Fire Engines Photos

I think these machines were built at S.M.T. coachworks in Roseburn, Edinburgh.We done the acceptance tests on pumps etc from Lauriston HQ in Edinburgh. Ugly looking machines.

Added by Archie Hill on 23 August 2016.

I would imagine buying German equipment with taxpayers money was very controversial at the time.
Hard to believe now but until the 80's virtually every vehicle bought by government organisations was British made.

Added by Craigw on 25 August 2016.

GLasgow bought 4 of theses pumps. 2 WrE, 2 WrL at Central, Springburn, Maryhill and Govan stations.

Added by Grant Melville on 03 September 2016.

One of these was at the 1967 Earls Court commercial motor show. At this time, Magirus already had a wonderful reputation for quality fire engine manufacturing in Germany, and were being exported to many countries. In addition, when many British fire brigades were converting to diesel power, their light air-cooled 150 BHP V6 engines were more powerful than most comparable British diesels.

This changed when Perkins introduced the 170 BHP V8 510 at the very same motor show - on the very first Newcastle ERF PE. This engine found its way into many different UK manufacturers' chassis which were used for fire appliances - including Dennis, Ford, S and D as well as ERF, of course.

Added by Rob Johnson on 08 September 2016.

Deutz fire appliances are rare in the UK but there was the normal control water tanker that West Glamorgan had in the 1980s with a demountable tank probably Powell Duffryn equipment - registration Q455GVC. I suspect the county bought it as a gritter/snowplough originally and converted it. Does anybody have a photo? I have one but not my copyright sadly.

Added by Peter Williams on 12 September 2016.

The springburn motor could not cope with the hills in that area and was moved to maryhill a more flatter area the other machine was at the old south station.

Added by Colin on 16 December 2016.

Avon fire service run a maguris tl as did Leicester in the 1980s

Added by Colin on 16 December 2016.

This machine was fitted German type siren and it's stable mate a Dennis had rolling type both machines were often in the springburn area

Added by Colin on 16 December 2016.

All 4 entered service as wre and got converted to wrl when the wheeled escape were taken out of service they had a very distinctive engine due to the air cooling and huge white steering wheels not ugly just typical German style.

Added by Colin on 17 December 2016.

Sorry grant, you're wrong mate. all four were wre and converted to wrl when wheeled escapes were binned, maryhill motor was ex springburn, the other station was south springburn did get one back as a spare motor when in wrl form.

Added by Colin on 18 December 2016.

If you enlarge the picture the station plate says b1 that was the old south also the vrn is nge46f Ingram st motor was nge47f both out of service 1981.

Added by Colin on 22 December 2016.

I drove NGE46F a few times. A smashing big machine. The gears selection was a bit strange. All back to front.

Added by Jim O'Hara on 29 April 2017.

We're you based in the old central station, I remember when it had German style siren and that engine roar was unique.

Added by on 02 May 2017.

Sorry my mistake nge46f was south's machine not central s

Added by on 25 May 2017.

ugly machines ??? He obviously never crewed one of these fantastic appliances. There was enough room in back for a dance band as well. He wants to try getting dressed on some of the shit machines I've been on !! Not brilliantly fast, but with the right driver, they were really good. Not as modern as the Scania fleet, but back in the day, what an improvement on AEC mercury, major etc.

Added by Iain Simpson (ex South) on 15 March 2018.

Were you at the kilbirnie st fire 1972.

Added by Colin on 20 March 2018.

No! Thank Christ. Kilbirnie St. was in Sept. 72, I joined in Nov. of that year.

Iain Simpson

Added by Iain Simpson on 29 March 2018.

Was a bad year I think the maryhill fire happened not long after.

Added by [email protected] on 30 March 2018.

The Deutz at Glamorgan is in Paul Measday's book on West Glamorgan. And you can see my model of the rare appliance here

www.flickr.com/photos/96977464@N02/53908537841/in/photolist-2mjiLXX-2owG9xU-2r4xgR5-2q8Hm9Z-2qRZJDH-2g9HmNc

Added by Petros on 29 October 2025.

Is it me or does the front cab door look as though it was fitted back to front?

Added by Mike Smith on 29 October 2025.

Mike Not quite! Instead of using the factory front cab doors, which fire appliance body builders usually do nowadays, the body builders here fabricated a new set of front doors. They profiled these to match the front cowl and windscreen frame, so the top part was inclined inwards. This explains why it is recessed where it meets the B pillar on the crew cab. It does look odd, because the bodybuilder decided to build a full custom cab, rather than the brigade buying a four door crew cab from Magirus, which was of course an available option.

The other choice would have been to buy a two door truck cab, and have a B pillar designed to transform the design to match up with the rest of the bodywork. This is what several British firms did with Bedford, Commer, Dodge and Ford D series chassis, and it would probably have been easier and cheaper than fabricating new front doors.

Added by Rob Johnson on 30 October 2025.

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