No 175
March 2008
FLYER & SALVAGE
HFEA pump day held at Parramatta Park in February 2008 Photo by Mark Hall Page Number 1
No. 175
FLYER & SALVAGE
From the Editor
March 2008
Aaron Bischoff
Welcome to issue 175 of the Flyer and Salvage. This is my first issue as Editor of Flyer and Salvage, having taken over the reigns from Brett who for the past 15 years or so has contributed greatly to the HFEA in putting together the Flyer and Salvage every two months. Having large boots to fill as Editor, I’ll try hard to keep the Flyer and Salvage as interesting and informative as it has been in the past. As always, submissions of stories and photos (preferably Dennis) are always appreciated. And of course, if you want something added to the Flyer and Salvage as a regular article, just let me know. I’m sure this has nothing to do with me being a biased Dennis advocate, but the days of the Land Drover and Dodge are over! Just kidding Brett. I was actually blown away with the performance of Alex Morton’s little Land Drover at our pump day in February.
HFEA Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the HFEA was held on Sunday 10th February 2008 at beautiful Parramatta Park. With the meeting well attended, positions for the committee were called with the following nominated and elected at the meeting. HFEA Officers for 2008 President
Guy Ellis
Vice Presidents
Shane McDonell Keith Lang
Secretary
Ray Kelly
Treasurer
Doug Humphreys
Editor
Aaron Bischoff
Events Officer
Shane McDonell
CMC Delegates
Ray Kelly
Registrars
Shane McDonell Gerard Duck
NSWFB Liaison
Ray Kelly
NSWRFS Liaison
Keith Lang
Public Officer
Gerard Duck
Vehicle Recorder
Brian Blunt
Station Recorder
Position Not Filled by resolution of meeting
www.hfea.com.au Page Number 2
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HFEA General Meeting Following on from the AGM, the General Meeting was held. All present agreed that the venue chosen at Parramatta Park was excellent. It would be great if we were able to use this venue again next year. Being adjacent to the weir allowing for a “pump run”, it gave the HFEA great public exposure.
HFEA Pump Day February 2008
Ryan William’s 1710B Acco
Keith Lang’s Dodge Tanker
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Having caught the train out from beautiful down town Redfern after nightshift, it was a pleasant surprise to find it not raining and the sun out. A short walk from Westmead station and through the park, I soon came across Guy, Ray and Shane. After the usual meet and greet, it was good catching up with a few friends I had not seen for quite a while. We held our AGM and General Meeting in the pavilion adjacent to the weir. It must be noted that this venue, with the cuppa’s and delicious morning tea, was a sure winner. Hopefully we can have our next AGM and pump day here. After the meeting and a chance for a bite to eat, we headed down to the weir. Ryan’s Acco was first up into action. Draughting out of the river and pumping through four lines of hose to the large branch, the old Acco did not miss a beat as a good jet of water was thrown across the river. This was followed by Mark’s Dennis Jag. Again showing why Dennis is the only true fire appliance, the pump was effortlessly put to work and had the four lines to the large branch charged. Not to be outdone, the NSWFB’s new Varley and Scania lined up for a go. Draughting from the river, both pumps delivered a good stream of water through their roof mounted monitors. But the surprise of the day, was visitor Alex Morton’s little Land Drover pumper. With its engine revving, I was really surprised at the pressure at the branch as it pumped through a single line of 38mm hose. With half a dozen vintage fire appliances and with a couple of the modern appliances from the NSWFB in attendance, everyone had heaps of fun making our pump day a great success.
