Fire Engines Photos

After these were absorbed into London, did they run as first due in the role of the existing pump escapes with 50 foor wheeled ladders?

Was the Merryweather 50 foot alloy extension ladder a "special" issue? I always thought the 45 foot kadder was the longest extension ladder normally marketed by Merryweather.

Added by Rob Johnson on 31 July 2014.

Superb!

Added by Kyle on 31 July 2014.

Yes these ran as the "Pump Escape", which in London is not always the first due machine. Kent Fire Brigade pioneered the use of the light alloy ladder, with 50ft Merryweather ladders, However, Bob, I think you may be right in saying that this is the 45ft version, as Kent had these as standard from 1951. The 8 Kent fire stations that London inherited ran these untill about 1969/70 when they then got Escapes. H27 West Wickham would have been unique as it closed before it got an escape so would only ever have had a Pump Ladder! (It was a one pump Station and Day-Manned, also unique)!

Added by Chris Stone on 09 August 2014.

I WAS STATIONED AT H21 BROMLY IN1970 AND DROVE THIS APPLINCE UNTILL WE RECIEVED THE LFB STYLE PE WHICH I HAD TRAINED ON WHEN I WAS STATIONED AT D66 LAMBETH WHEN I PASSED OUT SOUTHWARK TRAINING 1963.

Added by KEN GOODLACE on 03 October 2014.

The confusing F106 batches are well explained here

flfbm.co.uk/article/history-of-the-dennis-f106-fire-engine/

Added by Petros on 08 July 2025.

Thanks Petros! It was a time of rapid evolution in design. So many different variants in a very few years. Especially interesting for me because my home town, Darlington, had a a 1965 F 106 water tender. It was very unpopular with some of the firemen because it had a “backwards” five speed transmission, with gear positions exactly the opposite of where they were on the old Commer Whitson it replaced!

Added by Rob Johnson on 08 July 2025.

I recall the other reason it was disliked was because of its AEC 470 diesel engine. Very slow, especially when turning out as second due behind the old Rolls Royce 8 cylinder Dennis F12 PE, which was a real flyer! The next PWT the brigade acquired shortly afterwards was a Dennis F108 with the Perkins 170 BHP V8 engine, which solved the problem…..

Added by Rob Johnson on 12 July 2025.

Please add your comments about this picture using the form below.

Comments

Your Name

Your email address - this will be shown on the page and will allow the system to notify you of further comments added to this picture.