Fire Engines Photos

There is something strangely likely about it don't you think?

Added by Peter Bromley on 19 December 2008.

Hi Peter, all i remember about this is the two tone horn were faster than the vehicle it's self, it made lots of smoke when i saw it and acceleration was akin to a snail..., in all fairness, she was elderly and brigade spares tend to get used and abused !

Added by John Johnstone on 20 December 2008.

This ex appliance is now owned by a private company in Paisley near Glasgow which hires it out for building and lighting repairs.It still carries its red livery, but now has orange lights.Ex Avon HP F62 RTC, is also owned by the same company, but carries a blue livery with orange lights.

Added by Tommy Swindle on 21 January 2009.

Tommy do you know the name of the company

Added by Lewis on 24 January 2009.

John I remember Summerbridge going on a makeup to Ripon and they beat this TL even though it had a 15 minute start on them! The only time I saw it in action was in Harrogate, a nice ladder spoiled by its body and engine, some of the Harrogate lads hated it for being so slow as it would struggle in traffic.

Added by John Stott on 24 January 2009.

Thanks for that John, i often wondered why they kept the older D reg appliance at Scarborough whilst this went out of service some years before, and if i remember correctly, the ladders from this came from another chassis.

I remeber seeing the D reg when it was coming to the end of it's life and it looked pityful, well, if a Volvo can hehe, holes in the body work roughly patched up and looking to say the least a joke.

I only hope and pray the new Merc alp's last and don't end up a mess like this and they get rid before becomming a joke, sadly, given the performace / reliabilty of the 52 plate Merc alp at York, i can't see this happening ....

Added by John Johnstone on 24 January 2009.

Hi Lewis.I think the company is Douglas Access of Paisley, but i am not 100% sure.I will try and find out and get back to you .There is also a crew cab dennis TL and a MAN TL running around Glasgow in private owership, but who owns them i don't know.

Added by Tommy Swindle on 24 January 2009.

I'm just interested in F62 RTC as i remember seeing it alot when it was in Avon and just wanted to see it in it's new life

Added by Lewis on 25 January 2009.

Aye John its been said elsewhere on here and other places and the brigades never learn! Why not spend the extra money on quality and get thirty years out of a machine rather than ten out of a lorry! The Dennis Mk 9 came into service in the RAF in 1976, I left in 79 and the last ones were only retired around two years ago, a run of thirty years. For want of being called a stick in the mud, its false economy to buy into these so called wonder machines!

Added by John Stott on 25 January 2009.

Exactly the point John! what i can't understand is the fact that a normal commercial vehicle can be used as a fire appliance.

For a start off, how many commercial vehicles are always fully laden, and required to be driven at speed for most of their lives and stand whilst pumping water for hours?

We all know that their is no bottomless pit of money to be able to buy a proper fire appliance, but at what point does the cost of a vehicle compare to the cost of a life?

Not only that, but as you rightly say, if a proper designed appliance was purchased, not only a help to those who buy them, us the tax pay, they'd be able to attend incidents quicker and be far safer for the public and riders etc.

Sadly, cash comes 1st, not lives to the bead counters, only time will tell, but right now, until someone has the balls to say something, this will only get worse, even the FBU are doing nothing!



Added by John Johnstone on 26 January 2009.

Ah the good old FBU! Well John, as I said in another post some nice cosy set ups exist up and down. In my last but one brigade, which I wont name, the retained service, without a doubt had the best machines. The full timers were given the new shiny lorries rubber stamped by the status quo and looked down on the retained service. The crunch came for me when a "three man crew" rule came in to get retained pumps response times down. Not one person outside the retained service objected as full time manning wasn't touched. Consequently more retained men left and we went to an authority next door. Maybe it is our age, but common sense seems to have been chucked out with the bathwater!

Added by John Stott on 26 January 2009.

Can any scottish appliance enthusists help our friends down south? Does anyone have pics of ex Avon HP F62 RTC now with a building firm in Glasgow, and if so could you post on to site .I have saw this vehicle millions of times and did not bother to photograph, but one of contributors south of border would like to see it in its new guise and i cant bump into it anywhere. CHEERS.

Added by Tommy Swindle on 09 February 2009.

Hi Tommy I seen F62RTC all blue looking never got a picture unfortunately.

Added by Steve Bonner on 20 January 2012.

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