Fire Engines Photos

After service with Pilkington's glass in Doncaster.this appliance was on the run at Rainhill Hospital near St.Helens Merseyside for many years,I was in the local brigade and would see it on our many calls to the hospital.I belive it has now a new owner and is being restored at Merseyside fire brigade museum at Crosby fire station.

Added by Dave Price on 17 June 2009.

Its good to see another old appliance being restored. I take it the Dennis F2 replaced this at Pilkington's?

Added by Grant Melville on 18 June 2009.

There was Two identical F2s at Pilkingtons but these were at the main works at St Helens, they responded to fires in the town also backing up St Helens FB

Added by Barrie Green on 18 June 2009.

Barrie is right the two F2's were at the main station in St.helens and as far as i know both have been preserved as i have sen photos of them in pivate hands. As for responding into the town, that was stopped in 1970 after they used a CTC extingisher on a chimney fire. they were then relegated to the tenth pump on a make up. Grant as far as i am aware this appliance although registered in St.Helens (DJ) it served at the Doncaster factory not at St.Helens.

Added by Dave Price on 19 June 2009.

Thanks for info Barrie and clearing that up.

Added by Grant Melville on 19 June 2009.

Thanks again,one of the Dennis F2's feature on the Classic Fire Engines on show DVD which was made in 2002.

Added by Grant Melville on 20 June 2009.

I have vague childhood memories of Pilks fire station in the town centre and there being 2(?) Land Rover L4P's. I know that there was at least 1 as I saw it a few years ago in a garage at Wellesbourne Airfield, Warwicks. Does anyone have any shots of the appliances/station when in service please?

Added by Adey Allison on 18 December 2010.

Pilkingtons did have two L4Ps at St.Helens back in the early 70s. They later had two Ford transits that were like the small compact water tenders Cumbria had. One was a write of after a rta on the way to a shout. The station is long gone and a car show room is now on the site.

Added by Dave Price on 19 December 2010.

The Chief Officer was a Mr Pemberton for many years, high up in the BFSA as I recall, a very kind and generous man

Added by Barrie Green on 19 December 2010.

I remember Pilkington's Fire Station just opposite the Head Offices very well, circa 1950-60. I remember the appliances were polished to a gleeming condition and the station doors were open all the time in good weather.

Added by Bill Duggan on 17 January 2011.

My dad restored this fire engine in the 1980s he brought it from rainhill hospital to save it from scrap he sold it years later to a museum up north we all used to dress up and go to the fire engine shows it was great fun .

Added by David leigh on 11 February 2017.

I remember seeing that machine at Rainhill hospital alongside the hospital ambulance in their own fire station

Added by Joe Platt on 21 November 2020.

It would be interesting to have some information about this unusual machine for those of us who have never seen it, nor are likely to. The combination of a semi forward control chassis with a rather streamlined Braidwood body would suggest a late 1930s build date.

Do we know when it was built, who manufactured the bodywork, what type and capacity pump it had, what size water tank it had, etc?

Added by Rob Johnson on 22 November 2020.

1942 Albion SpKN127/ John Kerr pump, Pilkington, Doncaster, to St. Helens (Ravenhead Works) 1961, to Rainhill Hospital 1968 is what I have recorded.

Jennings bodied a number of Kerr appliances and often they were fitted with a Drysdale pump. I don't know about this one. Tank would probably be less than 100 gals.

Added by Roger Mardon on 14 January 2021.

Thanks Roger, so glad it has been preserved.

Added by Rob Johnson on 15 January 2021.

I drove this vehicle in service at Rainhill Hospital as part of the hospital’s own response I was also the internal based Ambulance driver


Added by Albert Kellett on 09 February 2023.

Was this fire engine ever on the rainhill hospital fire station site? I used to visit my father there in the 80s and I was let loose on an old appliance and I believe this is simaler to the one they let me sit in.

Added by Danny Francis on 01 October 2023.

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