Bonnie Dundee by Simon Ryan (Torque 80)

Introduction

Sited on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, the former Burgh of Dundee derives its name from two Celtic Words, Dun meaning Fort and de` meaning fire; it became a Royal Burgh in 1292.  It became a centre for the production of jute fibre, when a number of local mills converting from linen to jute in the mid 19th Century when the product was in great demand.  The Burgh is also famous as a shipbuilding centre and, as the home of both James Keiller & Son Ltd, manufacturers of marmalade and of DC Thomson, producers of childrens’ comics including ‘The Beano’.  A fire brigade was established in the City in 1835.
 
The First Leyland

Dundee would in time become a firm supporter of the Leyland marque purchasing nine machines in all.  The first of these followed-on from the City’s first two motors, both made by Argyll’s Ltd of Glasgow, later of Alexandria.  The Police and Lighting Committee, who oversaw the running of the brigade, approved a third motor engine in 1914, but due to the outbreak of War, it was October 1915 before the Leyland X4 Special motor pump was delivered, with the usual Braidwood body. This was a ‘one-off’ design (Order No.955, 7/14) and there are three drawings of this appliance recorded in the Leyland Drawings Register, dated July and November 1914 and August 1915. (If any reader would like to have a copy of the Drawing Office Register, covering the period 1903-25, we have a copy available in PDF format, it is a wonderful record and makes very interesting reading – please contact the Editor).  

It had a special 4-ton range frame (the usual for a fire engine was a chassis from the 3-ton range), with a wheelbase of 12ft 6in and overall length of 18ft 3½in. The design was evolved to meet the requirements laid-down by the City’s Firemaster (Scotland has traditionally used this term instead of Chief Officer) James Sinclair Weir M.I. FireE, a former merchant seaman and native of Caithness.  Although it had the standard X4 type radiator, it is not known whether it had the X4.40hp engine or the larger and more usual U.55hp engine, probably the latter.  As both engines had the same crankcase (with different sized cylinder blocks) it is impossible to tell from photographs. The delay in delivery was mentioned in the Firemaster’s annual report of Feb 1915 saying that it was caused by “the demands resulting from the outbreak of war”; Leyland Motors were hard-pressed to increase their capacity to produce the War Office Subsidy A models.  The Leyland X4 Special had a Rees Roturbo turbine pump and John Morris & Son of Salford provided the ladders.  Registered as TS 1381 the machine gave nearly 20 years’ service to the City.
In 1915 the Brigade operated from a main station on West Bell Street, which had opened in 1900, and 3 sub-stations.  Due in the main to manpower shortages caused by seven members of the Brigade who were reservists being called-up for military service in August 1914, a decision had been made to close the Northern district station and concentrate resources at the remaining three stations, one of which at Broughty Ferry was manned solely by Auxiliaries.  Five of the seven appliances in use were horse-drawn and there were just 18 full time personnel, three of whom were drivers, along with 22 Auxiliaries.

The 1920s

In 1923 a second Leyland pump was ordered.  This was one of the ‘new’ F.E.2 models (previously called ‘Standard’), chassis no.11691, having the new flared-spoke front wheels, still 720mm rims all round as before, and powered by the U4.55hp petrol engine. It arrived in Dundee on 1st May 1923, registered TS 3977, and replaced the 1908 Argyll escape tender and so carried a 60ft wheeled escape ladder.  A radiator protection bar was later fitted.

Dundee Fire Brigade’s second Leyland, a Braidwood bodied F.E2.

registered TS 3977 in 1923 (Dundee Heritage)

The main sub-station for the Brigade was on Brown Street, Broughty Ferry and when a 3rd Leyland was delivered in November 1924 it was placed in service there.  Registration No TS 4763 was a Braidwood bodied F.E.1, chassis no.11733 and it carried a Rees Roturbo turbine pump and a 30ft extension ladder, it was powered by an S19/5 36hp petrol engine and served the town for nearly 20 years.

Next came an aerial machine.  Until now a 70ft ladder had been the tallest available in the City.  Now an F.E.2 Special was ordered to carry a German Carl Metz 4-section 85ft wooden turntable ladder; registered TS 7314, it was built on chassis no.11808.  Again, a radiator protection bar was later fitted, by now standard for Dundee.  This appliance passed to the NFS in March 1942 and was re-allocated to Denbigh in North Wales in 1945 having received the ladder from the ex-Manchester City Police Fire Brigade C Type Leyland.  (This was a C Type Special with a Class V type rear axle, chassis no.11705, the first Leyland to be supplied in the UK carrying a Carl Metz 85ft wooden turntable ladder.  Delivered in April 1924 it received a direct hit during the Blitz on 23rd December 1940 and the chassis was wrecked. Dundee’s ladder had broken so the Manchester ladder was used to replace it).  TS 7314 in its rebuilt form passed to the Denbighshire & Montgomery Fire Brigade in April 1948 and although shown as being last licensed that year its replacement, a normal control AEC Regent III with a Merryweather ladder was not delivered until 1953 so it may have survived until then.

