RAF Fire Tenders in civilian service

[Guest nzflyer]

Hi all,

 

After the war a huge number of vehicles (mainly the Ford Blitz and various GMC models) became fire engines in both Australia and New Zealand. I considered that maybe a similar fate would have occurred to ex-RAF crash tenders, tankers and ambulances. I know that many vehicles went on to see use in airports across the UK however I wanted to utilize a six-wheeled Fordson crash tender kit and modify it for service in the London Fire Brigade. I realise this may be an unfeasible concept but I thought it could be an interesting diorama to model. What are your thoughts on the subject?

 

Cheers. 

[Richard E]

A bit like this machine you mean albeit this was retained for use at Lydd airport and not for use in the general brigade. It is believed to be one of only three surviving Fordson WOT1. There is also a WOT1A preserved and that is unique:

 

 

The Airfix crash tender kit is actually an Austin K6. Although this is not identical you can see the cab profile matches the Airfix one. The kit carries the pump and tank kit depicted in the Fordson picture.

 

 

Neither went into service with the civilian brigades.

[Guest nzflyer]

Thanks very much.

[Fat Controller]

I imagine that, at the time of their withdrawal from RAF use, they weren't considered to be of much use to civilian firefighters, as they were primarily intended to dispense large quantities of foam over crashed aircraft, whilst most 'civilian' fires would use water jets.

[phil_sutters]

You could try deploying it as an auxiliary bowser, although, in London, you are never far from a hydrant, so that might not be plausible. You could post it to Croydon Airport - closed 1959. I think that was in the LFB area.

There is a nice photo of a 1942 Fordson WOT 1 foam tender in the Osprey 'British Fire Engine Heritage' book - page 63.

[Guest nzflyer]

My layout is called Yellowhammer and depicts a fictional four-mile urban commuter branch line from the GWR main line near Staines/Southall in west London to locale of Bunting Hill via the village of Redpoll. The branch line is known to locals as the Yellowhammer Line and the local fire brigade servicing the district in 1959 compromised of a Leyland Light Four, a Dennis F8, a Fordson Heavy Unit and a Austin Tilly with pump trailer. I wanted to use an old wartime vehicle that would be different i.e. not a ATV or Heavy Unit. I was thinking of a Matador or an old RAF crash tender but I don't think many of them made it into the civilian brigades, certainly not into an austere, rundown neighborhood in West London in the late 1950s.

[PhilJ W]

Essex operated foam tenders until recently due to the oil refinery at Coryton, however they had specially built units not ex-military. However Essex fire brigade did operate ex-military Bedford QL fire tenders of the type modelled by Oxford up until about '51 or '52.

[phil_sutters]

Just because I came across it, whilst looking for something else - were you aware that the extensive range of fire appliances, formerly made by BW Models, has been acquired by Mid Devon Models. Their website is a bit chaotic and I have no knowledge of their record as suppliers, but here is the relevant page -  http://www.spanglefish.com/middevonmodels/news.asp?intent=viewstory&newsid=72245

[Baby Deltic]

Essex operated foam tenders until recently due to the oil refinery at Coryton, however they had specially built units not ex-military. However Essex fire brigade did operate ex-military Bedford QL fire tenders of the type modelled by Oxford up until about '51 or '52.

Essex now use bulk foam carriers. The last FoT's were Dennis SS's. They also used to have Dennis F48's fitted with Simonitor booms.

[PhilJ W]

Essex operated foam tenders until recently due to the oil refinery at Coryton, however they had specially built units not ex-military. However Essex fire brigade did operate ex-military Bedford QL fire tenders of the type modelled by Oxford up until about '51 or '52.

 

 

Essex now use bulk foam carriers. The last FoT's were Dennis SS's. They also used to have Dennis F48's fitted with Simonitor booms.

The other day I saw a demountable foam unit on a Scania driving through Basildon. Unfortunately as I was on a bus at the time I was unable to take a pic.

[phil_sutters]

East Sussex FRS has this foam tender - but I guess that as per usual on RMweb we are wandering off topic, or at least the original question!