Fire Engines Photos

It seems to have an Albion crest above the lower radiator grille in this photo, but not in the picture 41809. I can think of a possible explanation, which might be that it had an accident and this panel was replaced by a Leyland badged part because the Albion one was not readily available. This happened to a Belgian Dodge water tender which ended up sporting a Renault grille because the otherwise identical Dodge badged grille was not available!

Added by Rob Johnson on 27 September 2021.

Looks like it has the Albion Saltire badge below windscreen on both pics. Very nice coachwork job of blending the curvaceous LAD cab into the square bodywork. Always liked the look of the LAD cab.


Added by CraigW on 18 October 2021.

Craig I think if you magnify the photo you will see Leyland lettering, but your eyes are perhaps younger than mine so I won’t fight you about it!

Added by Rob Johnson on 19 October 2021.

Rob , in my sixties and sadly eyesight rapidly going downhill. Cannot make out Leyland letters but not discounting your theory on new front panel. Just saying Saltire badges mean it is an Albion. Funny things went on with Leyland/ Albion badging in export markets but at home stayed distinctly separate.

Added by CraigW on 19 October 2021.

When I was with Leyland we sold Albions in European markets badged Leyland because nobody in any European country had ever heard of Albion. The 13 ton trucks was especially popular in Belgium and France, where Albion was a pejorative name for England, so it was just as well we did not use it. BTW you have quite a few years on me!

Added by Rob Johnson on 20 October 2021.

First hand experience!

Added by CraigW on 20 October 2021.

Carmichael built a fair number of appliances on Albion chassis, but most had a full Carmichael body and cab, which they also built on Bedford, Commer, Dodge and Ford D series bare chassis - so only the badge or lettering was different from one chassis brand to another. Albion was perhaps most famous for being the principal chassis supplier to Merryweather in the 1920s and 1930s, at a time when this firm built an awful lot of fire appliances….

Added by Rob Johnson on 21 October 2021.

So the (Perfidious) Albion name did not go down well in Europe! However the 13ton Albion Chieftain seems to have been a very popular export truck . Many seen in Africa.

Added by CraigW on 21 October 2021.

picture 21598 on this site has an Albion Carmichael WT with the Carmichael cab.

Added by Rob Johnson on 22 October 2021.

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