Fire Engines Photos

Ian,
In their time I beleive these Bedford/HCB machines were one the best available, especially for County Brigades.
The power to weight ratio gave it good performance especially where distance had to be covered, the stowage was well laid out with easy access with the weight kept down low giving good roadholding capability.
Are there many of this type in preservation, if you have any photos of same could we see them.
As you can sense memories are being stirred, I used to drive a few, great!
Thanks. Alan Jones

Added by Alan Jones on 28 February 2009.

Thanks Ian, totally second Alans comments! I can just hear the gearbox crashing as I go up through the box!

Added by John Stott on 01 March 2009.

This is a new one to me i have not seen this machine at all Ian Mac

Added by Ian Mcpherson on 01 March 2009.

Next after the Dennis F12 for looks, if only Dinky had made this instead of the Commer, a really evocative picture.

Added by Bob on 01 March 2009.

What I would like to see is a manufacturer provide Glazing units and Ladders to upgrade the old Dinky Toys. The old Dinky Commer is actually quite a nice model, as is their old AEC.The ERF was the best though.

Added by Chris Hall Teesside UK. on 01 March 2009.

Ah c'mon, you "Vintage Firemen" - tell us more about this great rig.

So far, 1950's vintage, great rural engine, non-syncromesh gear-box, bi-fold doors to crew compartment, Rear-Mount Pump; Dinky Toys did not have a model.....

What about engine, water-tank, pump, crew, Escape-Model ?, Fire Brigades supplied..... Does the OIC's door open - can't see a door-handle.... Any more pics, if any are still around.

And, of course, "On-the-Run" stories (<;]

Thanks, Ian - for an interesting machine - new to many of us.

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B



Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 02 March 2009.

Hi PatR~B, all the crew gained entry to the pump by the bi fold doors one on each side of the pump. regards Ian Mac

Added by Ian Mcpherson on 02 March 2009.

....and the ladder is a 35 foot wooden ajax or bayley.

Added by Barrie Green on 02 March 2009.

Pat, as for "vintage firemen" don't you know our memories fade! Now who are you again??

Added by John Stott on 03 March 2009.

Bristol Fire Brigade had 1, RHT 553, in use for some 20 years, 400 gallons of water, 35 foot ladder, a picture of the working end of this vehicle appeared in
one of the Fireman manuals many years ago.


Added by Bob on 03 March 2009.

Also for Pat, ten gallons of SPF, one 5x foam branch, 18 lengths of delivery hose, four lengths 6 inch suction. Pump more often a Godiva 450 /650 gpm.

Added by John Stott on 03 March 2009.

Yes, John - some Neurons managed to bang together here - so speaking of Ancient Memory - there's a couple of other similar-vintage Bedfords on this 'Site.

Picture # 5591 is a neat 1954 Bedford TA Turn-table Ladder (Aerial) of Boskoop, The Netherlands.

Pictures #4907 and #4908 of open-cab Bedford RL of Quuensland, Australia. Got a REALLY open-cab.... not even a half-door to slam. Would keep "Elf & Safety" hopping !

Thanks for the info on this great rig.

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 03 March 2009.

picture 15440 has a similar Bedford, in left-hand back-ground. Same truck ?

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 04 March 2009.

Sorry, no, it has roller shutters on the lockers and looks like it is a 4x4, the body shape is not as nice either!

Added by Bob on 04 March 2009.

The Bedford in the background of picture 15440 is almost certainly GFL990D a 1966 vehicle which I believe was new to Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Fire Brigade.
This machine is often mistaken for a Green Goddess which of course it isn't.
I do have a picture of this Bedford awaiting it's turn to be digitalised so it will appear in due course. In my picture GFL990D is in service with Duxford Fire Service, which I photographed around 1988. On the subject of Duxford Am I right in thinking there used to be a large Fire Engine Rally there in the 80's? If so what happened to it?

Added by Chris Hall Teesside UK. on 07 March 2009.

Yes, it is GFL 990D - I'll see if I can find a shot of it. It was actually new to Huntingdon & Peterborough, which passed into Cambridgeshire in 1974.

Added by Ian Moore on 08 March 2009.

This HCB Bedford was actually configured almost the same as the contemporary Green Goddess EP, except that the styling was much curvier. The big locker immediately behind the cab was for a transversely-installed portable pump, and the 400 gallon tank was immediately behind it.

The main specification difference was that the EP had a main pump rated at 1, 000 gpm, while most of these had a lesser capacity one, such as a Dennis No2 500 gpm for example.

Added by Rob Johnson on 13 January 2018.

This machine can be seen in action at a 1961 Saltburn fire along with I assume Redcars venerable 1937 Leyland Cub and Saltburns Bedford TJ.
Google search-'Saltburn Centenary yfa film' and fire is at 15mins in.
Also illustrates why Saltburn had Clevelands last Escape and a recent CARP.

Added by CraigW on 01 January 2020.

Craig:

That Redcar Leyland was the very first fire engine I ever set eyes on in 1951. A very nice fireman let me sit in the driver's seat and then ring the bell - starting my love affair with fire engines which has now lasted 70 years!

Added by Rob Johnson on 21 January 2020.

It is in a museum in the Netherlands now, and one day I hope to get there and see it again...

Added by Rob Johnson on 24 January 2020.

Has anyone got a picture of the ex 'Green Goddess' that was on Teesside Fire Brigades fleet? SYH325 if Oxford Diecast have it right ! Was it ever at Redcar ?

Added by CraigW on 20 June 2026.

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