Training on this at work....

[Wingz123]

Thought you might like this.... was purchased directly from the RAF. We use this to train to use in very bad flooding...

 

2x Jaguar pumps etc etc

[sierraman]

Lucky fucker!

[Datsuncog]

I've had a massive horn for years for an RLHZ... utterly impractical for anything I'd want to do, and I'm told they rot like billy-o if left outside (felt roof?), but just look at it!!

[Guest Hooli]

Ideal* garden ornament according to Saabnut!

[Stinkwheel]

Excuse my ignorance, are these what they refer to as a 'green goddess' ?

 

I thought a lot were scrapped in the military cutbacks, must be a rare (and awesome) beast now.

[Datsuncog]

^^^ Yeah, Bedford RLHZ - popularly referred to as the 'Green Goddess'. About 900 of them were commissioned in the early 1950s and supplied by various coachbuilders between 1953 and 1956, then stationed throughout the UK and manned by volunteer Auxiliary Fire Service crews for Civil Defence purposes in the event of an A-bomb event.

 

Despite appearances, they aren't really fire engines - just mobile pumps, and originally equipped came with an on-board Sigmund pump and two auxiliary Coventry-Climax Godiva pump engines (very similar to the racing engines, I'm told) plus basic kit like axes and a single ladder, but mainly the side lockers were filled with lengths of hosepipe.

 

I understand the Bedfords were designed to be linked together using the hoses to form a pumping chain to lift water from rural reservoirs down into the radiation-blasted smouldering remains of whatever city had taken the brunt of the Russki bombs - and then be bulldozed into a hole afterwards as part of the clean-up. Hence long-term durability wasn't seen as all that important - construction involved timber, sheet alloy and tarred felt, nailed onto the military Bedford RL chassis and fitted with the 4.9litre straight-six petrol engine and all-wheel drive.

 

Some were employed now and again as support vehicles during major incidents where the AFS was called upon to assist County firefighters, but many RLHZs spent very quiet lives being scrupulously maintained but seldom used.

 

After the AFS was wound up in 1968, the majority of RLHZs were mothballed in warehouses for retention as general Civil Defence supplies. At that stage, some were sold on for other uses, mostly MOD, but the bulk of them were kept and later retrofitted with more modern firefighting gear in the late 1970s (including blue lights and twin-tone air horns, to replace the original brass bells), and were subsequently used by soldiers drafted in to provide cover during several firefighter strikes.

 

Although the public consciousness tends to link the Green Goddess with the army because soldiers manned them during the strikes, those seen by the public on the roads were never MOD vehicles and their (once-gloss) green paintwork was not a military shade.

 

To avoid confusion due to this subtlety, the two dozen or so RLHZs based in Northern Ireland were painted bright yellow with a pink stripe at the advent of The Troubles, to prevent them being mistaken for military vehicles and targeted as such. They were also fitted with riot shields, closed-in lockers and modified to spray foam as well as water (because of the prevalence of petrol bombs) - and so trod an equally confused line between a back-up civilian fire and rescue vehicle and a quasi-military riot van.

 

A few were redeployed on RAF bases as auxiliary fire tenders - which seems to be where the OP's example came from - but the majority continued to be held in storage, with 100 or so of them updated with modern Kevlar hoses and lights in the late 1990s.

 

Post September 11th, new contingencies were put in place by the government for civil defence measures including central support for firefighters, and it was decided that several sheds full of of fifty-year old Bedfords should not form part of these plans. Following their deployment during the 2002 firefighter strikes, negative media reports saw them labelled a bit of an embarrassment (and also a liability, as they were notoriously difficult to keep on the road with full water tanks) and so a disposal order was signed for the fleet. The RLHZ's days were numbered.

 

Apparently, the vast majority were passed over to African and other developing nations to be refurbed and used as basic but tough fire response vehicles as part of the UK government's foreign aid programme, with only a smaller number offered out to collectors and preservationists c.2004. These ranged from pristine examples, to very rough ones that had been left standing outside to rot. Many had been cannibalised and lost their kit over the years, too, although most still had mileages in the low 000s.

