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VOD 573 Dennis F26 WrT
This is a bit of a mystery. It has an Exeter registration. But the bodywork looks to me to be aluminium like the old North Eastern Brigade in Scotland. It also appears to be towing a trailer pump like a Type A water tender but surely at this era it would be a Type B?
Any ideas? Is it a works appliance?
Courtesy Geoff Pritchard collection acquired via the Fire Brigade Society.
This is a bit of a mystery. It has an Exeter registration. But the bodywork looks to me to be aluminium like the old North Eastern Brigade in Scotland. It also appears to be towing a trailer pump like a Type A water tender but surely at this era it would be a Type B?
Any ideas? Is it a works appliance?
Courtesy Geoff Pritchard collection acquired via the Fire Brigade Society.
One of four Dennis F25s with Dodge engines new to Devon County Fire Service in 1957.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 August 2022.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 August 2022.
I wonder if they cost less when the front doors were omitted? The Dodge engines were also perhaps a cost saving idea, compared to the more common Rolls Royce alternative.
Ed: I am still unsure why it has a trailer.
Added by Rob Johnson on 16 August 2022.
Ed: I am still unsure why it has a trailer.
Added by Rob Johnson on 16 August 2022.
I have some further information from my notes which are made up from various sources over the years. Acknowledgments to Simon Rowley and The Fire Brigade Society in this case. As stated, Devon had four of this model:
VOD 573, 574, 575 and 576 known to be stationed at Brampton, Moreton Hampstead, Torquay and Buckfastleigh respectfully but no doubt they spent time in other locations. Disposal seems to have been around 1973. There are said to have been 40 of this model built with the Dodge engine but they were reportedly underpowered.
One of the Devon examples, VOD 575, was in preservation at least into the early 2000's but I don't know if that is still the case.
The example pictured here was destroyed in a fire at the furniture upholsterers where it was being stored in 1986. I have a similar photo of the machine with a Dennis No.3 Trailer Pump in tow which was taken on a rally field as I'm sure this one was. It could just be that although it was a Water Tender, the then owner also had a TrP which he took along as something extra to display.
For Rob, my photo shows the offside and there is no driver's door.
Added by Chris Wood on 17 August 2022.
VOD 573, 574, 575 and 576 known to be stationed at Brampton, Moreton Hampstead, Torquay and Buckfastleigh respectfully but no doubt they spent time in other locations. Disposal seems to have been around 1973. There are said to have been 40 of this model built with the Dodge engine but they were reportedly underpowered.
One of the Devon examples, VOD 575, was in preservation at least into the early 2000's but I don't know if that is still the case.
The example pictured here was destroyed in a fire at the furniture upholsterers where it was being stored in 1986. I have a similar photo of the machine with a Dennis No.3 Trailer Pump in tow which was taken on a rally field as I'm sure this one was. It could just be that although it was a Water Tender, the then owner also had a TrP which he took along as something extra to display.
For Rob, my photo shows the offside and there is no driver's door.
Added by Chris Wood on 17 August 2022.
As stated 40 built, 34 with 10ft 9inch Wheelbase, 6 with 12ft 3inch Wheelbase in the period 1957-61. The 12ft 3inch Wheelbase where an interesting bunch - 1 x Pump Escape, 3 had 1000 gallon tanks, 1 had 800 gallon tank, 1 had a 45ft Merryweather L.A Gutbuster Ladder with 400gallon tank.
Ed Surrey county council Dennis archives seems to have technical drawings of this F25 batch incl some for NZ - see
www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/36457/Dennis-Drawings-F-to-Z.pdf
Added by Martyn West on 18 August 2022.
Ed Surrey county council Dennis archives seems to have technical drawings of this F25 batch incl some for NZ - see
www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/36457/Dennis-Drawings-F-to-Z.pdf
Added by Martyn West on 18 August 2022.
I imagine the combination of the Dodge engine with a 1000 IG water tank did not make for a very rapid moving unit. No knowledge of the F25 rated maximum GVW, but I am very surprised they built any of them to carry 1000 gallons…..
Added by Rob Johnson on 18 August 2022.
Added by Rob Johnson on 18 August 2022.
I could find only one F25 10ft 9inch Wheelbase for New Zealand.
Added by Martyn West on 19 August 2022.
Added by Martyn West on 19 August 2022.
Surrey also had F25s with Dodge engines. They seemed to like them and called them 'composites' ie they did two roles water tender and water ladder, depending which ladder was fitted. See new Paul Measday book on Surrey FB to 1965 on Ebay. Excellent reading.
Added by Petros on 09 October 2025.
Added by Petros on 09 October 2025.
Dennis
Added by Rob Johnson on 16 August 2022.