Fire Engines Photos

Hi Danny. Good to see her still living and looking well. Allocated to Caernarfonshire Fire & Ambulance Service in 1961, she replaced Commer QX/Plaxton WrT BCC 450 which was reallocated to Caernarfon. Running alongside Commer QX/Whitson WrT AJC 10, CCC 129 went to Pwllheli in 1972 replacing ex AFS EP NYR 329, when Bangor received Bedford TK/HCB-Angus WrT LJC 31K. Whilst at Bangor she had what could be described as an interesting career. Prior to being reallocated she had her cab roof burnt whilst on duty at the Denis Faranti fire in Bangor in 1972 and in another incident, Commer OX/Carmichael WrT BCC503C, her stablemate at Bangor rolled into the back of her at the old Caernarfonshire & Anglesey Hospital in Bangor. She was soon followed into service by her twin sister CCC 160 which was allocated to Conwy. Ran at Pwllheli alongside Karrier 75A"Gamecock"/Carmichael CCC 42 and the former Bangor TL Austin K4/Merryweather 60' GXN 224. Pwllheli was built with the expanding area around to former Butlins Starcoast World in mind with a view to being upgraded to day manning. Pwllheli is the only retained fire station in North Wales to have two pumps on the strength.

Added by Andrew Middleton on 22 September 2010.

Hi Danny ~ CCC129 came to Caernarvonshire in 1962.
It was initially allocated to Station 1 Caernarvon
but the Oic refused it because he didn't like the Merryweather steel escape. She went to Bangor instead. This was Bangor's first wheeled escape.
She didn't attend the Ferranti fire as she was away for accident damage repairs. Conway's new escape(CCC160)was on the run at Bangor and attended the Ferranti fire where she sustained damage to the roof from falling asbestos embers.
CCC129 didn't replace BCC450 as this appliance was Caernarvon's Water Tender. In fact she replaced an ATV and trailer pump!
With reference to BCC503C. This appliance collided with CCC129 at Abbey Road, Bangor due to
an inferior handbrake. BCC503C was the worst ever appliance to be issued to the Brigade!!
Tom Holland Roberts ~ Ex CCC129 Driver!!

Added by Tom Hollaand Roberts on 15 March 2013.

Many thanks for the update Tom. Always thought that CCC 129 was damaged there.

Added by on 01 May 2014.

Sorry to hear about the engine, Danny...I think you mean 'seized', not 'ceased'.

Added by Neil Bennett on 03 August 2015.

Now now, Neil. If you're going to correct one mistake in the description, you should really correct all the others. I counted 19. I often get so lost in many of these badly written passages that I give up half-way through. It's a shame really; I know it should be about the photo, but when the description, or any subsequent comments, make my brain hurt, I tend to find myself losing interest very rapidly. Sorry if that offends anyone, but that's how it is.

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 10 August 2015.

see picture 38681 for more stories of this Carmichael bodied appliance.

Added by Peter Williams on 11 November 2015.

Hello Yelp and all...it's nice to see posts that don't mangle the English language...but I don't mean any disrespect to Danny who hopefully is doing a great job restoring the WrT Escape, better than I could do, and we all owe a debt to Fire Service personnel and their equipment.

Added by Neil Bennett on 29 December 2015.

I have owned CCC 42, for the last 35 years. Its a Commer water tender, which was once outright winner at a Suffolk rally, now sadly in need of another restore.

Added by Rodney Hallums on 09 August 2016.

Seeing this picture, and reading these comments have brought back my happy childhood memories for me. My Father, Dafydd Williams was the Ambulance Mechanic for the Caernarfonshire Fire & Ambulance Service. I have a picture of CCC 129 outside the old Fire Staion off Dean Street. She is alongside Commer Wt AJC??, the Austin T/L, a black Austin Van, and an AFS Mk1 Landrover. This picture was taken from the top of the old tower, and printed in the Official Programme for the opening of the new station on Beach Road in 1964.
For some reason the photograph showed no Ambulances, which is strange as they sat side by side with the Fire Appliances in the old garage. From memory there were four - a mix of 'Bedfords Mawr a Bedfords Bach' (Large and Small Bedfords), Austin 'Siting Cars' (we would now call them Mini-Buses, but you could dismantle the seats on one side and place a strecher), and BMC Diesels. The latter kept my father fully employed, as they were so inefficient they needed an oil change every 500 miles!
Being the Mechanic's son certainly had its privilidges, I would pop in to see him nearly every Saturday Morning to see the vehicles, or if I heard that there had been a new delivery to the fleet, I would be there!

Added by Robin Williams on 26 February 2017.

Hi Robin ~
I took the photo of the old Union Street fire station from the roof of the County Theatre.
The reason that no Ambulances were shown was because of the limited narrow angle of the camera. Your father worked alongside Eifion Owen and the Transport Officer Jack Jones.
Happy Days ~ before Gwynedd was forced upon us!!

Added by Tom Roberts on 01 March 2017.

Please see my correct full name.

Thank you.


Added by Tom Holland Roberts on 01 March 2017.

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