Fire Engines Photos

Isn't this interesting! An old stlye fibre glass cab being used in 1980, when the Ogle steel cab had been in use for at least 2 years. I wonder why?

Added by Barry on 30 December 2007.

I have been digging for some info, and have found out that this appliance is a an 1963 ex ERF chassied HP in 1983 not 1980. which was based at Brierley Hill fire station. The recovery equipment is Bro - wrecker with bodywork by West Midlands Fire service.

Added by Paul Warnock on 31 December 2007.

Believe it or not, this vehicle (or more correctly part of it, began life as PFD 777F, an ERF Hydraulic Platform that was new to Dudley FB. Its conversion into a RecV took the following form;

PFD 777F had its main bodywork removed by Acoma, and the booms were sold to a local plant hire business. The chassis/cab then went to Peterborough Engineering to have a Perkins V8 fitted. It then returned to BWS for removal of the cab, axles and suspension, leaving only two main chassis rails and the new engine.

Reconstruction: Allison automatic gearbox with crawler gear, full integral
power steering (Dennis RS), and Dennis 'Paxit' cab, whilst a new braking system with skid-check and recovery equipment was fitted by Cowan Recovery (Newport Pagnell) who installed the BRO 2000A lifting gear. The 'new' vehicle kept its original registration for only a short time before being re-registered CHA 755Y.

Added by Ian Moore on 31 December 2007.

Ian,
I suppose the wheel trims gave it away as not really being a Dennis. However, thank you for such a detailed 'breakdown' of its unique history!

Added by Barry on 31 December 2007.

This RECOVERY VEHICLE was based at station A5 PERRY BARR in the WEST MIDLANDS, though I believe this photo was taken at A1 BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL.

Added by Yelp Bullhorn on 29 April 2008.

This recovery vehicle was the brain child of the late David Birch. Built At Dudley workshops. The west midlands fire service workshops has not been the same since David passed.

Added by Tim on 23 June 2012.

I can remember Birmingham central running a AFS recover unit as the rescue tender back in the sixties.

Added by Dave Price on 24 June 2012.

Dont recall the west mids fire service heavy wrecker but the photo was undoubtedly in the yard at birmingham central firestation (Now closed) as an eighteen year old "Raw Recruit" along with many hundreds over the years, I learned the basics of the job on that site including now forgotten hook ladders and wheeled escapes ROB

Added by Rob Tarplin on 14 October 2015.

Thankyou for letting me join.
Can anyone please help - I'm looking for the lettering font and or logo's that was used on all vehicles, property and used as the general company corporate image back in the 1980's when West Midlands Fire Service was in Gold lettering with a White outline as in the picture and on a brown background on the pump engines.
I'm also looking for pictures of WMFS Dennis RS engines that were based at Binley Station B6 in Coventry, around the same time the 1980's so I can have the registrations, door information, etc.
Can anyone please assist me with this as It's for a project, I've tried the internet, WMFS heritage group and still nothing, many thanks, Chris Uddin.

Added by Chris Uddin on 28 March 2021.

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