 

They don't change hands for an awful lot of money for an average condition one, but at 8mpg or thereabouts you'd need deep pockets to run one... yes, I did make enquiries a while ago (I'm particularly interested in the dozen or so surviving yellow Norn Iron spec versions with DoE decals, which are apparently seen as less desirable than those in the usual Green Goddess livery).

 

I understand Saabnut's example provided much scope for tinkering at this year's ShiteFest.

 

I would.

 

EDIT:

 

Restored RLHZ in original AFS livery (but with 70s fitted blue lights and dual horns, besides the original brass bell):

 

 

Late 1970s spec - reflective strip to side:

 

 

RAF liveried version:

 

 

Northern Ireland version, in Department of the Environment (DoE) livery and with protective grilles:

 

 

And you can also see the 1990s updated rear treatment shown on this one, with modern fog and reversing lights now fitted rather than tiny dome tail and indicator lights mounted inboard (now panelled over with sheet alloy):

 

[Jon]

Here's a (formerly) Green Goddess I spotted at Wolverhampton Halfpenny Airport, back in 2009:

 

 

 

 

 

And one found at the absolutely fantastic Wanaka Transport and Toy Museum in the south island of NZ:

 

 

 

Blurb says 42 were brought over!

 

 

70 litres a second is pretty phenomenal compared to our brigade's current pump!

[Snipes]

Those later asymmetric tail lights look properly half arsed!

[Fumbler]

DT teacher has a Green Goddess all to himself. His workshop is massive. Properly massive.

[Datsuncog]

Thought you might like this.... was purchased directly from the RAF. We use this to train to use in very bad flooding...

 

2x Jaguar pumps etc etc

 

Out of interest, what does the training involve? Do you get to drive it?

 

I'd heard that a few RLHZs in private hands were put to use to help pump out flooded areas during the 2015 floods, and did a pretty good job of it.

[Rocket88]

I drove one in the '70's when I was with Her Madge's lot............go like a greased rat if you "altered" the carb...............no power steering, crash gearbox, unassisted drum brakes...........youth of today etc etc etc..........

[Rocket88]

That engine's origins are Yank GM.................apparently someone in New Zealand strapped about eleventy carbs on one, and massaged the internals................400 bhp!

[JimH]

Goddesses are, to put it bluntly, fucking brilliant and I love them. I bought this one back in 2009 as a present for my first born. There hadn't been any intention to do anything to it but my old man got bored one day and decided it needed a new paint job. This is it back together. I really wanted to get rid of the gingercators which are a later mod and go back to the trafficators it is meant to have but other things came along to do. It needs the old round mirrors back on it too. And its bell.

 

 

Why you want a Goddess

 

1. They are still cheap. In 2007 I paid £1500 for this one. Even now they are not worth a lot.

2. You can fit at least six people in them. This makes them pretty much a people carrier. Or you can just go down the pub in it.

3. They are usually in fine fettle. HMG spent a very, very large sum of money keeping the Goddesses ready for action. As soon as you do any work on the mechanicals you come across lots of new bits and copper slip. As long as it hasn't been stored outside. The bodies do not take kindly to living outside. The ignition systems are a bit high maintenance too.

4. They are brilliant to drive. The straight six engine is as sweet as a nut, the gearbox is a gem and visibility is fantastic. It's like driving a greenhouse. Steering is light and the brakes are top. Not the most economical but who cares. The only fly in the ointment is that with the first aid tank full they are a bit top heavy and you need to be canny on bends.

5. You might need to shift 900 gallons of water a minute one day.

6. They come with a free Imp engine.

7. Just look at it FFS. How cool do they look?

 

I love Goddesses, me.

[JimH]

No1 son liked his present. The little sod is eleven next month. Doesn't time fly?

 

[bolognasal spray]

^^^ Yeah, Bedford RLHZ - popularly referred to as the 'Green Goddess'. About 900 of them were commissioned in the early 1950s and supplied by various coachbuilders between 1953 and 1956, then stationed throughout the UK and manned by volunteer Auxiliary Fire Service crews for Civil Defence purposes in the event of an A-bomb event.

 

Despite appearances, they aren't really fire engines - just mobile pumps, and originally equipped came with an on-board Sigmund pump and two auxiliary Coventry-Climax Godiva pump engines (very similar to the racing engines, I'm told) plus basic kit like axes and a single ladder, but mainly the side lockers were filled with lengths of hosepipe.

