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Lloyd&Plaister escape West Ham AN878
1910 West Ham's first purchases of motorised appliances in 1908 were not pumps but escape carriers with no built in pump.
In the early 1900s there were many small motor manufacturers in London in 1900s, and Lloyd and Plaister of Wood Green were one such.
This photo is taken at Balaam Street substation, Plaistow. I have a 35,000 word book available on the history of this brigade, with 150 pictures.
1910 West Ham's first purchases of motorised appliances in 1908 were not pumps but escape carriers with no built in pump.
In the early 1900s there were many small motor manufacturers in London in 1900s, and Lloyd and Plaister of Wood Green were one such.
This photo is taken at Balaam Street substation, Plaistow. I have a 35,000 word book available on the history of this brigade, with 150 pictures.
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So, motor "escape vans", as they were called, rarely did much more than carry an escape ladder, although those operated by the LCC also had a small water tank and a CO2 cylinder supplying a basic hose reel setup. Many of the earlier ones in use in London were electric.
London - and other brigades - continued to buy separate motor pump appliances and escape vans well into the 1920s, until the concept of the "pump escape" became commonplace.
Despite this level of conservatism, it is interesting that the very first motor fire appliance - supplied to Finchley CB by Merryweather in 1904 - was actually a pump escape!
This had a mid mounted reciprocating 250 gpm pump, a hose reel system and carried an escape ladder. It was certainly well ahead of its time....
Added by Rob Johnson on 01 August 2019.