Fire Engines Photos

This "X" AFS Vehicle can be found in the GREEN MACHINE ref.book.
With Deven FB after the standown of 1968.

Added by Barry Collins. F.s.p.g. on 19 May 2006.

we have a fire pump truck donated by British government to Panama, (Centro America) and still working....

Eduardo

Added by Eduardo Rodriguez on 22 October 2007.

If I remember correctly, both the British Army, and the AFS operated these, the Army version was slightly different to the AFS version, but I do'nt know what the exact differences were.
Two local Bus operators in North East England had them as Tow Wagons, one was OK Motor Services of Bishop Aukland, the other was the Tyne and Wear PTE, who operated one at Sunderland.

Added by Chris Hall, Teesside. on 27 March 2008.

Eduardo, don't just stand there, get out and take some photos and post on this site so we can all have a 'Captain Cook.' Thanks, , , ,

Added by Pavel - Western Australia on 28 March 2008.

There were 9 of these built,I was led to believe for a number of years by a FBS member that it was 6.We had 376ALC based at Mold,Clwyd for a time.Does anyone know if any others survived? 373ALC looks a credit to its owner.

Added by Gary Simpson on 10 May 2009.

This truck used to belong to the Cornwall County Fire Brigade as a brake down truck for the workshop

Added by Michael on 28 May 2009.

With reference to the difference between the British Army and AFS versions. I believe the AFS machines had the standard flashing beacons in the pod above the windscreen, as did the Green Goddess, whereas the Army version did not.
However so many of these vehicles have been 'blended' over the years, it is difficult to be certain which is which now.


Added by Stan Tarrant on 30 August 2010.

The AFS version had a sign TOWING above the windscreen with an orange light each side on a small arm fitted in the cab roof, not in a pod as on other AFS units EG Hose Layers etc, some may have been fitted with an orange beacon later.371ALC at Leigh Lancashire was as discribed above as I have just looked at a picture of it when still in service, as the picture is not mine I am unable to put it on this site.

Added by Dave Price on 31 August 2010.

I now own 373 ALC and have aquired lots of photographs and information from the previous owner and going by these there was not any sign of the AFS flasing light but there is a towing sign in the locker. When transferred to Cornwall it was fitted with a blue light and used in a duel roll as HRV and breakdown lorry there are photographs that show it with blue lights and I have the log books to indicate the RTA's it attended. I would be interested to know if any further machines still exist in thier original form or if anyone knows the whereabouts of the tow dolly that they used to carry ?
Cheers Dave

Added by Dave Elms on 15 November 2012.

I purchased this vehicle from Cornwall county fire brigade in 1994 when it was replaced as service recovery vehicle by an ex hydraulic platform Dodge in house recovery conversion. I carried out some renovation work, resonated cab & brush painted rear body whilst in my ownership. Sold to a deeper in London I believe about 2004 passing on my collected history. Unfortunately I also never managed to acquire or find the whereabouts of the tow dolly. Please look after it I have many fond memories of this wonderful truck & miss it.

Added by Gary Hale on 29 January 2014.

Gary,
I would suggest that this is the Army version.
I say this because the cab is fitted with a roof hatch, a feature not likely to be required by the AFS.
I understand that the recovery equipment and crane were supplied by Reynolds Boughton Ltd and the bodywork by Marshalls of Cambridge.
Regards,
Steve P


Added by Steve Prosser on 30 January 2014.

Thanks Gary I hope to keep it for a few years while I'm fit enough to climb into the cab or my Hgv licence runs out in a couple of years time then will pass it on to someone else to show

Added by Dave Elms on 30 January 2014.

Steve
If you search history of 373ALC on web it will inform you that this is a genuine AFS vehicle not military spec
Regards
Gary

Added by Gary Hale on 31 January 2014.

Although the standard army design they were issued to the Home Office as far as I am aware from new.

Added by Neal Glover on 31 January 2014.

Gary,
My comment was not too clear, I was not suggesting that the vehicle was ex-military, but that the design was that used by the Army.
I say this because the cab, recovery gear and stowage are the same as those fitted to the military Bedford RL light recovery vehicle.

I have no doubt that the were bought specifically for use by the AFS and were ordered by the Home Office.

