Fire Engines Photos

Yes, I was distressed and frustrated having known that such a stunning (and rare) appliance could be allowed to get into the state it has !!

Added by Rick Loudon on 23 January 2009.

Lovely picture Bob, a real classic and thanks for sharing it with us.
Seeing the latest pictures of her on this site, I wonder if she'll ever
look like her old self again-lets hope so maybe one day very soon.

Added by Pete Matten on 24 January 2009.

Pete,
Moves are afoot to rectify the present situation, I have spoken to people at various levels and it will be resolved soon.
Procastrinations and ill founded comments as posted on the site photograph do little to achieve what we all want to see , especially those who were the original group to preserve her.
Alan Jones

Added by Alan Jones on 24 January 2009.

Thanks Alan, I'm sure you'll keep us all informed and up dated on whats
going to happen to this once lovingly preserved Dennis Pump Escape.Pete.


Added by Pete Matten on 24 January 2009.

I'd like to ask Rick if he knows if Reading(as marked in my photo) was the original station for ARD780. I have another color slide from 1965, simply a
frontal shot of her sitting in a small rural station in Wiltshire but not running.

Added by Bob Graham on 24 January 2009.

Bob,

From what I'm told from a friend locally ARD was new to 'The County Borough of Reading Fire Brigade' the forerunner of the 'Berkshire and Reading Fire Brigade' and sold as scrap in 1960 when it was rescued by Sir Nicholas Williamson - restored and presented to the 'Berkshire Fire Engine Society'where it was kept in garages at the rear of Caversham Road Fire Station in Reading along with FMO 635 the Dennis F7 P/E. I would assume that ARD was newly restored in your 1965 picture (why not post it on this site?)and possibly 'doing the rounds' post restoration - Wiltshire is not that far from Berkshire.

Added by Rick Loudon on 25 January 2009.

Bob,
ARD 780 was purchased by the then Reading Fire Brigade to coincide to with the opening of the new Caversham Road Fire Stn(which is still in use operationaly) in 1938.
It served all its front line life there, going to reserve at Stn 21 Wallingford (now in Oxon).

Alan Jones

Added by Alan Jones on 25 January 2009.

Bob,
if I may answer your question put to rick, the only other station that ard 780 was allocated to was stn 21 wallingford ( now in oxfordshire) where it stayed until it went out of service.
alan jones, ex reading

Added by Alan Jones on 25 January 2009.

My father drove ARD during the War he was stationed at Caversham rd Reading throughout his service. I actually got married on her.

Added by Bob Roberts on 25 October 2015.

Hi All. I remember ARD780 Well it was Stationed at Newbury temporary while our WrL was away at Workshops, and while on a Drill Night at the Station we turned out to a Chimney Fire on ARD780, we called it the Pneumonia Wagon!...JCT

Added by John C.Thompson on 01 January 2017.

Went to a Chimney Fire on ARD780 while it was at Newbury in the 1959/60 on Stand by, in place of our WrL we called it the Pneumonia Wagon.

Added by John C.Thompson on 01 January 2017.

My father was the instigator of the original restoration. I was with him and my uncle Geoff when this was towed awat fron Dee D road, behind a 1939 Dennis. We took it ha=ome and dad spent a fair amount of money trying to get it welded, Aluminium welding was rare at the time. He ran out of pennies so Sir Nick took over. Last I heard she was being "looked after" by Nick (Green?) from BRFB preservation soc.

Added by Roger Purdue on 11 December 2017.

I have just written a book about Fire Fighting in the Thames Valley over the past 200 years. ARD780 was in the bay at Caversham Rd when the station was opened in 1939. The pic I have just seen of the machine covered up was taken in Mortimer Fire Station and when I went to make enquires I was more or less banned from following my research up. I do have a pic of it at the opening of Caversham Rd station.

Added by Dave Doe on 09 August 2023.

is this book available?

Added by Petros on 31 January 2024.

I know where ARD780 Is currently she's in a sorry state and Is need of rescuing

Added by Riley on 22 February 2026.

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