 

I understand the Bedfords were designed to be linked together using the hoses to form a pumping chain to lift water from rural reservoirs down into the radiation-blasted smouldering remains of whatever city had taken the brunt of the Russki bombs - and then be bulldozed into a hole afterwards as part of the clean-up. Hence long-term durability wasn't seen as all that important - construction involved timber, sheet alloy and tarred felt, nailed onto the military Bedford RL chassis and fitted with the 4.9litre straight-six petrol engine and all-wheel drive.

 

Some were employed now and again as support vehicles during major incidents where the AFS was called upon to assist County firefighters, but many RLHZs spent very quiet lives being scrupulously maintained but seldom used.

 

After the AFS was wound up in 1968, the majority of RLHZs were mothballed in warehouses for retention as general Civil Defence supplies. At that stage, some were sold on for other uses, mostly MOD, but the bulk of them were kept and later retrofitted with more modern firefighting gear in the late 1970s (including blue lights and twin-tone air horns, to replace the original brass bells), and were subsequently used by soldiers drafted in to provide cover during several firefighter strikes.

 

Although the public consciousness tends to link the Green Goddess with the army because soldiers manned them during the strikes, those seen by the public on the roads were never MOD vehicles and their (once-gloss) green paintwork was not a military shade.

 

To avoid confusion due to this subtlety, the two dozen or so RLHZs based in Northern Ireland were painted bright yellow with a pink stripe at the advent of The Troubles, to prevent them being mistaken for military vehicles and targeted as such. They were also fitted with riot shields, closed-in lockers and modified to spray foam as well as water (because of the prevalence of petrol bombs) - and so trod an equally confused line between a back-up civilian fire and rescue vehicle and a quasi-military riot van.

 

A few were redeployed on RAF bases as auxiliary fire tenders - which seems to be where the OP's example came from - but the majority continued to be held in storage, with 100 or so of them updated with modern Kevlar hoses and lights in the late 1990s.

 

Post September 11th, new contingencies were put in place by the government for civil defence measures including central support for firefighters, and it was decided that several sheds full of of fifty-year old Bedfords should not form part of these plans. Following their deployment during the 2002 firefighter strikes, negative media reports saw them labelled a bit of an embarrassment (and also a liability, as they were notoriously difficult to keep on the road with full water tanks) and so a disposal order was signed for the fleet. The RLHZ's days were numbered.

 

Apparently, the vast majority were passed over to African and other developing nations to be refurbed and used as basic but tough fire response vehicles as part of the UK government's foreign aid programme, with only a smaller number offered out to collectors and preservationists c.2004. These ranged from pristine examples, to very rough ones that had been left standing outside to rot. Many had been cannibalised and lost their kit over the years, too, although most still had mileages in the low 000s.

 

They don't change hands for an awful lot of money for an average condition one, but at 8mpg or thereabouts you'd need deep pockets to run one... yes, I did make enquiries a while ago (I'm particularly interested in the dozen or so surviving yellow Norn Iron spec versions with DoE decals, which are apparently seen as less desirable than those in the usual Green Goddess livery).

 

I understand Saabnut's example provided much scope for tinkering at this year's ShiteFest.

 

I would.

 

EDIT:

 

Restored RLHZ in original AFS livery (but with 70s fitted blue lights and dual horns, besides the original brass bell):

 

Bedford RLHZ - PGW 96.jpg

 

Late 1970s spec - reflective strip to side:

 

Bedford RLHZ - PGW 258.jpg

 

RAF liveried version:

 

Bedford RLHZ - RAF, NYV 820.jpg

 

Northern Ireland version, in Department of the Environment (DoE) livery and with protective grilles:

 

Bedford RLHZ NI DoE.jpg

 

And you can also see the 1990s updated rear treatment shown on this one, with modern fog and reversing lights now fitted rather than tiny dome tail and indicator lights mounted inboard (now panelled over with sheet alloy):

 

Bedford RLHZ NI DoE rear.jpg

 

I seem to dimly recall a fireman strike in circa 1973 or '74, and the authorities went so far as to dragoon green goddesses into service. At least I think it was a strike. I was really little at the time so can't quite remember. I do recall being excited at the prospect of these ace lorries being on the news though - and their great name, green goddess.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Was going to ask if the converted coventry climax engine was still in place..... Ours at Neatishead was a lovely bit of kit. Strangely - we had a civilian fire service on site and they were a great bunch of lads. Taught me to drive one and mess with the water pump etc.... Old abandoned cars left behind on the station car park were regularly torched for practice....... great days! 

