The Fordson 7V Heavy Pump Unit was designed in late 1938 to meet the
requirements of the Government’s emergency fire brigade organisation in
the period leading up to the onset of World War II. Based on the
standard Fordson 2-ton forward control chassis with Ford’s own
8-cylinder petrol engine, they featured a demountable 800 gallon per
minute pump powered by a separate engine. Many hundreds of them were
ordered by the Government as part of their standard fire appliance
building programme.
In the same era, the ‘big four’ Railway Companies all operated
comprehensive fire brigades to protect their assets and property.
For Oxford's latest release, we see their 1:76 scale Heavy Pump Unit
replicating one of the emergency vehicles in service with the London
Midland & Scottish Railway, as deployed at the busy port of Holyhead
on the Isle of Anglesey. Decorated in bright red with superb gold
coachlines throughout, our fire appliance ANK 660 displays both LMS
graphics and those of the Holyhead Fire Dept. Note the white LMS Fire
wording along the roof ladders, the LMS initials in gold on the cab
doors, as well as the colourful London Midland & Scottish Railway
Company crest behind the cab windows. This model will certainly add an
unusual dimension to the collections of LMS railway enthusiasts as well
as a fine addition for those of you who specialise in model fire
vehicles in their own right.