The Leyland F.E.2 Special with Carl Metz 85ft turntable ladder (BCVMT L005092)

The 1930s

Firemaster Weir’s next order was for a 6-wheeled Leyland TE5 Terrier, chassis no.655 in the new series that started at 100 in 1931; it had ‘New World’ bodywork.  A midships mounted 450 / 700 gpm Rees Roturbo pump was fitted and it carried a two-section extension ladder on its off-side with two lengths of suction hose mounted on the near-side.  Delivered in May 1932, Weir tested the machine on the beach at Broughty Ferry where it was driven across the sands and by all accounts acquitted itself admirably.  Tracks could be fitted over the twin rear wheels for such off-road use.  This appliance carried Registration TS 9841. By now all the Brigade’s pumps were Leylands thanks in no small part to Firemaster Weir.

Dundee Fire Brigade’s 6-wheel TE5 Terrier, registered TS 9841 (BCVMT L011289/90)

The introduction of the FK Cub range saw an order from Dundee first for an FK1 and later an FK7. The former had a rare Wagonette style body and was built on chassis no.3063 having a length of 17ft 6in, a width of 6ft 5in, and a weight of 3ton 3cwt. A 6-cylinder side-valve petrol engine produced 67hp @ 2,400rpm and a 4-speed manual gearbox was specified. A crew of eight could be accommodated on two rows of seats, each row having its own windscreen. A rear mounted Rees Roturbo two-stage 400gpm turbine pump was fitted feeding two deliveries and a 'hoop' style ladder gantry which the late Neil Steele described as giving the appliance the look of a covered waggon. It was delivered in August 1934 and was registered YJ 1720.

Dundee’s FK1 Special with its ‘Wagonette’ body, registered YJ 1720 (BCVMT L014662/63)

The FK7 was more conventional, having tandem seating and a midships mounted pump.  It was placed on the run as a pump escape having been allocated registration YJ 4036, fleet no.4.  It was chassis no.6117 and was delivered in September 1936 to the Northern District station on Strathmore Avenue which had opened in November 1932.  Fleet numbers rarely seem to be seen in photographs of Dundee appliances.

The great champion of the Leyland marque in the City, Firemaster James Weir died in December 1937, aged 69 whilst still serving.  He had served the people of Dundee for 36 years, prior to which he had been a member of the Edinburgh Fire Brigade, joining that brigade in 1890.

A nice near-side view of the FK7, YJ 4036. Note the side mounted pump and the stowage
arrangements for the suction hose, the strainer next to the spare wheel and on the rear
body the trunnion which together with the U gantry for the escape head allowed a wheeled
escape to be carried. The appliance is carrying Lancashire CC Trade Plates
(BCVMT L018379/80)

The War and After

Under Wartime Contract No.2 of the Government’s Grant Aided Scheme for turntable ladders, signed in June 1940, a total of 15 Leyland TLM2A turntable ladders were supplied with central government grant support, to local authorities. One of these designated TE 23 (Turntable Escape) went to Dundee arriving in March 1941.  It carried a four-section steel 100ft Merryweather ladder no.MW59 and was registered as YJ 7700.

Dundee and later Angus Area Fire Brigade’s
TLM2A in Tom Hollis’ Yard, Deeside, N Wales
in 1980 (S Ryan collection)

It spent almost all its operational life in Dundee before being sold.  In 1980 the author found this TLM2A in very poor condition stored in the open in Tom Hollis’s yard near Deeside, North Wales.  Sadly, it was not saved for preservation and insofar as I can determine nor were any of the other of Dundee’s Leylands.  It seems to have served in Dundee into the mid-1960s when Angus Area replaced it by a ubiquitous AEC Mercury with a 100ft 4-section steel Merryweather ladder, registered RYL 949, the second of this type to be bought by Angus Area.

All fire brigades in Scotland were nationalised on 1st March 1942, nearly 7 months after those in England and Wales, with Dundee along with Perth & Kinross, Angus and Fife forming the Eastern Fire Force. Dundee's final Leyland was a rare F5T1. It carried a 500 / 750gpm pump (hence the designation 5) and was powered by a T type 43.5 h.p. E.128 petrol engine [hence T] with a limousine style body mounted on chassis No 100580. The vehicle had a 13ft 3¼in wheelbase and two open propshafts with Spicer couplings.  It was delivered in May 1942 and was supplied with trunnions and head gear so it could operate as a pump escape.  It bore a London CC registration, no.GUC 585, as after March all new fire appliances were allocated centrally to the National Fire Service by the Ministry of Supply.  Of the nine Leyland appliances delivered I understand five passed back to local authority control when the NFS in Scotland was disbanded under Section 36 of the 1947 Fire Service Act.  Schedule 4 of the Act required Authorities in Scotland to operate joint brigades, apart from the County and City of Glasgow.  So, the County and City of Dundee was joined with Arbroath and the County of Angus to form Angus Area Fire Brigade, which existed until local government re-organisation in 1975.  The last of Dundee’s Leylands as I have said served with Angus Area into the mid-1960s.

Acknowledgements:
     The Leyland Society archive
     Dundee City Libraries
     ‘Leyland Fire Engines 1930-1942’ by Neil D Steele
     Annual Reports by the Firemaster, City of Dundee Fire Brigade