Fire Engines Photos

Dusty, thanks for sharing this photo. This is the old Station 8 and was indeed situated on Friar Street. This photo must have been taken days before the transfer to the new Station 26. I spent many happy times at this old station as a kid, as my dad was stationed there. I then worked, a few years later! at the new station, which was positioned 50 yards from this lovely old station. The new station is completely different from the old one. Whereas this was a single bay station, although they later squeezed two machines in, the new station is 6 bays. Initially the new station was 1 wholetime pump and 2 retained, later this changed to 1 wholetime 1 retained and an ISU replacing the third pump.

Added by Matt Ireland on 29 August 2010.

Thanks for the information Matt. There was a second appliance there when I photographed the Ford, I'll have to see if I can find the slide. I take it the old station has been demolished and the site re-developed?

Added by Dusty on 29 August 2010.

Hi Dusty, the second machine was probably a Bedford TK with Rolls Royce engine if memory serves me right, I think it was a K reg. The station was knocked down to make way for that very important thing we all need.......a car park. My dad desperately wanted to salvage the old air raid siren which at one time used to turn them out, alas, the buldozers beat him to it. The only item that was saved was the original date stone that now sits in reception of the brigade training centre. Forgot to mention that half of the new station was later converted into the training centre, the station losing 3 bays and alot of its identity. Today its very cluttered and a horrible place to work! Bring back the old station!!

Added by Matt Ireland on 30 August 2010.

Kidderminster's Dennis HP RUY150V was also based at the new Droitwich station around 1990/91, housed in a training school bay whilst Kidderminster station was refurbished.The new station opened on 20 November 1978, housing 2 Ford/Carmichael WrLs and a Bedford/HCB Angus WrT. The appliaces shown here was involved in an RTA when responding to British Aluminium, Studley on 19th October 1981 resulting in it ending on its side. It was running as a WrL out of Redditch at the time.

Added by Gary Simpson on 30 August 2010.

Thanks again Matt. The second appliance was LFK 454J a Bedford/HCB-Angus WrL but I don't appear to have photographed it unfortunately.

Added by Dusty on 30 August 2010.

Gary, you're quite correct about Kiddy's HP being based there temporarily. I also forgot about the 2 control units that were based at the new station. The first was a Bedford, quite elderly, this was replaced with a brand new Dodge which later transfered to Malvern when the ISU, H912 TUY arrived at Droitwich. I can't remember the reg numbers of either of the control units but hopefully someone can fill in the gaps!

Added by Matt Ireland on 30 August 2010.

Dusty, there's a photo on this sight of LFK 454J whilst it was based at Kidderminster fire station, before being sent to Droitwich Stn 8.

Added by Matt Ireland on 31 August 2010.

The Dodge CU was YAB257W, a Dodge G1313 with Benson bodywork. It was new in 1981 and was replaced by X785CUY the Dennis Dart ICU in 2000. Cant help with the Bedford, sorry.

Added by Gary Simpson on 31 August 2010.

Matt & Gary, the old CU was based at Kidderminster and was an ex. Home office AFS unit, reg. NYR824. I remember it being 'set-up' & in operation in High street Worcester 1st October 1979 at the 12 pump fire at Woolworths. My dad was the Div Cmdr based at Kiddy from 1969 to 1974, and then the H&WFB Training officer 1974 to 1979.

Added by Andy Holtham. on 11 February 2011.

Hi Andy, thanks info on the old CU. I have vague recollections of it whilst at Droitwich. Was surprised to find that according to the DVLA records NYR824 is still around and taxed at the moment, although it lists it's colour as blue!! Spoke to my dad tonight and he has fond memories of your dad. It's a small world!!

Added by Matt Ireland on 12 February 2011.

This Carmichael was a very well-executed crew cab version of the Ford D series, which was not always very happily modified when a crew cab was called for. The roofline transition was particularly well done, and reminds me of the earlier ERF-Jennings appliances.

It also looks very much as if the tilting feature on the original Ford cab - a UK first - was retained. Does anyone who was familiar with these machines know if they did in fact tilt, or was the rather prominent seam just what it seems to be?

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 April 2013.

Rob, I maybe wrong but I don't think the Ford D series was a first for tilting cabs in the UK. I think they were launched in 1965, but were beaten to it by the AEC Ergomatic cab in 1964.

Added by Michael G on 18 April 2013.

I sold the first D series fire engines to Gloucestershire, which had very poorly integrated HCB Angus bodywork, designed to facilitate the tilt cab feature. At the time, I was told by the brigade that they were the first tilt cab fire engines sold in Britain, but of course I don't think it is something which could be proven.

I do know that some of the Ergomatic cab chassis were built for fire engine use retaining a fixed cab, which also happened to some D series, but it is quite possible that an AEC with a tilt cab was placed into a fire service before "my" D series.

In any case, these Carmichaels, as well as some other bodybuilders' later efforts, eventually combined the tilt feature with some quite attractive styling.

I think the problem of executing a neat transition probably lost Ford quite a lot of fire service sales. The D series was designed by many of the same team who designed the US C Series - which became the most popular fire truck chassis ever! But the C series was very easy to convert to a crew cab, because in those days US crew cabs were only a cab canopy extension with a rear facing seat. Not so much of a challenge for the bodybuilder!

Added by Rob Johnson on 25 November 2013.

front half of cab did tilt

Added by R Kirkwood on 01 December 2013.

H912 TUY has just been purchased my myself and will be converted to a hot chilli wrap food truck and will be seen at a few music festivals, motor sport events and county shows next year - I would welcome any information on the history of this old machine -

Added by Steve Mott on 08 November 2014.

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