Fire Engines Photos - Leyland Pump at Watford Fire Station

Fire Engine Photos

No: 24740 Contributor: Roger Middleton, Herts Fire Museum Curator Year: 2010 Manufacturer: Leyland Country: United Kingdom

Leyland Pump at Watford Fire Station

A 1937 Leyland Pump Escape, built on a Leyland Lioness chassis, original cost £1,780, which served at St Albans Fire Station. It is fitted with a straight six-cylinder 8840cc petrol engine, overhead cam and 12v dual ignition system. It has a 700-gpm Gwynne centrifugal pump with four deliveries and a six-way cock, a 100-gallon 'first-aid' tank is provided for the hosereel. During acceptance tests the appliance achieved a speed of 60mph, but then needed two feet on the brake pedal to stop her. Retired from operational service about 1962, but still used as a reserve appliance for about 3 years. It is now kept in the Hertfordshire Fire Museum based at the Fire Station, Lower High Street, Watford, Herts.
N.B. The other Leyland FT1 appliance (JH 2804), also based at St Albans at the same time, was used in the 1960's film 'Go to Blazes'.

Picture added on 19 August 2010 at 16:23

Comments:

Thanks, Roger, for this one.

What a hilarious movie "Go To Blazes" was; and its "star", the Leyland Fire Engine.....

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 23 August 2010.

On the subject of Go to Blazes, where was the fire station our rouges were watching the escape drills at?

Added by Andrew Middleton on 24 August 2010.

The escape drills were taking place at the then (1961) new fire station in Whippendell Road, Watford.

Added by Roger Middleton, Herts Fire Museum Curator on 25 August 2010.

Thank you for that Roger. What happened to it?

Added by Andrew Middleton on 25 August 2010.

Andrew, the fire station moved to a new site in Lower High Street, Watford, in November 2009. The old station has been demolished, flats and apartments are to built on the site.

Added by Roger Middleton, Herts Fire Museum Curator on 29 August 2010.

This is very interesting to me, in 1961 I was a 19 year old Fireman at Whippendell Road. The first fire that I remember attending was British Moulded Hose. As for 'Go To Blazes' I remember being in the back of 'The Barnet's' Leyland Comet, driven by Gerry Brooker, while he tore out of the Rutts (Bushey) and cut as close as he could to the Wolseley 680 police car crossing his path. The camera man was a a complete nutter. He was standing in the middle of the road as both vehicles barely missed him. Those were the days!

Added by Richard Baker on 12 April 2011.

Leyland

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