|
Home
|
Steam Fire Engines When the steam age arrived, engineers quickly moved to harness the new technology to provide mechanical power instead of manual pumping to new fire engines. The world’s first appeared in 1829 when London inventors John Braithwaite and John Ericsson produced a horse-drawn, twin cylinder unit that could produce a 27 metre water jet at 682 litres per minute. Initial Fear amongst fire chiefs was that these high-powered jets would damage the buildings they were used on. Further developments and refinements were made but it was not until 1860 that the London Fire Engine Establishment acquired its first steamer. The adoption of steam power really took off during the Great Exhibition of 1862 when a trial of steamers was organised in London’s Hyde Park. Two British companies competed with others to build and export steam pumps. They were Shand Mason and Merryweather. In its class at the Hyde Park trial, a single-cylinder Merryweather was able to project a jet over a 43 metre high chimney. After the disastrous Thames-side fire in 1861 which killed James Braidwood, the London Fire Engine Establishment had ordered its first steamers from Shand Mason. Motor Driven Fire Engines The first petrol powered fire engine made its appearance in 1903.Merryweather built the vehicle for Tottenham Fire Brigade in North London. The engine was intended as a wheeled escape ladder carrier and was not able to pump water. It could travel at 20miles per hour (32kmh) on level ground. At around the same time, several brigades used modified cars to carry equipment, but this was the first self-propelled, purpose built fire engine. Brigades began to compete for self-propelled engines and in 1904; Finchley Brigade obtained a Merryweather Aster in which the road engine also powered the pump. This was a significant first. Up until the 1st World War (1915), manufacturers were trying to produce a petrol/electric variant using dynamos to supply electricity to drive the vehicles. Following the war however, Merryweather and Dennis had emerged as the premier British fire engine manufacturers, concentrating solely on the petrol engine as the standard. The days of the horse-drawn, steam fire engine were drawing to a close and despite their continued use, the motor age had really arrived. You can see below how they have evolved. .
Rescue from High Buildings Firefighting techniques became much more effective with the organised, professional brigades of the 1880’s. Fire chiefs however did not become complacent and were keen to use the mechanical age to improve equipment, especially ladders. In smaller buildings, people could still be trapped at upstairs windows, unable to descend past the fire and smoke below. The 15metre(50ft) wooden wheeled escape ladder then in common use could reach only to the third floor. The other alternative was a “jumping sheet” which was stretched out below the building and the victim encouraged to jump in the hope of making a safe landing! The first serious attempt to harness mechanised power to a high ladder dates from 1906 when the German company Magirus constructed a 23metre(75ft) telescopic turntable ladder. This could be elevated, extended and rotated through 360 degrees. Although horse-drawn, the ladder was powered by a petrol engine. Turntable and ladder development continued at great speed following this breakthrough. Merryweather built their first 26metre(85ft) turntable ladder driven by the vehicles road engine. Soon ladders reached up to 30.5 metres (100ft) and became commonplace for rescue and firefighting in city and urban brigades.
|
