fire trucks ( WW2) east coast Australia

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This picture reminded me of the dramatic picture Keith once posted on this forum.

21583.jpg

Caption: Ex WW2 Blitz wagon on firefighting duties on the Blue Mountains emergency November 1968.

Source: http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/pi...umber21583.asp

[Keith Webb]

You wouldn't want a vapour lock!

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

This picture reminded me of the dramatic picture Keith once posted on this forum.

Attachment 74615

Caption: Ex WW2 Blitz wagon on firefighting duties on the Blue Mountains emergency November 1968.

Source: http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/pi...umber21583.asp

[Dianaa]

My Mk3 Inter was with the Gloucester Shire and was repowered with an Isuzu diesel after the 1994 fire season when the NSWBFB had a crew or two burnt in petrol powered trucks. The mandate was that all operational trucks were to be diesel.



The original tray was mounted on a tripod arrangement to protect the bottom of the tank from flexing. All the red has gone these days its back to OD.

[Ron King]

In my time as a Prentice mechanic at Sutherland council in the early 1980s my self and a leading hand mechanic was given the job of converting near new TK Bedford 4x4s from petrol to diesel.
The reason was because of the lost of Two fire crews at Heathcote oval due the petrol engines vapour locking.
From 1985 insurance companies in NSW would not touch petrol engined fire tankers ect.
The insurance companies caused the conversion of older trucks to Diesel.............any operational petrol units of any type from 1985 were not covered and therefore became museum or historic vehicles within the NSW RFS and would not be used if the powers to be found out about it.

[Ron King]

The conversion of the MK 3 International above post would have been done about 1985 and not later.
The other factor was the lack of seat belts and on some vehicles the lack of protection from heat and embers for the crew.
Now things have moved on again for insurance/liability reasons and seats belts for everyone,vehicle protection sprinklers, multiple radios,air-conditioning etc.
All sort of things the old trucks could not support and in the real world in the bush fire fighting game for the better.

[Ron King]

When doing the conversions from petrol to Diesel on near new TK Befords 4x4s I couldnt help thinking of the great waste of tax payer money in doing this as a cheap electric petrol fuel pump mounted low near the tank would have stopped any fuel lock/vapour lock problems.
The diesels fitted were worn out Bedford 500s from garbage trucks.
The only good side was the TK Bedford 4x4s performed much better.
My US6 Studebaker has a RFS history and I still have the slide in tank and pump etc which fitted inside the standard cargo body.
The standard cargo body troop seats carried the fire fighters to the fire.
If was not used actively after about 1985 and dispose to a museam about 1990.
In NSW you will find the petrol vehicles were not active after 1985 even though they were on hand and operational.