Irish Bedford 1963 Fire Engine Restored | Season 2 - Episode 78

👋 Hey friends! In this video, we are featuring the stunning restoration of a 1963 Bedford J2 fire engine by Pat Cullen from Co Wicklow, Ireland.
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Garage owner & part-time fireman David Cullen from Rathdrum Co Wicklow had a favourite fire engine - a 1963 Bedford, that was lost to him for several decades until they were reunited once again by chance.
In 1967 David Cullen joined Wicklow Fire Service as a part-time driver/ mechanic stationed at Rathdrum Fire Station on Brewery Lane where he was assigned to a 100 hp 1963 Bedford J2 fire engine.
The Bedford, on a 3-ton chassis, number J2-SZ2-187996 was manufactured in 1963 and in the same year rebodied and converted to a fire appliance, Serial No. 8431963 by HCB Engineering Ltd., Southampton. It was delivered to Wicklow Fire Service, registered as FNI 949 in 1969 and assigned to Rathdrum.
Pat Cullen’s ownership of the Bedford began in 2007 when he met Martin Thompson who had 30 fire engines and ran the Irish Fire Service Trust. Pat brought his dad to see the collection and over five hours they roamed from shed to shed. In Pat’s own words his dad was like a “kid in a sweet shop.”
When the last shed door was opened, there sat FNI 949 the 1963 Bedford and David Cullen was reunited with his long-lost friend.
David was able to clamber in and with a huge smile reminisced about his 25 years of service and the men he had served with; Alan Jackson, Andy Belton, Billy Nolan, Dave Haughton, Eddie Murphy, Huge Cullen, John Houlihan Jr., John Houlihan Snr., Nicky Fogarty, Noel Kinsella, Peter Murphy and Tommy Dunne.
When Pat then climbed in and sat opposite his dad he was overcome with emotions as childhood memories came flooding back, in his own words “the hairs rose on the back of my neck….of being in the cab with the crew”. During their visit David asked to buy the beloved Bedford but his request was politely declined.
Rathdrum Fireman, David Cullen passed away on August 15th, 2015, and as a mark of respect, his funeral cortège paused outside nos. 36 & 37 Main Street and the guard-of-honour fire engine sounded the siren.
Just two weeks later, Martin Thompson was in contact to say they were reducing their collection, and would Pat be interested in buying the Bedford? A deal was made and by his father’s ‘month’s mind’ (requiem mass) the Bedford fire engine was back again in Cullen’s garage on Main Street, Rathdrum.
Working between December 2015 - January 2020 Pat and his son Padraic began a total restoration of the Bedford. In this author’s opinion, one of the very best restorations we have seen.
Pat has a long list of people to thank for their assistance with the Bedford. Special thanks go to Martin Thomson for reuniting the Cullen’s with the Bedford, Aiden Fisher for parts and the HCB Angus archive, Dave Armstrong for his teleporter and advice. Carlow Coatings, Stradbally Ladders, Liam Barton, Brendan Tyrrell, John Mullane and for his incredible spray-painting skills, Ruslan Bulatob. Heartfelt thanks to all the people on Pat’s fire engine Facebook page, you know who you are.
Pat would especially like to thank his wife Daphne for her patience and support, his son Padraic for holding spanners, polishing lots of metal and for researching vehicle specs for this article. His brother Seamus, the ‘Facetime mechanic’ who is looking forward to seeing the restored Bedford for the first time. His Mother, Eileen for constant encouragement & endless cups of coffee.
And last but not least to his dad, David who in Pat’s own words was “sitting on my shoulder on the cold Winter nights, guiding this chippy through the restoration of his 1st fire engine.”
Manufacturer: Bedford
Model J2/ Serial No. 843
Coachbuilder: HCB Engineering Ltd
Year: Built 1963 registered 1969
Height: 2360mm
Width: 1859mm
Length: 5181mm
Weight: 3.7 tonnes
Engine: 6-cylinder 100 hp 3988cc petrol
Speed: 35 mph
Gearbox: 4-speed
Water capacity: 200 gallons
Pump: Godiva
Crew: Five
Check out our previous video - Wicklow shop and garage & Bedford J2 Fire Engine | Season 2 - Episode 70 - • Wicklow shop & garage ...
Our thanks to the members of the Cullen family, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, Ireland
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Information sources:
Fire Service Trust - www.fire-service-trust.com
HCB Angus: A Pictorial Record - Aidan Fisher
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