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Re: Stack Grab photo, Shipley.

Posted by John Stead on April 15, 2009 at 3:04 PM

This appliance (and I use the phrase in its loosest possible way!), was stationed at Pontefract in the early 60's, and was a swine to operate.

It was an ex-army Bedford QL, with a modified crane on the back. The method of use was to raise the crane (with the grab or claw on it), drive or reverse into the burning stack, drop the crane and reverse out.

It was a finger grabber par excellence, and an all round pig.

I used it on at least two occasions at stack fires in the early 60's, and was glad to see it go to Shipley!

If anyone else has photos, I'd like to see them please.

Categories: Appliance News

3 Comments

Reply Geoff Marston

02:58 PM on April 22, 2009

That's refreshing information to know John. For the two & half years I was at Shipley (1966-68) I only ever knew of it being used once at a stack fire beyond Baildon at Hawksworth. I cleaned it many times and was passenger in it on a couple of occasions when used on drills but never saw it in action. It just stuck in the bay next the watchroom and got a weekly run into the street every Friday when the station house was hosed out. Can you recall if this was a complete one-off for the WRB or was it adapted due to other Brigades having something similar? Finally can you remember the reason for its departure from Ponte' to Shipley? (I have sent another photo of it (early sixties) to Graham. It depicts a broken claw.

Reply John Stead

04:48 PM on April 22, 2009

I can't recall why it left Pontefract, but as I remember, it is quite a tall appliance and the old Ponte station had low headroom on the engine house doors. It wouldn't take an F46 for example. Plus, turning out would mean shunting if you didn't get the angle right, as there was a wall less than a vehicles length away opposite the doors! Tucked away down a side road next to the old telephone exchange, that was Pontefract.....I think the stack grab was unique to the West Riding, and was probably the result of a bad night out by 'Mr Dann The Transport Man', as the Transport Engineer was known. Nice man though......
Sorry I can't help more.