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1971 Landrover Swb - Ex British Steel


dunsbyowl1867

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1971 LandRover Swb - Ex British Steel

This 1971 Landrover series 2A short wheelbase fire truck is Ex "British Steel Corporation Chemicals Division Brookhouse Works" was on show at Edith Weston Steam Rally 11-6-11.

Was Brookhouse near Beighton? Later saw service at Orgreave.

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Guest Unitedite

1971 LandRover Swb - Ex British Steel

This 1971 Landrover series 2A short wheelbase fire truck is Ex "British Steel Corporation Chemicals Division Brookhouse Works" was on show at Edith Weston Steam Rally 11-6-11.

Was Brookhouse near Beighton? Later saw service at Orgreave.

Brookhouse Coking Chemicals and Byproducts Plant was indeed near Beighton and it was situated alongside the Beighton to Aughton road. It was sandwiched between the North Midland [Eckington to Rotherham] and Great Central [Woodhouse to Kiveton] Railway Lines.

It seemed to operate as a subsiduary of the larger, Orgreave Plant. Brookhouse had a capacity of some 175,000 tons of coal per annum, whereas Orgreave was nearer 690,000 tons per annum.

There was certainly one of these Land Rover Fire Engines at Orgreave, but as to whether it was the same unit, or a sister of the Brookhouse Engine, I do not know.

I think that I might have a photograph somewhere of the Orgreave Engine, taken in 1991 at the time of the plant closure, so I will see if I can find it out, so that you might compare and form your own view.

I am delighted to see that this piece of history has survived.

Although I suspect that it never clocked up much in the way of milage, as from what I remember, the one at Orgreave seemed to function primarily as a breakfast butty carrier between the works cantee and the "fire station".

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Hi Unitedite,

This was stuck in the window - a bit blurred but maybe you can make it out?

Brookhouse Coking Chemicals and Byproducts Plant was indeed near Beighton and it was situated alongside the Beighton to Aughton road. It was sandwiched between the North Midland [Eckington to Rotherham] and Great Central [Woodhouse to Kiveton] Railway Lines.

It seemed to operate as a subsiduary of the larger, Orgreave Plant. Brookhouse had a capacity of some 175,000 tons of coal per annum, whereas Orgreave was nearer 690,000 tons per annum.

There was certainly one of these Land Rover Fire Engines at Orgreave, but as to whether it was the same unit, or a sister of the Brookhouse Engine, I do not know.

I think that I might have a photograph somewhere of the Orgreave Engine, taken in 1991 at the time of the plant closure, so I will see if I can find it out, so that you might compare and form your own view.

I am delighted to see that this piece of history has survived.

Although I suspect that it never clocked up much in the way of milage, as from what I remember, the one at Orgreave seemed to function primarily as a breakfast butty carrier between the works cantee and the "fire station".

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Guest Unitedite

Hi Unitedite,

This was stuck in the window - a bit blurred but maybe you can make it out?

Thanks DB,

After leaving University in 1981, I "took a year out" in order to get a bit of cash behind me and I went to work at BSC Orgreave for about fifteen months, or so.

My father, who was employed in the traffic [railway] department at Orgreave "smoothed the way" for me.

I certainly remember the Land Rover Fire Engine at Orgreave, which, from memory was nigh on identical to that shown in your photograph and as I've said before, may, or may not have been the one and the same engine, or perhaps its' identical sister. I am pretty sure that I took a photograph of the Orgreave Engine when the plant closed in 1991, so I will certainly try to find it out.

Certainly the Yorkshire Engine Railway Shunting Locomotives were switched between Orgreave and Brookhouse on an, "as necessary" basis, so it seems highly likely that other equipment was switched around as well.

I seem to recall that Orgreave employed a couple of guys as "full time" firemen during the period that I worked there and it is possible that Brookhouse did the same, though I do not know for certain. Eiher way, the job would have been seen as a "cushy" one and one given to those "favoured" by the management.

I must admit that during the period of time that I was employed at Orgreave that I cannot recall the engine ever having been deployed "in anger".

For certain, I was never aware that this engine had been "saved" and I will definately be looking out for it at future events.

Best regards;

N

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Thanks for the memory Dunsbyowl. Orgreave had its own 'fire truck' during the time I was there 1967-71, it was hardly ever seen outside the vicinity of the fire station which, if I remember rightly, was situated between the works canteen and an air-raid shelter. It was a standing joke that the truck had done more miles in reverse than any forward gear and more water had been used washing it than it had ever hosed onto any fire. I agree with Unitedite, I'd never seen it deployed in anger either. We always assumed it was there to satisfy some clause in the Fire Insurance Policy. The Orgreave plant had a 'hot line' (no pun intended) to the Rotherham Fire Station and their engines would inevitably be in attendance at any fire before they got the Landrover started.

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