A rare sight
Guy lost for words
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HFEA Pump Day February 2008
Mark Hall’s Dennis D600 showing it still can match Northmead’s Scania
Guy Ellis’s F44 Page Number 5
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HFEA Pump Day February 2008
Alex Morton visited our pump day with his Land Drover
Jim attending to the pump of Mark’s Dennis Jag during pump operations
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FIRE 000 Channel Nine brings unprecedented behind the scenes access to the firefighters and operations of the New South Wales Fire Brigades. The types of operations and victims profiled will changed every episode. As each week goes by, the personalities of the firefighters will become more apparent. How do they respond to tragedy, crisis and danger? Who struggles with emotion, and who puts on a tough facade. This series will deliver real time stories of hope, drama and jeopardy, mixed with heart-felt emotion and fascinating NSW Fire Brigades procedure. During the pump day, the camera crews from the series arrived to get some footage for an upcoming episode. Dressed in period turn out gear, the camera crews were able to get some great footage of Guy Ellis, Steve Baistow and Shane McDonald’s son Connor in action. Hopefully it will make it into production and give the HFEA some public exposure and not the cutting floor. If you would like to see a preview of the upcoming series then log onto: www.channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/
Not one to miss the lime light, our President in action with the help of Steve Baistow and Connor McDonald
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2008 NRMA MOTORFEST Once again the HFEA was well represented at the annual NRMA Motorfest. The vintage fire appliances, as always were a huge draw card. On display were the Museum Of Fire’s Mack Ladders and Dennis F44, Guy Ellis’s J1 Bedford, Mark Hall’s Dennis Light 4 and Reg Varley’s Dennis 250. A story by Shane McDonell will feature in the next issue of Flyer & Salvage.
Again as a parting gesture for Brett, two Land Drover fire appliances. Note the multiple drip trays, one thing that would never be found under a Dennis
The Museum of Fire’s Dennis F44 also came out to play Page Number 8
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Postcard perfect……Guy’s Bedford, the Museum’s Mack and Mark’s Dennis
Huge crowds at the 2008 NRMA Motorfest, with the Historic Fire Engine Association fire appliances again proving a hit with the crowds
A regular visitor to Motorfest, Reg Varley’s Dennis 250 Page Number 9
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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT NECESSARILY GOLD For me It’s BRASS. A metal alloy of copper, lead and zinc. It is non ferrous, does not rust, easy to machine and looks like GOLD! This story begins over half a century ago, where at the age of 5 prior to attending school I would accompany my father to visit his mother in the Northfield Hospital regularly on a Sunday afternoon. As a reward for my patience my father would stop the car on Main North Rd. at Nailsworth and I would gaze into the parking bay of the fire station of the South Australian Fire Brigade. There, I still have vivid memories of the pre war Diamond T fire truck with its gleaming red paint, chrome rack supporting the ladder and adorned with polished brass fittings. In those days firemen’s idle time was spent cleaning the appliance and polishing the brass equipment. Today’s fireman is constantly consumed with physical training, preplanning, procedure training and scientific analysis. In my own time, I would watch in awe as the Electricity Trust of SA lines truck drove by with its body lockers and sloping ladder leaving me confused of why it wasn’t painted red. As the years progressed, this interest waned and other important social activities became a priority; i.e. girls and obtaining a driver’s licence. Upon entering the work force with the then Department of Civil Aviation, prior to commencing my radio training, my very first task in the sheet metal shop was assisting in fabricating sliding doors for lockers on the Airport’s Thornycroft 6 wheel drive fire tenders. However it was not enough to spark my Interest again. Later on, in Alice Springs I would work closely with fire service personnel by operating a 16mm projector for their training, but the only thing that excited me about the station was their vintage manual petrol pump.
Leigh’s 1961 International Pumper Page Number 10
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Returning to Adelaide and taking up residence in the suburb of Eden Hills it became known to others that I was employed in my profession on shift work. The Emergency Fire service, originally a branch of the Police Force and now in the process of changing title to the Country Fire Service was always seeking volunteers for daytime fire fighting. I felt obliged to give service to the community and it was here in the early years where I experienced a variety of vintage vehicles mainly from the war years leading me to heritage of the fire service and restoration of old vehicles. Severe fires and criticism of the service soon led to the scrapping of these older trucks and dollars were spent on upgrading the vehicle standards. In 1978 I attended an auction sale held in the old pig sheds of Wayville showgrounds where the Metropolitan Fire Service sold off all their surplus old trucks and equipment. With my eldest son only 2 years old and family a priority, sanity prevailed and I withheld from joining the bidding frenzy.
