Upload a Picture
About this Site | Links | Random Pic | Advanced Search
Home | Latest Additions | Contributors
| Visitors
Fire Engine Photos
I'm sure I'll be busy Bob but not necessarily on this as I already have the Huddersfield F7 to restore and that has been waiting a lot lot longer! I would however like to get this one running if I can so I know where I stand sooner rather than later.
I would if I may, like to put out a general appeal for information about the history of this machine. I know it was new to the City of Sheffield in 1953 and it was still in service in 1969. It may have stayed on the run until 1972 when the brigade purchased some F108s. What happened next is unknown but changes that were made to the arrangement of the hosereels, ladders and livery make me convinced that it saw service with a private or works brigade. If any of our esteemed historians has records of appliances from these types of brigades in the 70s/80s they may be able to help.
Speaking of esteemed historians, a message for Ian Moore - I hope you are well as I have not noticed any comments from you on this site for some time now and they have been missed.
Added by Chris Wood on 13 December 2009.
I would if I may, like to put out a general appeal for information about the history of this machine. I know it was new to the City of Sheffield in 1953 and it was still in service in 1969. It may have stayed on the run until 1972 when the brigade purchased some F108s. What happened next is unknown but changes that were made to the arrangement of the hosereels, ladders and livery make me convinced that it saw service with a private or works brigade. If any of our esteemed historians has records of appliances from these types of brigades in the 70s/80s they may be able to help.
Speaking of esteemed historians, a message for Ian Moore - I hope you are well as I have not noticed any comments from you on this site for some time now and they have been missed.
Added by Chris Wood on 13 December 2009.
I love these as found photos, Chris wish you all the best of luck with this one, looks like a great project (any Dennis appliance with a 999 registration is a great combination), but I bet the chickens will miss it.
The indicators look like they have been 'upgraded' as well.
I to have been missing Ian Moore's wealth of expertise when it comes to all things Dennis and was wondering where he has been.
Added by John D on 15 December 2009.
The indicators look like they have been 'upgraded' as well.
I to have been missing Ian Moore's wealth of expertise when it comes to all things Dennis and was wondering where he has been.
Added by John D on 15 December 2009.
Dear Chris
I was both delighted and amazed to see a Sheffield F15 again after all these years! I was a student at Sheffield University 1956-1959 and Walked past the old Division Street HQ daily. The complement was a pre-war Leyland pump, a pre-war Leyland TL and three new Denniss - an F12,an ET(RWA 444)and an F15- possibly yours. The main ladder was definitely mounted on the centre line then with the hose reels on either side. Twin bells occupied their traditional positions and a searchlight was mounted to the rear of the near side hose reel. I was a bit of an amateur draughtsman at that time and relieved the tedium of my student digs (no radio, no TV) by making accurate side-on line drawings of appliances.
Wonderful to learn the old girl is at last in good hands! Well done.
Added by Royce Treacher on 16 December 2009.
I was both delighted and amazed to see a Sheffield F15 again after all these years! I was a student at Sheffield University 1956-1959 and Walked past the old Division Street HQ daily. The complement was a pre-war Leyland pump, a pre-war Leyland TL and three new Denniss - an F12,an ET(RWA 444)and an F15- possibly yours. The main ladder was definitely mounted on the centre line then with the hose reels on either side. Twin bells occupied their traditional positions and a searchlight was mounted to the rear of the near side hose reel. I was a bit of an amateur draughtsman at that time and relieved the tedium of my student digs (no radio, no TV) by making accurate side-on line drawings of appliances.
Wonderful to learn the old girl is at last in good hands! Well done.
Added by Royce Treacher on 16 December 2009.
John, thanks for your comments and I agree about the '999' number, I always fancied one of those!
Reference the indicators, this was done whilst still in service as I have seen photos of other Sheffield F15s with exactly the same units fitted. Not sure I like them as much as the normal type fitted on the side as they look a bit squashed in.
And Royce, thanks for your recollections of Sheffield machines. RWB 999 was stationed at Darnall Road and there were two others, PWE 111 and SWB 222 that were new to the Brigade. A fourth (RRA 598) was inherited from Derbyshire in a re-organisation.
In case anyone was wondering about the registrations, I can confirm that there was a series of machines carrying the numbers '111' to '999'! I believe '666' was an F7 and '888' was an F12.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 December 2009.
Reference the indicators, this was done whilst still in service as I have seen photos of other Sheffield F15s with exactly the same units fitted. Not sure I like them as much as the normal type fitted on the side as they look a bit squashed in.
And Royce, thanks for your recollections of Sheffield machines. RWB 999 was stationed at Darnall Road and there were two others, PWE 111 and SWB 222 that were new to the Brigade. A fourth (RRA 598) was inherited from Derbyshire in a re-organisation.
In case anyone was wondering about the registrations, I can confirm that there was a series of machines carrying the numbers '111' to '999'! I believe '666' was an F7 and '888' was an F12.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 December 2009.
Quite a few brigades had 999 registrations including Darlington.
I seem to remember Sheffield having green flashing lights instead of amber ones (that's before blue beacons came on the scene.
