Fire Engine for 0 gauge.

[Dmudriver]

Hi.

 

I'm looking for some assistance and thought this might be a useful forum to find it.

 

I am building an 0 gauge layout (see link below) and am thinking of modelling a fire station near the railway station.  The layout is set in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

 

I've looked in various places on the internet and all I have found in 1:43 scale is  2 Land Rover fire engines, one each from Oxford Diecast and Cararama.  Whilst I could use these, I would like what I would call a "proper" fire engine.

 

There are plenty of 1:76 scale ones about and there are also some foreign ones in 1:43 scale.

 

An alternative to an RTR might be to adapt a foreign one.  Has anyone done this?  If so, how did you do it?  Or, alternatively, is there a professional modeller out there who builds or could adapt a fire engine?

 

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

 

Rod

 

PS  I could always assume the engine is out on a "shout" if there isn't one available but I would prefer one standing in the yard or inside an open door..

Edited December 15, 2018 by Dmudriver

[BernardTPM]

I had one of these Dinky ERFs once; that was 0 guage. A good one probably won't be cheap now.

[Peter Beckett]

Rod,

Try this site

 

https://www.freewebs.com/firebrigademodels/index.html

 

Peter

[Dmudriver]

Thanks BernardTPM and Peter for your replies.

 

I'll have a look for the Dinky one, Bernard.

 

That site looks fantastic, Peter - the only slight problem is the scale (1:48) but I'm sure that, with a bit of judicious placing on the layout, I could get away with it.

 

Do you have much to do with that business?  That is, do you know if they would brand a built model for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service?  Obviously, I could ask them but I just thought you might know.

 

Thanks again, gentlemen.

 

Rod

 

PS   If anyone else can contribute ideas, I'd be most grateful as I know very little about fire engines or services.

[jcb 3c]

The ERF fire engine was quite popular in its time and  falls right in your time scale .  Designation was ERF 84PF and if you google image search this you will see a good selection of in service photos .

You should be able to get a ' played with'  Dinky one  for around £20 on Ebay and they are easy to restore / detail.

 

There is also the  Dinky AEC Merryweather Marquis   ( Slightly more toy like as it can pump water ! ) and Ford Transit fire engines which would make a  good second appliance with either the ERF or the AEC .

 

Craig

Edited December 16, 2018 by jcb 3c

[Dmudriver]

The ERF fire engine was quite popular in its time and  falls right in your time scale .  Designation was ERF 84PF and if you google image search this you will see a good selection of in service photos .

You should be able to get a ' played with'  Dinky one  for around £20 on Ebay and they are easy to restore / detail.

 

There is also the  Dinky AEC Merryweather Marquis   ( Slightly more toy like as it can pump water ! ) and Ford Transit fire engines which would make a  good second appliance with either the ERF or the AEC .

 

Craig

Thanks, Craig, for that information.  I've looked on eBay and found one - compete with ladder as there's a few that aren't.  It's paid for and will be winging its way to me shortly.

 

Are you interested in the Fire Service?  If so, is there a modelling forum, something similar to RMweb?  The reason I ask is that, if I'm going to model a fire station, I'd like to do it reasonably prototypically - as in the layout of the yard, where the training tower would be, space round the tower, parking spaces, etc - so I'm looking for a source of information.  I've had a look at a couple of articles on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and one has listed the types of appliances at each station, which is very useful.  I think I'll just have  a Land Rover pump to go with the ERF RP.

 

It's fascinating, researching something new!!

 

 

Rod

[jcb 3c]

Hi Rod

Interested in all commercial vehicles since a toddler ! but especially military and fire trucks.

I think there is/ was a facebook site on fire engine models but don't know the link.

 

 

Transport  Models has some interesting stuff but no specific fire section

http://www.transport-models.com/scales.asp

 

The Fire Flash Delta site is superb and has hundreds of  historic images of all the fire engines and stations in the North West of England .

 http://www.fireflash-delta64.co.uk/

 

Fire Engine Photos is also a good site and does what it says on the tin !

The search facility is clunky though and better to use google with the site title .

http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/index

 

Craig

Edited December 19, 2018 by jcb 3c