View allAll Photos Tagged fireengine
680DEW Bedford Miles, Vickers Fire Service, Newcastle upon Tyne, 23/4/1988 (Photo taken by my late father, William Allan)
No trip to the Far East, particularly Japan obviously, would be complete without bringing back some Tomica! Despite one of the very first diecasts bought for me as a toddler being a Tomica its a brand which has never really had the chance to shine here in the UK and indeed Europe despite their obvious appeal.
I'm certainly no Tomica newbie but due to high prices online its always been a peripheral brand in my collection and so spending three weeks in Japan has gone a little way in correcting that balance. A combination of an extremely favourable exchange rate and availability every bit as good as Hot Wheels is here ensures I brought back suitcases full of them! ;-p
In many retailers and with additional tax free discounts a lot of the Tomica mainline models actually cost less than what most of UK stores charge for Hot Wheels which is definitely a sobering thought!
This gorgeous little Morita Fire Engine Type CD-1 is typical of the diecasts produced by Japans favourite toy car brand, an unashamedly domestic themed vehicle with a heavy metal content, great detailing and working suspension.
Found in a BIC Camera store which proved a good and inexpensive source.
Mint and boxed.
ST1167 : Mercury Fire Engine:
A restored Mercury fire engine on display at Barry Transport Festival.... (more)
© Copyright David Roberts and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Rescue 4 blocking traffic on Bellew Drive during a high-rise hotel fire drill in 1994, it was Holiday Inn at the time and was completely surrounded by open land. I bet now it's surrounded by other hotels and offices.
Not the plastic bodied lash up I was expecting, far from it actually. The Matchbox Scania P 360 Fire Engine possesses an all metal body which gives it a reassuringly weighty feel for something so small. This second edition now proudly wears Scania badging on the front which the first strangely lacked and now looks a lot more complete and licensed. One of a few found recently at One Below as part of the previously unavailable to us Case Q. Mint and boxed.
OCU975R Bedford RLHZ "Green Goddess", Newcastle upon Tyne, May 1991 (Photo taken by my late father, William Allan)
A blatant copy of the Matchbox generic Airport Fire Engine. I've seen this casting over the years being sold under various different brands. This particular one has City Vehicles packaging which appears to be exclusive to B&M Stores which is where it was purchased. Not too badly cast though is obviously a cheaper copy of the original Matchbox version. Mint and boxed.
Prudhoe UDC fire engine, Newcastle upon Tyne, 23/4/1988 (Photo taken by my late father, William Allan)
note all pictures are copyright to British fire rescue pics. none of these pictures can be printed, displayed or saved to any kind of retrieval system without my prior knowledge or consent. as follows uk and world copyright law any one found to breeching this law is liable for prosecution. www.britishfirerescuepics.webs.com/
A “Green Goddess” fire engine, manufactured in the 1950s, on Belle Vue Lane. Already at this location are a 1949s/1950s French Laffy fire engine and a Green Goddess chassis.
The 4x4 Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pump, more familiarly known as the Green Goddess, was a fire engine originally issued to the Auxiliary Fire Service and manufactured from 1953-1956. It is perhaps best known for its use by the army on deployments during strikes by the fire service. Its inherent instability due to no internal baffles for its water tank, led to the death of a soldier on one deployment, when his vehicle overturned. They were not designed as fire engines but as pumps to bring water to cities damaged in a nuclear attack, hence the vehicle's designation. Water could be pumped over a distance by "daisy chaining" units.
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 gave the authorities the power to requisition Fire Service vehicles in the event of strike action by firemen, removing the need for the ancient Green Goddess. The fleet has now been sold off, some to developing countries as fire engines, others to museums.
680DEW Bedford Miles, Vickers Fire Service, Newcastle upon Tyne, 23/4/1988 (Photo taken by my late father, William Allan)
Still plying its wares on a frequent basis and now the unexpected face of a thousand Chinese copies is the Matchbox 2006 generic Fire Engine seen here in its "new" 2017 recolour. Its boxy well cast styling hardly screams generic which probably explains its continued popularity and why a few came home with me from ASDA back in November 2017. Mint and boxed.
I haven't completely lost my mind buying yet more of the overtly generic Zuru Metal Machines, my nearest large Home Bargains recently got in a brand new mix with new castings and recolours. I cherry picked the most believable/interesting including a brand new version of their Inferno Fire Engine, they also randomly call it a "Blazin' Pyromaniac", which clearly is a flight of fantasy very much in the same vein as Hot Wheels. Like all Metal Machines castings only its baseplate is made of the heavy stuff, everything above is plastic.
Mint and boxed.