The News
Restored . . . Colin Ray sits in his restored 1929 Model AAC Ford truck, which was Cust’s first fire engine, wearing a replica 1863 Christchurch Fire Brigade uniform and an original 1863 fire helmet.
Thursday April 30 2015
Page 9
PHOTO: DAVID HILL
Cust’s first fire engine restored
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fighters, beginning with his father who was a volunteer with the Geraldine brigade and then the Temuka brigade during World War Two. His three brothers have all served with the Temuka brigade, with two of them going on to become professional fire fighters. Mr Ray became a professional fire fighter in Christchurch in 1960, serving a total of 40 years with the fire service. ‘‘So five of us in the family have all done voluntary service and we have probably done a combined 130 years service in the family.’’ While the next generation has not taken an interest in the fire service, his son Stephen Ray shares his father’s passion for cars, having raced saloon cars with Mike Pero ‘‘they were the first V8 home in the LK500 at Ruapuna in 2001’’. Mr Ray hopes the former Cust fire engine will one day find a home in a museum, ‘‘so if anyone is interested, give me a ring and make an offer’’.
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of the engine through the Oxford Museum. The truck was purchased by the A labour of love has seen Cust’s first fire Cust Volunteer Fire Brigade in engine restored to its former glory. September 1951 from a Mr E Henderson, When Colin Ray, a retired professional a builder, for 155 pounds. fire fighter, purchased the remains of the ‘‘The brigade used this vehicle as their 1929 Model AAC Ford truck from a farm first fire appliance. A 100 gallon tank of at Arthur’s Point, between Queenstown water was carried on the deck and water and Arrowtown, four years it began a was dispensed using a portable ‘Pegson project to restore some of Cust’s history. Marlow’ pump.’’ Mr Ray says he decided to take on the To complete the spectacle, Mr Ray has project of restoring the truck because of a replica 1863 Christchurch Fire Brigade his 40 year involvement with the fire uniform and a genuine 1863 fire helmet. He purchased the helmet from a second service. ‘‘I joined the Temuka Volunteer Fire hand shop in Invercargill. Brigade in 1957 and they had a 1930 Mr Ray says it is the third fire engine Model AAC Ford truck as a hose carrier and seventh vehicle he has restored since he took up the interest in 1980. and which towed a war surplus Ford V8 trailer pump. ‘‘It has stopped me lifting pot lids in the ‘‘I attended my first fire call sitting on kitchen,’’ he jokes. He began with a 1929 Buick car which the back of this fire engine at 2.30am in he later sold, followed by a 1926 Buick the morning, after leaping out of a warm bed and jumping on my bike to get to the chassis which he turned into a fire station and then travelling to the engine. Another project was a 1918 Buick Arowhenua Pa about 100 miles away.’’ which he later sold to former Finance Mr Ray completely rebuilt the truck to Minister Ruth Richardson. He has also restored a 1972 TK Bedford restore it back to being a fire engine, with Cust Volunteer Fire Brigade painted on fire appliance ‘‘which had a foam branch and lots of hose and a brass branch’’. the sides. He has researched some of the history Mr Ray says he is from a family of fire By DAVID HILL
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