Fire Engines Photos

The full title of this appliance is an Austin K4 Loadstar'A'type water tender.
The appliance was one of 23 water tenders and 6 pump escapes based on the
Loadstar chassis purchased by Cornwall Fire Brigade between 1950 and 1953.

Added by Pete Matten on 07 August 2008.

During the early fifties Cornwall County Council found themselves in grave financial difficulties.
The Home Office had to step in to assist the Fire Brigade as many of the appliances in towns and villages were due for replacement and on isolated occasions dated the twenties. Launching a massive update and replacement programme the Austin K4 Chassis and later Austin Loadstar Chassis was elected for fire appliance application and the Home Office Workshops thought at Swindon in Wiltshire built the coachwork, all of the first engines were type A later several became type B many were phased out and were never converted It was a sight seeing in the mid-seventies a 1952/53 Austin Loadstar Pump converted to take a 464 Ladder! however this was the situation. As Pete Matten has stated the Loadstar Chassis was also used for the application of Pump Escape Appliance but these were the later deliveries. In 1978 you could see a Dodge/HCB WrL on a N plate operating alongside a 1955 Austin Loadstar Pump Escape as the escapes superseded the Water Tenders in service. all of the 4x4 were Austin Gypsy Coventry Godiva Pumps on L.W.B /S.W.B chassis Austin certainly ruled supreme in the fifties!in
Cornwall County.

Added by BOB CARVER on 27 July 2010.

They certainly did Bob. Must admit, i'm partial to the Austin FG/Drake bodied Water Tenders.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 27 July 2010.

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