Fire Engines Photos

Darlington had one of these Commer Whitsons in 1950, so I believe this example is from around the same date. It too (NHN999) was delivered as an A type, which had only a hose reel pump and towed a trailer pump, but in its case it was later converted to a B type with a built in 700 gpm PTO powered pump. This was taken from a prewar Leyland appliance which was retired. Although this design was streets ahead of earlier designs, it was not perfect. As can be seen in this photo, the side lockers were very low because there was a large upper locker accessed from the rear. This was not ideal. It also meant that the hose reels were mounted very high, and needed a step and a grab handle to reach them, as well as making it necessary for a crew member to climb up on the roof to rewind them. Not long after buying the Whitson the brigade bought another Commer water tender, but this had Carmichael bodywork with the hose reels mounted low down just behind the crew cab doors, which was a much better idea. Several examples of this style are illustrated on this site.

Added by Rob Johnson on 18 December 2025.

picture 44746 has the Carmichael appliance with the layout I mentioned. Much more practical!

Added by Rob Johnson on 19 December 2025.

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