Prior to 1959 vehicles to be used by any government department (civil or military) were procured by the Ministry of Supply (MoS)and the contract placed for the AFS Bedford recovery vehicles may have had a schedule for delivery to a variety of users.
It is likely that this arrangement continued into the early 1960's when the procurement of military vehicles passed to the War Office.

Procurement of vehicles in this manner resulted in lower costs due the large number of vehicles on the contract, primarily for the Armed Forces.

In the mid to late 1950's the MoS bought many thousands of Bedford RL's for the military in the FV13100 series, the recovery variant being FV13115.

I hope the foregoing helps to explain my observations on the design/origin of the the AFS RL recovery vehicles.

Regards, Steve P

Added by Steve Prosser on 01 February 2014.

Steve to add to Gary's message : I have pictures of most if not all the 9 delivered to the AFS ; I can confirm all had the hatch in the cab roof and according to my late pal who as a Sub O in the Perth & Kinross brigade and completed the recovery instructors course at Moreton, they were identical to the REME ones.
It appears any twin amber flashers or cab roof "towing" boards were added after issue to the brigade and were not part of the delivery spec. From the records they were a totally different contract to the military ones and were build for the Home Office and Scottish Home Dept for AFS use to supplement the 3 Thorny Nubians.
TED

Added by Ted Angus on 01 February 2014.

I have just aquired 176 ALC. Can anyone assist with its history ?

Added by JAMES DAVIES on 23 March 2014.

Sorry. Its 376 ALC . Anyhave any info please ?

Added by JAMES DAVIES on 23 March 2014.

It was a spare Heavy Recovery Unit with Durham FB, Passed to Clwyd Fire Service. Used as a recovery wagon. Garaged at Rhyl, Flint and mainly at Mold. Its last recovery was of Dennis R WrL NEY289R, have date somewhere. It was not suitable with newer Volvo appliances.I drove her and she was in Red at time not AFS Green.

Added by Gary Simpson on 03 April 2014.

Thanks for the information Gary, I have sent the webmaster a photo of the vehicle in its current state , and I hope they can add it to this thread. Out of interest you may be able to help with another piece of the vehicles history - on the rear near side frame ( near the lights) there is the number 374 under the paintwork - looks like a fleet number - Any ideas?

Added by Jim Davies on 04 April 2014.

Would say it probably the AFS one from pre 1968, all ours were A or F prefixed and not carried on appliances. She was painted red by Clwyd and the lettering was done by a retired Firefighter.

Added by Gary Simpson on 09 April 2014.

I was in the AFS in the '60s at Middlesbrough. We had two SPs (never called them Green Goddesses), a hose layer, two Land Rovers and a Matchless motor cycle. We used to go to Washington Hall, Chorley on convoy exercise 2 or 3 times a year and one of these recovery vehicles was always with us, (could be the same one - I don't remember the number). It was usually driven by a guy who worked at the United Bus Co workshops in Darlington.
We were able to borrow the Recovery vehicle occasionally, for training etc because we were all part of the same region - FC11. On one occasion we borrowed it to display at Teesside agricultural show and I collected it from Gateshead fire station.
On show day it rained heavily and many cattle trucks got bogged down so we were asked to assist. We set up the winch with the sparg legs dug in and pulled about a dozen trucks out of the mire.
On another occasion we "recovered" one of our SPs, which wasn't actually broken down, and towed it home on the hook from the old steel works site, through the centre of town, back to the fire station. We had to take the radiator cover off the SP to access the lifting eyes. I operated and drove with a fireman stood on the engine cover looking out of the hatch/capola at the casualty on the hook. The chief went crackers, he thought there had been an accident and didn't like the image of a fire engine being towed through town. We thought it was good publicity.
Modifications took place to AFS vehicles as legislation etc changed. Our vehicles had the single taillight above the rear number plate changed for twin stop/taillights. The semaphore trafficators were changed for flasing orange indicators and we even had a siren fitted to augment the bell! I don't know exactly what changed on the recovery vehicle but it had the hatch or capola in the cab roof with just a canvas cover and even had rifle clips between the seats.
All great fun - happy days.


Added by Martin Lloyd (Sub officer 146 Middlesbrough AFS) on 09 April 2018.

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