Thanks to Steve F. for sending in this unusual find from the United Kingdom! Take a look at this article from the BBC, where a fire facility in a large old industrial park has just been rediscovered after having been closed and locked since the 1960’s. What you are seeing here is the mobile water pump, which looks like it has a pretty sizable V-twin engine (anyone recognize what type?) By the way, C.W.S. stands for Co-operative Wholesale Society.
Yes, I know, this isn’t our typical find, but I think it’s pretty cool anyway. The fire uniforms have chalked names over them and have been hanging there ever ready.
Considering the way fire equipment is usually maintained scrupulously, I’ll bet this pump can be made to run pretty quickly. Based on the license plate the pump predates the 60’s by a long way. I hope you enjoyed this little deviation from our usual content–now back to vehicular posts!
Talk about a time capsule.
very cool!
I got pretty excited initially but reading through the article, its sounds as though its simply a single room that has been recently unlocked.
Still pretty cool and definitely the type of thing I’d appreciate seeing here again! Great feature.
Musty uniforms and a worthless pump with a post ’60’s Japanese V twin. Some find.
Looks more like a theatrical prop shop than a discovery.IMHO.
Japanese V twin, errrr i don’t think so. JAP stands for John Alfred Prestwich who were makes of speedway single engines and V twin engines as fitted to Brough Superior motorcycles and Morgan three wheeler cars from the 20’s 30’s and 40’s and were good engines.
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/collectible/1929-980cc-side-valve-water-cooled-v-twin-standard-jap-engine-supplied-morgan
i don’t know whether a fire pump motor can be adapted to fit the bike or car but i bet that a lot of the pieces fit. cheers. bill.
JAP actually stands for James Arthur Prestwick.
Hello Richard, according to Wikipedia its John Alfred Prestwich. have a look at the link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alfred_Prestwich
cheers. billy.
Spooky!!!
Perfect for Halloween.
Neat!
These off car posts are one of the reasons I keep visiting Barnfinds every morning. Off beat finds should become a Sunday morning feature.
Great idea!
I agree. You can keep doing these type of features.
I’m glad Billy Banger cleared that up–I was almost certain that it couldn’t be a Japanese import motor. I wonder if much of this kit was used in the surrounding neighborhood during World War Two, when many parts of Britain, especially industrial complexes, were subject to bombing and destruction … Because this room/bunker hasn’t been touched for as long as I have been alive, it might be difficult to make this accessible to tour groups. Yet, it would be nice if the entire room and equipment could be conserved ‘in situ’ instead of the pumper, a picture, and one or two fire coats being put up on lucite stands in the local museum. The space where all this was kept adds a lot to my mental picture of what it was like for those crews.
Would to see more like this on barn Finds,a find is a find lets see some more.
I think most of the people who read Barn Finds, are interested in all things mechanical, old, quirky and “orphanesque”. Keep it up!
Fantastic find!!!! Love seeing different items!
Thanks for sharing.
Bob C
I think it would be a pity to use the engine for something else. The owners clearly did not attach importance to the contents of the room or they would have done something with them before now. I would like to see the room and its contents photographed in detail and both the room and its contents carefully dismantled and reassembled, dust and all, in the Black Country Museum, where they could be enjoyed by the public.
By the way, for USA readers of Barn Finds who might not know, the Black Country is an area in the West of England (roughly to the West of Birmingham) so called because of its industrial and coal mining past. Nowadays, it is known more for its beautiful countryside and tourism.
Black Country you say? We Yanks learn what we can thru Netflix; Peaky Blinders, Foyle’s War, and the like. Cheers Mate!