Vintage Vehicles

Information on our vintage vehicles can be found below.

Shand Mason C, 1876

City of Chester

This Shand Mason single cylinder was one of three purchased from London Fire Brigade in 1916 by the Posnett family who owned the Highfield Tannery, Runcorn, it was then donated to Runcorn Town Council.

It was inherited by Cheshire County Fire Brigade some years later and was renovated during the winter of 1995-1996 by Mr Bill Davies of Wrexham.

It is shown at many rallies in Britain and Europe by kind permission of the Chief Officer of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

It is believed to be the oldest original Shand Mason single anywhere in the world to be in full working condition.

Land Rover L4P, DMB 907X

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, formerly Cheshire Fire Brigade, purchased eight Land Rovers in 1983. All the Land Rovers run on a V8 petrol engine. The vehicles are modified Land Rover Safari models. They have a 100 gallon water tank and portable pump fitted in the rear.

The conversion work was carried out by Jennings of Crewe, who constructed many vehicle bodies including coach work until they ceased trading in 1990.

The Land Rovers were all based at rural fire stations throughout Cheshire where they dealt with incidents such as farm, hill and forest fires. They were ideal for inaccessible sites that the larger fire pumps were unsuitable for.

This particular Land Rover was based at Poynton fire station until its retirement, it was then donated to the Historic Society to preserve and can be seen at events throughout Cheshire along with the Hand-Pump.

Horse Drawn Manual Pump 1850 – 1870

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are proud to have one of the two hand operated pumps that were stationed at Northwich fire station between 1850 to 1870. The pumps were named after the town’s rivers – the Weaver and the Dane.

This Hand Pump was not designed to carry water onboard. Upon arrival at an incident the driver would find a pond or river, then prime the pump which would be operated by sixteen people working in relays of eight. These teams would typically consist of local residents, servants of the house, industrial workers or bystanders. The pump was able to produce two jets of water which were sufficient to extinguish a small house fire.

This particular Hand Pump was based at Northwich fire station until its retirement. The horses that pulled the pump were kept in an adjacent field and became so familiar with their role, that they automatically trotted over to the fire station when the fire bell rang. This Hand Pump did unfortunately fall into disrepair for part of its lifetime, but was rebuilt from scrap components found in a field near Northwich by an unknown enthusiast.

The Hand Pump has been donated to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Historic Society to preserve and show.

Leyland Turntable Ladder, Model TLM2A, 1939

Registration Number FMA 210

This appliance first served at Macclesfield fire station. It replaced their old Braidwood fire engine. The first driver was Lt Sherratt. It also served in the German bombings of Manchester and Liverpool.

The ladder is 104ft long. It was made to fit the small streets of Macclesfield, by being shorter when housed, with an extra extension to make it up to the full 140ft.

It can pump up to 575 gallons per minute, has two water tanks, each holding 60 gallons, this was only for use with the hosereel at the rear of the appliance.

The bonnet is blue because leyland trucks said that it helped with engine heat dispersal. The engine is an in line six cylinder overhead camshaft of 539.cu.ins. Rated at 69 BHP at 1,000 rpm.

Dennis F7 Fire Appliance, 1949

Restored to former glory

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have restored back to its original condition a vehicle from its historical fleet, a Dennis F7 Pump Escape Fire Appliance. The vehicle dates back to 1949 and many years of service eventually took its toll. Many hours have gone into its refurbishment including a replacement of the interior and various mechanical elements, a body re-spray and new livery, bringing the engine back to life.

Back in the 1950's the F7 was known for its advanced performance and modern looks. It's Rolls Royce B80, 8 cylinder petrol engine coupled to a 4 speed gearbox propelled the machine from 0 to 60 MPH in 45 seconds and a typical fuel consumption of 3 to 4 mpg was quite impressive for the time. With no power steering and hydraulic brakes the F7 was known to be difficult to drive. Driving one was considered quite an art, although drivers still loved using them.

Now the engine has retired from its official duty the F7 still attends shows and has become a local attraction in its home town of Chester. With approximately 5 remaining from the 50 that were made, enthusiasts and others alike still want to see a working F7 model.

Dennis F8 Fire Appliance, 1953

Registration Number RMB 996, Original glory

This appliance was bought by Cheshire County Fire Brigade in 1953 and served at Nantwich and Audlem fire stations.

In its later years it served as a spare appliance before being handed over to the historical society for preservation in the mid 70's.

It is powered by the rolls royce B60-6 cylinder petrol engine.

It carries a 35ft Ajax ladder plus the two section short Extension ladder.

The water tank holds 400galls and pumped via a 500gpm pump.

Dennis F1 Fire Appliance, 1955

Registration Number NED 146

The Dennis F1 Fire Appliance was bought in 1955 by Joseph Crosfield of Warrington to provide fire cover at its Warrington site. The appliance continued to give cover at this site until its retirement around 1977. It was then handed to the Warrington Borough Council for preservation.

In 2002 the ownership was transferred to Cheshire and Fire Rescue Service, at which time it was totally restored to its present condition by the Service's technicians based in the workshops in Winsford HQ. During the restoration the original Dennis petrol engine was found to have exceeded its serviceable life and it was therefore replaced with a Perkins Diesel engine. The machine has now covered many miles attending various rallies and charity events throughout the northwest.

The vehicle is now part of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s vintage collection and attends vintage shows and events regularly across the area with it’s team of volunteer helpers.