Fire Engines Photos

A rather well preserved WWII NFS issued Fordson escape in postwar red next to it - there are not very many of these still around!

All of these had a crew compartment without doors - probably to save metal and fabrication costs.

But these units were not very fast and did not have aggressive cornering capabilities, so I imagine not very many crew members ever actually fell out!

Added by Rob Johnson on 11 May 2020.

Hi Rob, if it had the flathead V8 then exciting enough compared to the rod and cable brakes. No hydraulics to seize up though. Even the straight 4 would do 40...

Added by Peter McCombie on 12 May 2020.

Peter :- too true, the V8 was very powerful - and very popular in several countries for fire appliances - but I think most of these escape carriers had the four cylinder engine?

I have seen videos and photos of NFS heavy units driving around with crew members standing in the rear, so even getting to sit down does not seem to have been a priority!

Quite a few Braidwoods were still in service through the 1950s, and limousine appliances without any doors survived well into the 1960s, like the Newcastle Leyland Cubs on this site. So I guess that perhaps anyone riding one of these escape carriers was relatively well off.

The last one I personally ever saw in front line service was at Whitby in Yorkshire in the summer of 1958. It had the Barton American 350 gpm front mounted pump.

Added by Rob Johnson on 13 May 2020.

If anyone wants to see a 25min clear colour film of many north east fire engines in a massive exercise in 1952 google ' NEFA Exercise Tyne' loads of AFS machines.

Added by CraigW on 14 May 2020.

A wonderful old film CraigW, thanks for the info.

Added by Bristol Bob on 15 May 2020.

Great fun Craig!

I wonder if the quantity of tea consumed that day exceeded the amount of water they pumped out of - and back into - the Tyne.

Added by Rob Johnson on 15 May 2020.

Glad you could watch it in USA Rob. The fire engine count is one of the highest. Did you notice people perched on the back of AFS type engines actually putting their kit on!

Added by CraigW on 16 May 2020.

I was surprised that so many of the rigs were WWII emergency heavy units, pump escapes and towing tenders. Apart from N&GFB there were very few prewar appliances, and only two postwar units - an F12 and a Leyland Comet.

A few of the NFS types had been rebodied, but most were pretty original. As you mention, many of the heavy unit crews seemed quite happy to stand on the back of the truck, even thought these all actually had seating for four under the canopy!

My favorite was the five section Metz TLP with the closed cab and half doors - never saw anything like this anywhere before...

Thanks for the heads up!

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 May 2020.

Rob Only two were built, the other one was for Morecambe and Heysham passing to Lancs, then to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It survives in a glass box in Leyland.

Added by Neal Glover on 17 May 2020.

Neal:

Thanks. I"m so glad it was preserved.

Added by Rob Johnson on 17 May 2020.

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