 05 April 2013.

I'll have to check Neal - the escape was certainly with the appliance when in service going by pictures I've seen !
I'll be at Preston Hall this year certainly - but I'm not planning on bringing the Regent this year !

Added by Rick Loudon on 06 April 2013.

Glad to hear it, shame about the Regent but understandable. Pleased to see the downsizing is going well!!

Added by Neal Glover on 07 April 2013.

I leant to drive on her in 1970.she had no power steering and a crash box, but a beautiful fire engine, I and my fellow firemen spent hours polishing here, our brigades pride and joy. She was sold in the early 70s and replaced with a Bedford Angus water tender ladder. Lovely to see her again.

Added by Alan Edwards on 21 July 2013.

I leant to drive on her in 1970.she had no power steering and a crash box, but a beautiful fire engine, I and my fellow firemen spent hours polishing here, our brigades pride and joy. She was sold in the early 70s and replaced with a Bedford Angus water tender ladder. Lovely to see her again.

Added by Alan Edwards on 21 July 2013.

Bought new in 1953, and used as the first attendance for a few years until she was replaced with Aec Marquis water tender HB 9082 in 1957 as fist turnout, , There are photos of her new on Alan George's Old Merthyr Tydfil , web site

Added by Alan Edwards on 21 July 2013.

As I am aware the pe did not attend aberfan, As Merthyr Tydfil had 1 full time and 2 retained stations, all water tenders from these stations, including AFS Green goddesses land rovers attended .the initial call was attended by a Wrt from Merthyr and I wrt from troedyrhiw retained station.until the make up call
Was received, then all appliances were sent, The pump escape was kept on the run as 1st attendance at Merthyr for further incidents,

Added by Alan Edwards on 21 July 2013.

Looking at the photos. She was coach painted by Merthyr Tydfil corporation transport at the bus garage a few times, and was Red all over , she never had black bumpers and mudguards, .

Added by Alan Edwards on 21 July 2013.

Alan,

Thanks for all the comments - they are very helpful indeed ! its understandable the PE was kept as cover for the brigade during Aberfan - rest assured in the fullness of time she will revert to all red coachwork - do you know when the siren and beacons were fitted - they're certainly not on it from new - going by pictures I've seen !

Do you have any photos or literature (log books etc) I could borrow ?

I guess you are still in the Merthyr Area the intention is to show her (in her current state) at the 'Odiham Fireshow' near Basingstoke in Hampshire on the 3rd and 4th August - you are most welcome if you can get there !

Added by Rick Loudon on 22 July 2013.

Hi.Rick, Thanks for replying, I joined Merthyr Tydfil Fire Brigade in 1964, the beacons and siren were fitted before then. I think they were fitted along with TWOtone horns by our brigade mechanic about 1960, or due to Home Office regulations. I remember as a boy it turned out using the Bells and the warning lights were in the small box at the front of the cab, Im sorry I dont have any photos but I shall make some enquiries with fellow members of the brigade, The problem is there are only an handfull of us left, When she left the Brigade we were told she had been bought by a film company in London for a few hundred pounds, Dont know how much truth is in this.Its great to see her again.

Added by Alan Edwards on 23 July 2013.

Rick, there is a black and white picture in the book ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE BRITISH FIRE ENGINE, which shows it had 2 Marchal beacons, 2 bells, a Francis siren and two tones

Added by Bristol Bob on 25 July 2013.

Thanks Bob

I've seen pictures of it with the sirens /beacons - both of which I have managed to aquire since getting the AEC - having emailed Alan (above) he reckons they were fitted 1960 ish


Added by Rick Loudon on 26 July 2013.

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