 

edit - just remembered the fireman who missed the footplate it pulled out. Not much of his head left to scrape off the runway at Coltishall......... they really are massively heavy old beasts when laden

[purplebargeken]

One was either donated to the Whitewebb Museum in Crews Hill a few years ago. My mate drove it down and I recall it had tons of new bits on it which included axes, hoses and so on. The MPG was utterly, utterly woeful. I have licked it several times as it is ace.

 

Would have one if I could.

[JimH]

IIRC when the first lot were decommissioned they were selling at about £6K. Lots of people bought them because, well, who wouldn't and then realised that they had just taken delivery of a largely useless 1950s motorised pump and their wife wasn't completely chuffed with it sitting on the driveway. The values have been on a downward curve ever since.

[Datsuncog]

Would have one if I could.

 

ULEZ compliant, d'you reckon?

 

 

Really, I would LOVE one of these. I spent much of last night lovingly fondling the two RLHZ models I have, and gazing wistfully into the middle-distance... but, other than an actual locomotive, I can't think of a more impractical vehicle to dump on a small suburban driveway...

[Datsuncog]

ULEZ compliant, d'you reckon?

Hang on a second...

 

 

Ken me boy, I think we might have found the perfect* solution to your Galaxy/BMW ULEZ problem...

 

 

 

(and created 100 more problems, but hey!)

[purplebargeken]

Ohhhhhh yeah, SORTED!!!!!!!

[panhard65]

I had an ex RAF Thornycroft crash tender like this one, but mine wasn't totally buggered. It had a straight 8 Rolls Royce petrol lump, 6 wheel drive with air powered diff locks and the monitor on the roof could shift something like 2000 gallons a minute if I remember correctly. The feed pipe came up through the cab and was around a foot in diameter. You could get a sense of the power of the pump by just engaging it and blowing air would make the joining hose expand. I wish I had done more with it really but it weighed in at about 8 tons and reverse gear wouldn't select so I only drove it once out of my garden on to the lorry that collected it. The bloody thing drank a gallon of fuel to drive less than 50 yards. (I was running it off a can). I sold it to a farmer somewhere near north weald who wanted it to pump water so hopefully it lived on.

 

[Wingz123]

Out of interest, what does the training involve? Do you get to drive it?

 

I'd heard that a few RLHZs in private hands were put to use to help pump out flooded areas during the 2015 floods, and did a pretty good job of it.

Datsuncog.....exactly that!!. Unfortunately I’m not driving it just yet but will as soon as I get my HGV license which I should have by the end of this year....

[LightBulbFun]

Oooh i like a good green goddess I mean who doesn't?

 

out of curiosity what happened to the one at shitefest (ie why was it left outside to fall into disarray?)

 

them coming out to play during times of need like they have reminds me a lot of how RTs and Routemasters come out to play every-time theres some sort of Train/Tube strike/disruption

 

imagine calling 999 about a cat stuck up a tree or something and a green goddess showed up 

[Guest Hooli]

 

 

out of curiosity what happened to the one at shitefest (ie why was it left outside to fall into disarray?)

 

 

If I remember the story correctly Saabnut got it for his kids or neices & nephews to play on & it's lived in his garden ever since.

[I_am_Diesel]

The RAF had a fairly similar fire tender based on the Bedford RL. It was designated the Mk8 and had a Jaguar engine fitted in the rear to power the pumping equipment. I remember spending a brief period of time working on one at RAF Scampton in my RAF days but it was out-shone by the MK9 (a beast which lasted beyond 2000) and the MK10 which at the time seemed ultra modern.

[I_am_Diesel]

the Mk8 was a stopgap for tactical deploy  of the harrier force in RAFG  - replaced by the green TACR2s 

 

Any idea what the TACR1's role was? I remember seeing one, it was based on a SIII Land Rover.

[Squire_Dawson]

 

The ignition systems are a bit high maintenance too.

 

Don't we know it!