Fire appliances

I started googling, and got lost in this comprehensive set of pages.
< auto.howstuffworks.com/1930-1939-ford-trucks6.htm> ;
However, all of the USA examples offered are smaller than the fire appliance and my scout truck.
What commonality existed?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I had the photos and text up already, in a Dennis thread.
< www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1320492088/12#12> ;

Here is another NZ one.

The Bedford is pumping water straight from Bealey River (a Waimakariri tributary) at Arthurs Pass to the tender of a steam loco on a day return tour from Christchurch.

900414Sa-05-ArthurPassNZ-BedfordFireTruck-RSmith

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Here is a popular model for Country Fire Authority (Victoria). This one was present to put water into the tenders of two steam locos that day. The tour had been so popular that two trains were operated.

671104Su-19-StonyPoint-CribPointCFA-Austin-RSmith

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

One under resto with other pics here
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1335884025/10#10

Thanks: Yours are Bedfords. Have I miscaptioned my photo as an Austin?

The earlier photo in this thread, of a 1936 Ford V8 fire appliance in Pukekohe (which is about 60 km south of Auckland) is in two threads.
See:
< www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1338438916> ;
Condensed from a response from NZ in the other thread:
Ford, 1936 model 51m submodel 221 V8 fire engine
Vehicle type: Goods Van/Truck/Utility, body style: Other Truck, main colour red.
3628 cc petrol engine.
NZ Assembled/Built
gvm 4308 kg, tare weight: 3040 kg
Two axles
Wheelbase: 3965 mm
Front axle group rating: 2,900
Rear axle group rating: 5400
Two seats
At the last COF check 8600 km on the odometer.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

This is a crop from a bigger frame, and another Robinvale tour. CFA was attending to supply water to steam loco K153.
I left the vehicle in at lhs, but it looks more like a 4 wd ute than a truck.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Ute is a Suzuki LJ 50, one of Jumbo's favourite's.

Can we get the chassis of the CFA truck two posts back?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Fault delays five new emergency vehicles.
Furore over fire trucks.
SPECIALIST fire trucks worth millions of dollars are sitting idle two years
after they were brought in to service growing regional towns.
The latest delay has been blamed on cracks found in some of the five aerial
pumpers' booms, with overseas engineers called on to fix the safety problem.
The fault will be covered by warranty, so should not increase costs to
taxpayers who have paid about $750,000 per vehicle.
The delay has angered the firefighters' union, which wants the trucks to
boost capability in rural areas.
The CFA says the delay is frustrating, but rejects union and State
Opposition claims that staffing issues or budget woes have added to the
lengthy delay.
But one senior firefighter said the aerial pumpers, which have a crane-like
boom that enables them to fight fires in high buildings, were badly needed
and the delays were unacceptable.
The firefighter said growing areas such as Warrnambool and Mildura were
promised the new hi-tech trucks years ago, and the issue must be resolved
quickly.
Opposition emergency services spokeswoman Jacinta Allan has also hit out,
blaming budget cuts.
"These tankers were earmarked to undertake specific fire and rescue support
for communities right across rural and regional Victoria," she said.
"Victoria's firefighters deserve better from the Liberal National Government
as they put themselves in harm's way every day to protect Victorians."
A CFA spokesman released a statement on the issue, saying that the "Aerial
Pumper is a new hi-tech appliance that's never been used before".
"Before CFA can put the truck into service, a significant amount of training
and testing of the vehicle needs to be done," the spokesman said.
"During the lengthy commission process for the truck, a warranty issue was
discovered and CFA is working with the manufacturer to have this fixed."
The CFA said it would continue to work with the union to get the trucks
commissioned and hoped to have the new system operating in "a few months".
(Wed.13.2.13 Melbourne 'Herald Sun')

My first posting of this has run into trouble. In that era, the forum required that photos be stored elsewhere, with only the link supplied. I used my free website until it became overloaded, and then flickr. Telstra took over my isp, promised to integrate into bigpond, and didn't. It closed the account, and all of those photos were wiped, making the links dead.
That isn't the end of the world, as I now have higher standards of photo preparation, and am redoing for HCVC facebook too.
I am pruning the flickr ones as well, to keep within a new limit of 1000 photos for free accounts.


720403M Pukekohe NZ 1936 Ford fire appliance. (Roderick Smith). It was there to support the watering of two steam locos, on a 4 day safari from Wellington to Auckland (I was a passenger). That is what the assembled crowd is viewing. Also a close up of the 1960s cars. I see a Holden FB or EK, Morris 1100, VW Kombi.
From HCVC posters:
Make: FORD.
Model: 51.
Year: 1936.
Submodel: 221 V8 FIRE ENGINE.
Main colour: Red.
Vehicle type: Goods Van/Truck/Utility.
Body style: Other Truck.
No of seats: 2.
CC rating: 3628 cc.
Fuel type: Petrol
Assembly type: NZ Assembled/Built.
Country of origin: New Zealand.
Gross vehicle mass: 4308 kg.
Tare weight: 3040 kg.
No of axles: Two.
Wheelbase: 3965 mm.
Front axle group rating: 2900.
Rear axle group rating: 5400.
The odometer as at the last COF check was at 8600 km.
The 1935 grill was thinner and tilted back. The 1937 changed radiator shape considerably: more rounded, with a divider bar down the centre.
The Fords in NZ were well known for being a quick bit of gear. Howard Pettigrew (of Commer Connections fame) tells a great story of a fireman who was also a well-known racing driver (HP has all the details). When the Ford was getting on a bit it was relegated to second alarm. When its services were required as back-up it would go out and regularly made it to the incident before the more modern first alarm truck. Apparently it could be regularly seen sliding around corners on the way to an incident with said racing driver at the wheel.

Roderick