Added by Barrie Green on 16 December 2009.
I seem to remember Sheffield having green flashing lights instead of amber ones (that's before blue beacons came on the scene.
Added by Barrie Green on 16 December 2009.
Dear all,
here is an update on this machine. Before I bought it, I contacted the DVLA to enquire about what records they had on it as the owners had no paperwork. The DVLA had no knowledge of it and so I knew I would have to try and get the registration reinstated but at least it hadn't been transferred to anything else.
In 1983, the records at the DVLA were computerised and any vehicle that wasn't 'active' at the time was lost from the system. There is a proceedure in place by which you can present evidence to the DVLA to prove that a registration is genuine and that it belongs to the vehicle you say it does. With Dennis vehicles, the Surrey History Centre is invaluable as they hold the Dennis archives and will supply copies of works production orders for a small fee. I was very lucky to find former firemen from Sheffield who were able to supply photos of RWB 999 in service and a fleet list. I was also very lucky to find a photo on ebay of the machine taken 45 years ago!
Basically, the more evidence you can provide, the more likely it is that the DVLA will approve the application.
I am pleased to say that this week I received my new style V5C (log book) and so RWB 999 is a step nearer returning to the road.
Added by Chris Wood on 14 October 2010.
here is an update on this machine. Before I bought it, I contacted the DVLA to enquire about what records they had on it as the owners had no paperwork. The DVLA had no knowledge of it and so I knew I would have to try and get the registration reinstated but at least it hadn't been transferred to anything else.
In 1983, the records at the DVLA were computerised and any vehicle that wasn't 'active' at the time was lost from the system. There is a proceedure in place by which you can present evidence to the DVLA to prove that a registration is genuine and that it belongs to the vehicle you say it does. With Dennis vehicles, the Surrey History Centre is invaluable as they hold the Dennis archives and will supply copies of works production orders for a small fee. I was very lucky to find former firemen from Sheffield who were able to supply photos of RWB 999 in service and a fleet list. I was also very lucky to find a photo on ebay of the machine taken 45 years ago!
Basically, the more evidence you can provide, the more likely it is that the DVLA will approve the application.
I am pleased to say that this week I received my new style V5C (log book) and so RWB 999 is a step nearer returning to the road.
Added by Chris Wood on 14 October 2010.
Chris, was something mounted on the off-side deck to necessitate re-positioning the second hose reel, thanks?
Added by Pav on 16 October 2010.
Added by Pav on 16 October 2010.
Chris not only is that great news, it is very interesting to hear about your achivement with registration. Looking forward to seeing more pictures when you have some.
Added by John D on 16 October 2010.
Added by John D on 16 October 2010.
Hello Pav, I'm glad you asked that although you might wish you hadn't! If you look at picture 20980, you will see that the ladder gantry is mounted on the offside and there is a second 'spare' ladder lying next to it. This positioning of the ladder and hosereels was to me, unnatural and I assumed that a second life owner of RWB had wanted easy access to the large water tank hatch and had made these changes. I now know that these changes to the normal layout were made whilst still in service with the City of Sheffield.
The main reason appears to be that the machine was required to carry an additional ladder of the 45ft 'gut buster' type which was mounted in the central position on a gantry which is no longer present. A 35ft ladder was mounted alongside as seen in these pictures and the offside hosereel was moved to the nearside. The current position of the wooden blocks used for stowing the hosereel branches tells me that the original nearside hosereel effectively became the offside one with it's hose passing under the ladders to the normal branch position. A new block was added for the second hosereel which became the nearside one. The changes had been made by 1965 and were not limited to my machine. Sheffield had other appliances which carried both 35ft and 45ft ladders with the hosereels on the nearside and some of them may have been delivered already set out this way.
I have no desire to carry around the weight of an additional ladder and have decided to restore RWB to it's original configuration. Hope this is of interest Pav.
John D, thanks for your continuing interest, I will see what I can do re more pics.
Added by Chris Wood on 17 October 2010.
The main reason appears to be that the machine was required to carry an additional ladder of the 45ft 'gut buster' type which was mounted in the central position on a gantry which is no longer present. A 35ft ladder was mounted alongside as seen in these pictures and the offside hosereel was moved to the nearside. The current position of the wooden blocks used for stowing the hosereel branches tells me that the original nearside hosereel effectively became the offside one with it's hose passing under the ladders to the normal branch position. A new block was added for the second hosereel which became the nearside one. The changes had been made by 1965 and were not limited to my machine. Sheffield had other appliances which carried both 35ft and 45ft ladders with the hosereels on the nearside and some of them may have been delivered already set out this way.
I have no desire to carry around the weight of an additional ladder and have decided to restore RWB to it's original configuration. Hope this is of interest Pav.
John D, thanks for your continuing interest, I will see what I can do re more pics.
Added by Chris Wood on 17 October 2010.
See picture 25901 and picture 25902 for a couple of more recent views of RWB 999.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 November 2010.
Added by Chris Wood on 16 November 2010.
Dennis
Added by Bristol Bob on 10 December 2009.