Fire Engines Photos

Fire Engine Photos

No: 45950   Contributor: Petros   Year: 1984   Manufacturers: Mercedes-Benz, Merryweather   Countries: United Kingdom, Zambia

Unimog Merryweather RIV Zambia

Mercedes Unimog U1300L 4x4/Merryweather RIV (rapid intervention foam vehicle) for Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, Luanshya. The Unimog had a drop-down ramp on its offside (not visible) for a "Fireball" trolley-type premix foam unit. Picture taken early 1984 near Merryweather factory, Rassau, Ebbw Vale, S. Wales just before closure.

There is the very odd story of how the factory closed. Siebe Gorman took over Merryweather and stripped the factory over a weekend and removed key contents to another plant, despite Welsh government having injected loads of grant aid for the move from Greenwich to a deprived area. Workers turned up on Monday and the factory was closed without their knowledge. Much reported in the press.

I am very grateful to contributor Neil Bennett for permission to publish what must be an extremely rare combination of chassis and bodybuilder right at the end of the Merryweather era.