NEW FIRE ENGINE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 39, 25 November 1938, Page 6

NEW FIRE ENGINE

DUE AT ASHBURTON TO-MORROW

DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE. NEW ZEALAND CONSTRUCTION. The new fire engine ordered last August by the Ashburton Borough Council for the Volunteer Fire Brigade will be shipped from Wellington this evening, and will arrive here at about mid-day to-morrow. The engine will he driven from Lyttelton by the Works Manager of the Colonial Motor Company, Ltd. (Wellington), the makers, and will be tested at the fire station at 2.30 p.m. It will he officially handed over to the Brigade by the Mayor ( Dr. G. I. Miller) mi behalf of the Borough Council on Monday evening. Alter this ceremony members of the Brigade will be entertained to a social by the Council. The vehicle is a Ford V-8 L3iin. chassis, fitted with a 400-gallon twostage turbine pump. The pump is specially designed for working conveniently in the roar of the machine, all controls being carried to the back so that the driver can operate the pump and attend to the delivery hoses at the same time. Two delivery valves and a twoway collector head are supplied with the pump ; suitable gauges are provided in convenient positions and illuminated

with a well placed light for night operation. The pump is so designed that the water can be pumped from creeks or stationary supplies, and, at the same time, the water in the supply mains can be boosted to a suitable pressure through the collector head. The body of the engine is of a special design known as the “Now World” type. The seating for the firemen is so arranged to keep the men on the inside to protect them against possible road accidents caused by the old method of outside seating. The firemen can enter on the rear by means of a conveniently placed step, and the body arrangements allow of them to complete dressing while' they are on the way to a fire. The body is very well arranged with lockers for both side and rear delivery of hose, ample provision being made for carrying all the miscellaneous equipment required by a fire brigade. Suitably-designed ladder brackets are fitted on one side of the vehicle and are so arranged that a ladder can be very easily and. quickly released from the clips. Three lengths of reinforced suction hose are carried on the other side of the engine on suitable brackets. These lengths of suction hose are used for drawing water from streams or other supplies which may become available. The main lockers are fitted with automatic lights, which light up when the locker doors are opened. This is for convenient operation at night time. Two searchlights are conveniently placed on the top. These cap be controlled and moved into any position when required. The engine is very neatly finished in all details, and the chromium plating finish on the hand rails and pump parts gives it a very fine appearance.

One interesting point is that the complete vehicle was built at Wellington, New Zealand labour being used. The chassis was assembled by the Ford Motor Company at their plant at Lower Hutt. The pump and all the firo equipment was made up by the Colonial Motor Company. The body and finishing was done by Standard Motor Bodies.

On tost the engine delivered 565 gallons of water per minute at the specified pressure of 1201bs pump pressure.

111 the following results of tests carried out at Wellington on Wednesday, P.P. represents pump pressure, N.P. nozzle pressure, and G.P.M. gallons per minute:

f Readings taken with two 100 ft lengths 2fin canvas hose, breeched.

Poliv. Nozzles. P.P. N.P. G.P.M. 2 finICO 100 344 2 sin. ... 145 130 432 2 lin. ... M25 100 000 1 Tin. J 90 ICO 30G 1 1 Jin. ... 170 128 3G0. 1 . ljin. ... ICO 102 400 1 1 Jin. ... 100 71 470

Flow Gauge on Breech Pump pressure. G.P.M. 80 580 100 565 120 520