Rear view of Leigh’s International showing auxiliary pump and equipment At the end of the day, I watched deflated, as successful buyers drove away in their purchases with very little outlay. While some did depart under tow, many have survived to be regular runners in the Bay-to-Birdwood. From that time on, the spark was re-ignited and that perhaps one day I too may come to own a vintage fire truck complete with its brass fittings and equipment. In the years to follow I expressed an interest in heritage trucks around the fire scene, built up an extensive collection of model trucks and acquired many pieces of hardware and fittings in the event something would become available. Late in 2004, as luck would have it, a suitable vehicle was spotted in passing a second hand truck yard at Port Adelaide opposite Sims scrap. I returned to the yard several times to view this truck in its forlorn state and after much advice from a respected friend against such a purchase, I made an offer and it fell into my lap. I now had my own classic fire truck in much need of attention and hard work. Page Number 11
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The vehicle is a 1961 International AA151 with truncated cab and bodywork by Enoggera Motor Body Works, Brisbane. I believe it saw service at Cunnamulla, southwest Queensland. The face of the instrument panel was the only piece of glass intact and the odometer under the dust reading less than 8,000 miles. At some time in its life the body has undergone extensive modifications removing the PTO pump and a second crew seat with side lockers gutted out to be replaced by a large platform. This made for a much larger tank to be carried and a smaller rear platform to accommodate an auxiliary petrol pump. Side lockers, now only a depth of 50mm, have been welded closed. This made the appliance more suitable for bush fire fighting and was then located to Lake Nash aboriginal community, Northern Territory, south west of Mount Isa. Restoration commenced first with the fuel tank. It most probably had a locking cap, however to gain access to petrol the flex tube was removed from underneath, allowing dirt and dust, twigs and rubber bits to enter. Next was to fabricate an exhaust system, from Falcon parts in stock. Attention was now turned to the engine, which fortunately was free but needed a clean-up and tidy of ignition leads. With a little basic wiring we were now in a position to start the engine and to my surprise it fired requiring only minor tweaking of the carburettor to run quite well. In the following months, brakes and gauges were overhauled and electrical circuits rewired. Concurrently the body was renovated, seats rebuilt and paintwork polished. Eventually the truck was considered roadworthy and historically registered through the Falcon car club. (Full registration for the truck would be prohibitive.) Road testing commenced in August of 2005, just in time for the 2005 Birdwood Classic and as luck would have it “It rained on my parade.�
Beautifully restored 1961 International owned by Leigh Ragless Story & Photos by Leigh Ragless Page Number 12
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OUT & ABOUT If you have been out and about with your fire appliance, how about sharing your adventure with other HFEA members. Being in the Hunter Valley, it is not always possible to get my old appliances to club runs in and around “the city”. But that does not stop me doing the odd run with a local club, Steamfest or a visit to my kids school. So if you have a story or some photos of a recent run or visit, just send an email to aaron.bischoff@bigpond.com and I’ll include it in the next issue of Flyer & Salvage.
HFEA member Ian Scandrett (who purchased Gordon Richters 1938 Dennis Ace #263 in August 2007) writes to say he has been active in the Southern Highlands, where he, Julie and son Jack (aged 9) moved to in late 2006. They are on acreage at Werai, near Moss Vale. The Dennis has been to the Exeter RFB Open Day and more recently was in the famous Berrima Australia Day Parade. Ian says The Ace will be making its first appearance at Jack's school (Tudor House Prep) shortly and will no doubt create great interest amongst the boys. Ian says he sold his 250 a few years ago - it went up to Byron Bay - and he and son Jack have regretted it ever since - hence, the Ace which Ian says they just love and is a wonderful vehicle. It is on club plates but of course being in the country you can get a good run going into town for fuel or maintenance so getting out is not a chore.
