Fire Engines Photos

Quite a few Thames Traders were sold as fire engines overseas, but I cannot recall any being bought for fire service use in the UK.

At the time, of course, the Trader was only available with diesel engines, and not very powerful ones at that. British fire engines were almost all petrol engined, apart from the AEC and Maudslay Merryweathers and the London Dennis F101s.

The first Fords sold to UK fire services were the 11 D600s in 1967 with HCB-Angus bodywork. These had petrol engines specially sourced from Ford of Canada, because Gloucestershire just would not entertain the idea of having diesel engined appliances!

Times change......

Added by Rob Johnson on 20 August 2014.

THIS THAMES IS A TYPE 2 LAST OF THIS SHAPE THE FOLLOWING THAMES WERE SPLIT CABS THE PUMPS ON THE TYPE 2 WERE FROM EITHER DENNIS 500 PUMPS OR DENNIS 250 , 350GPM THEY WERE FITTED WITH SIX CYLINDER ENGINES THE SAME ENGINES USED IN FORDSON TRACTORS OF THT ERA I OWNED ONE FOR FOURTEEN YEARS AND I WISH I STILL HAD IT. FOUR SPEED GEARBOX WITH PTO TO PUMP SOME APPLIANCES HAD THE ABILITY TO PUMP-AND ROLL MOST WERE FITTED WITH GMC REMOUNTED PTO SYSTEMSTHE STEP ON EACH FRONT WHEEL WAS KNOWN WHEN WE USED THEM AS THE NUTCRACKER WHEN TRYING TO ENTER THE TRUCK WHEN THE ENGINE BAY FLOOR WAS WET. OH THEY WERE THE DAYS.

Added by NEILBALDWIN on 06 November 2014.

Rob, you are not quite right - have a look at the City of Oxford ET, its a 1966 Trader pic #28879 I'm sure I've seen others too.

Added by Michael G on 08 November 2014.

The Isle of Wight Fire Brigade had a 1964 Ford Thames Trader water carrier. CDL 306B

Added by Bill on 11 November 2014.

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