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Strathclyde Fire Brigade Preservation Group |
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1958 Dennis F8
Water Tender NHS 196
This appliance was ordered from Dennis Brothers of Guildford by the Western Area Fire Brigade on 1st April 1958 and delivered in September of that year.The vehicle spent the first part of it’s operational life stationed at the old Greenock Fire Station which was situated within the Municipal Buildings.In 1960 it was the last fire appliance to leave the old station and the first to serve at the new. For the next 16 years NHS 196 served as the retained appliance at Greenock although it also saw service at Port Glasgow, Gourock and Paisley.In 1976 the vehicle was disposed of by auction in Glasgow and bought by the transport company Tennants of Forth.Planned restoration never materialised and when the appliance was viewed in 1995 it was in an extremely poor but still roadworthy (only just!) condition.
The appliance was purchased by its present owner in 1996 and driven under its own power to Glasgow, where Glasgow City Council agreed to store the appliance at its depot in Hawthorn Street.
The vehicle was then restored over a five year period by members of Strathclyde Fire Brigade Preservation Group. The work involved rebuilding almost the entire appliance and then fitting out the vehicle with period equipment – hose, ladders, brass nozzles, branches, ‘Proto’ oxygen breathing apparatus sets and uniforms.Painting of the appliance was carried out by The Colin Hutton Group
The Dennis F8 was originally developed for use in Northern Ireland but such was its success that over 150 appliances were built.Many of them served with UK fire brigades, works brigades and defence establishments, while others were exported to New Zealand and Australia.The F8 is powered by a Rolls Royce B60 petrol engine of 4,200cc giving an average fuel consumption of 7 MPG (on a good day!).A Dennis No.2 two stage fire pump is fitted at the rear of the appliance and has an output of 500 gallons of water per minute (2,250 litres per minute)Also carried is a Coventry Climax portable fire pump with an output of 350 gallons of water per minute (1575 litres per minute).
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