Ian and Jack leaving for the trip to the Exeter RFS Open Day Page Number 13
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Ian, Julie and Jack with their Dennis Ace at the Exeter RFS Open Day Julie, Jack and Ian attended Exeter RFS Open Day as guests of Brigade Captain Adrian Reynolds on 15th September 2007. The local paper took a pic and published a story before the Open Day so lots of visitors came to see the Ace. Here it is next to Exeter RFS's newest acquisition. Ian says they now have a big shed, are looking for a 250, and would also love a Big Diamond T with transverse seating or a smaller cross seat Diamond T! Ian also owns a 1951 Citroen Light 15 which came from Adelaide, and has recently acquired a 1938 1.5T Morris Flatbed Truck, which came from Forbes.
Ian Scandrett’s 1938 Dennis Ace at the Berrima Australia Day Parade Page Number 14
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DATES TO REMEMBER HFEA MEETING DATES General Meeting, 18th May 2008, hopefully to be held at City of Sydney Fire Station General Meeting, 10th August 2008 venue to be advised
HFEA EVENTS (Events Officer – Shane McDonell 0401 690081) 40th Anniversary Historic Fire Engine Association March 2009
NSWFB EVENTS Randwick Fire Station Centenary, 2008 ( exact date to be confirmed ) Richmond Fire Station Centenary, 2008 ( exact date to be confirmed ) NSWFB FIREFIGHTER CHAMPIONSHIPS West Region Metro Region South Region NSWFB State Championships
Mudgee Morisset Bega Tamworth
12th & 13th April 2008 14th & 15th June 2008 30th & 31st August 2008 18th to 24th October 2008
CMC EVENTS National Heritage Motoring Day, Sunday 18th May 2008, being celebrated at various locations. Braidwood Day, 3rd May 2008. All British Day, Sunday 17th August 2008, Kings School North Parramatta. Shannons Eastern Creek Classic, 24th August 2008, Eastern Creek Raceway. CMC MEETINGS Held on the last Monday of even numbered months at 8pm at Western Suburbs Australian Rules Football Club at 40 Hampton Road, Croydon Park.
OTHER EVENTS Penrith Working Truck Show Steamfest Maitland
Museum of Fire Sunday 4th April 2008
Maitland Station precinct 18th, 19th & 20th April 2008
Hunter Valley Steamfest Show ‘n’ Shine Starting at 0900 on Sunday 20/04/2008 at Maitland Park in the Hunter Valley town of Maitland. Page Number 15
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OTHER EVENTS 2008 National Fire Engine Run Organised by the South Australia Fire Service Museum on Sunday 27/04/2008. The run is open to all owners of fire appliances from any fire service in Australia and starts at 0930 at the SA MFS Headquarters, 99 Wakefield Street, Adelaide. The run will then travel a relaxing 40 or so kilometres to the National Motor Museum, Birdwood. A trophy, judged on the day, will be awarded for the best presented appliance. Entry is $20.00 per appliance. Contact the Event Organiser, Jeff Anderson by email at safire@chariot.net.au or by fax on 1300 88 4508. Liverpool Super Swap Meet Run by the Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia on 20/07/2008 at Fairfield City Showground, Smithfield Road, Prairie Wood.
FOR SALE
Complete ladder supports with brass rails from Dennis Big Four or similar $100.00 Contact Chris Moore on 02 9876 1680 or 0403 927 147
Dennis 250 1934 ex NSWFB ME 213 (possibly). In good order and condition, comes with ladders, siren. Located in Camden NSW. Owner would like $12,000.00. Contact John Southwell on (02) 4684 8217.
