Fire Engines Photos

Sad sad sight! I sincerely hope a few will go into preservation, Id dearly like to own K774DFA one day...Unfortunately at 20 im not quite old enough to afford to run one! These were the appliances of my childhood its a pity to see them in such a state!

Added by David Sapsford on 13 August 2008.

David I sympaphise I also would love to own something large/er but it's the somewhere to keep em that is the problem, more than the running them, keep dreaming and who knows.
All the best Andrew.

Added by Andrew Wright. on 13 August 2008.

Yep i agree with you David. I also dream to preserve one fire appliance however my age is still like you. Now most of my childhood appliances such as the Dennis WRLs, Bedfords applainces, RB44, Scania's and S&D appliances operated by the Brunei FRD was sold every year to the public. What a sad scene. Anywhere, I will try to capture the old and neglected Dennis appliances at our FRD main workshop.

Added by Bomba 995 on 14 August 2008.

this makes me feel sad seeing these go to waste


Added by Rich on 17 October 2008.

Does any one remember the USA styled motorway rescue tender that was based at Newcastle in the early 90's? twin axle. it lived in bay 3 at Newcastle under Lyme. From the right of the old station bays were Newcastle 1, Newcastle 2, rescue tender and bay 4 was retained.

Added by Darren on 02 July 2012.

Also whilst on the subject of old appliances based at Staffordshires Newcastle under Lyme station I remember that in the late 80's the retained engine was either a Ford or a Bedford in a distinctive bright fluorescent orange/red?? I can always remember going past when I was about 8 with all four appliances parked on the front with Newcastle 1&2 being Dennis's and the Jeep rescue tender (American style) & Newcastle 4 being the above mentioned Bedford/Ford. At open days or charity car washes there were also an ERF command Unit & a utility 4x4 Bedford water carrier truck. I may also have a picture of this water carrier at home somewhere.

Added by Dazman on 03 July 2012.

The retained appliance callsign was Newcastle 3 and the rescue tender was callsign Newcastle 7. The ERF command unit was based at Longton and the water carrier at Kidsgrove.

Added by Steve on 04 July 2012.

Steve appreciate your comments. Why call the rescue tender Newcastle 7? There were only four appliances based there?

Added by Darren on 04 July 2012.

Darren-prior to national callsigns all Staffordshire appliances had a callsign consisting of the station location e.g. Newcastle, Stone etc. followed by a number.The number denotes the type of appliance and not the amount of vehicles at a station.As far as I can remember the numbers were as follows-
1 Pump
2 Pump
3 Pump
4 Water Carrier/4 wheel drive vehicles
5 Turntable Ladder
6 Hydraulic Platform
7 Emergency or Rescue Tender
8 Foam Salvage Tender/Decontamination Unit
9 Officer.
There were also other callsigns and I think that the control unit was Delta 1.

Added by Steve on 05 July 2012.

Stev: Was there not a time - and I could well be wrong here - when the Ford CU called as "Longton 16"

Added by Ian Moore on 05 July 2012.

Ian-I think that you are right. That must have been mid 80's I think!

Added by Steve on 05 July 2012.

Dazman, let me put you out of your misery, mate.

In 1982 Newcastle received a new Water Tender Ladder - PFA 537W. It was a Ford D1317 with day-glow orange-pink bodywork by CFE (Cheshire Fire Engineering).

Dispalced in 1985, by CRE 256Y, a Dennis RS133, it was handed down to become wholetime Water Tender. The arrival of C682 WRE, another Dennis RS133 in 1987, saw the Ford move further down the 'pecking' order to become Newcastle's retained unit Water Tender. She ended Staffordshire life with a brief spell at the training school in 1990 after the arrival at Newcastle of - yes you guessed it! - another Dennis RS133, this one being E830 HBF.

Very soon after, PFA 537W was sold to County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland. See picture 32152 for a look at her in her Irish days.

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 06 July 2012.

Check your registration years PFA 537W was delivered in 1980!! and CRE 256Y was delivered in 1982!! delivery dates are 2 years out.

Added by Soren Heeks on 08 July 2012.

When Newcastle's retained got PFA 537W in 1985 it displaced JVT 699K the ex City of Stoke on Trent Dennis F109 Simon SS50 PHP which had been there appliance for 9 years. JVT 699K also saw further service in Ireland.

Added by Soren Heeks on 08 July 2012.

Soren, your dates are correct, as are mine; but alas I was reading my very old hand-written database incorrectly!

'82 and '85 were in fact their replacement dates and not their delivery dates as I claimed. I haven't looked at my records for such a long time and I've completely forgotten how my teenage head had configured them. But thanks for pointing my 'errors' out, it made me go back and re-educate myself.

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 15 July 2012.

No problem, It's nice to see someone with a direct interest in Staffordshire appliances which I now think is one of the best equiped in the country.

Added by Soren Heeks on 15 July 2012.

Soren, I've always been a fan of Staffs appliances. Even when they had some right old wrecks back in the '70s. I remember stories of one particular Bedford that I think served at Abbots Bromley. Apparently the engine had a habit of completely cutting out if it went round a corner too fast! The lads were forced to jump out and push it back to life! Red faces, twice over.

Through the '80s, Stafforshire's fleet evolved immpressively with some cracking Dennis RS, SS, F and Sabre chassis. Today of course it's dominated by Scania. Look nice but there aren't many firefighters that actually like or rate them, especially the older guys!

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 19 July 2012.

Ford D1317/CFA PFA 536-8W were new in 1980 not 1982.

Added by Graham Swift, on 12 January 2017.

Dennis RS133/Dennis CRE253-7Y were new 1982. Thats when Newcastle had CRE 256Y.
PFA 537W was a WrT at Newcatle from new.

Added by Graham Swift, on 13 January 2017.

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