In the 1920's the WA Fire Brigade imported the chassis for the T Model Ford fire trucks from Canada, when arriving in Perth the front mounted pumps and equipment would be added before they were then sent to country volunteer fire stations. This particular 1924 T Model Ford Light Pumper had a very hard life after it was finally decommissioned from the WA Fire Service, spending thirty years on a farm as a 'fencing vehicle'. When it was finally donated to the Fire and Emergency Services Heritage Branch it was nothing more than a pile of parts, Jeff showed me the pictures and believe me it's a miracle that they were able to save it at all, however this is exactly what happened. Over the next seven years volunteers from FESA painstakingly restored it, mainly by hand, even importing Hickory wood from America for the hand carved wheel spokes, and finally, complete with working gears and engine it was driven off the carrier into the museum where it is quite rightly displayed with pride, a huge achievement.....
Of course no fire station is complete without the 'fireman's pole', designed to get the men down from the upper levels of the station ASAP..I have to admit, if there hadn't been a glass barrier preventing people from having a go...I would probably have HAD A GO!! Or maybe not, it is a little bit high!!
I have visions of these big fire doors being pulled open and the fire engines rushing out with their bells a'clanging.....!! Sometimes I think I have a very 'romantic' notion of what 'the past' was like. Hope your week is off to a good start, stay safe.....
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