WANTED
Black turnout coat and pants large size Fire boots size 10-1/2 to 11 Suction hose brackets to suit Dennis 250 Inside brackets for pocket doors to suit Dennis 250 Contact Chris Moore on 02 9876 1680 or 0403 927 147
Items to suit the top of an International 1710B (1980) NSWFB Rescue Pumper including stokes litter, short ladder, HAZMAT drum, etc. Please call Don Kemble 0438 858 001 or e-mail don.kemble@careflight.org
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Contributors Flyer & Salvage Issue 175
Articles
Aaron Bischoff Ian Scandrett Leigh Ragless Ray Kelly
Photos
Brett Williams Mark Hall Ian Scandrett Leigh Ragless
Brett Williams The article in Second Call #3 was a little short on Brett’s contribution to Flyer & Salvage. To more fully recognise Brett’s input into our Association, here is an outline of his doings as Editor. He first edited Flyer & Salvage with issue number 80, in July 1990, when Alex Grunbach stood down for personal reasons. Brett did not stand for the position in 1993, with his last issue being #95 (January 1993). Nobody else was willing to take on the role, and it was September 1993 before the then President Gerard Duck put together F&S #96. Nothing further happened until Brett volunteered to put together F&S #97 in September 1994, and he then resumed the Editor's position with F&S #98 in January 1995. So, in actual fact, Brett was Editor from 1990 to 1992 as well as 1995 to 2007, and edited all issues from #80 to #174 except one, i.e. 94 issues out of the 174 published. Congratulations Brett on many years of hard work.
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Flyer & Salvage is the official newsletter of the Historic Fire Engine Association Incorporated (HFEA). The HFEA solicits and actively encourages submissions to this newsletter from members and other interested parties. Since many such submissions are published, this newsletter often reflects the opinions and views of its contributors and not necessarily the opinions and views of the Association. All contributions for inclusion in Flyer & Salvage should be mailed to: The Editor, Flyer & Salvage, 7 Berrinda Close Bolwarra Hts NSW 2320 Or emailed to aaron.bischoff@bigpond.com. All other correspondence should be addressed to: The Secretary, HFEA., P.O. Box 520, Kingswood NSW 2747. Flyer & Salvage is named after two of the firefighting appliances that operated from the City of Sydney Fire Station (traditionally known as Headquarters) in Castlereagh St, Sydney. During the early days of the Historic Fire Engine Association, meetings were held at Headquarters Fire Station, and were often interrupted by fire calls. Crews were called to their appliances over the public address system, and the call of “Flyer & Salvage� was the most common. The Flyer was one of three pumping appliances at Headquarters (the others being the Runner and the Second Call). It was the first appliance to leave the station on each fire call in the city area. It was crewed by an Officer and five firefighters, none of whom were allowed to leave the immediate area of the Flyer during their shift. The Salvage motor was designed and equipped to carry salvage and rescue gear not normally carried on firefighting appliances. Most Salvages have now been removed from their traditional homes at the District stations and redeployed at stations which have been allocated primary rescue responsibilities. In this new role they are known as Rescues and respond to all rescue incidents within their area. HFEA OFFICE BEARERS FOR 2008: (elected at the February Annual General Meeting). President Guy Ellis Vice Presidents Shane McDonell Keith Lang Secretary Ray Kelly Editor Aaron Bischoff Treasurer Doug Humphreys CMC Delegate Brian Blunt Events Officers Shane McDonnell Registrars Gerard Duck Shane McDonnell NSWFB Liaison Ray Kelly NSWRFS Liaison Keith Lang Public Officer Gerard Duck
0414 182 010
firieguy@yahoo.co.uk
(02) 4736 7609 (home) 0415 497 735 (mob)
jorcon@eftel.net.au excal@lisp.com.au
(02) 9626 8289
marydot@bigpond.com
0409 773 207 (mob)
aaron.bischoff@bigpond.com doug.humphreys@aat.gov.au
(02) 9663 0661 (ah)
bblunt@bigair.com.au
(02) 4736 7609 (home)
jorcon@eftel.net.au
(02) 4578 3665 (ah) (02) 4736 7609 (home)
gjduck@bigpond.com.au jorcon@pnc.com.au
(02) 9626 8289
0408 268289 (mob)
0415 497 735 (mob)
excal@lisp.com.au
(02) 4578 3665 (ah)
gjduck@bigpond.com.au
Historic Fire Engine Association Incorporated (HFEA). Page Number 18