Before municipal fire engines, The Bryn y Pys estate had its own fire engine.
This photograph of it, by Geoff Charles, was taken here at The Stables in 1950.
The gentlemen pictured would have been the Auctioneer and the Estate Factor making the arrangements.
It was sold to a local, who bought it for sentimental reasons and his descendents still own it, although it is presently housed in the Moreton in Marsh Fire Service College.
After it was sold it was lent to Bangor on Dee Racecourse to fill the water jump. It was also borrowed by Wrexham Fire Dept. for their flag day where it was a big attraction!
The original colour was dark blue, I am told, however, now, as you can see in the museum photograph, it is maroon.
Jim Glover, from Church Cottage in Overton, relates how he was told by Ernie Woolley that as a boy, Ernie witnessed the engine being used to put out a fire in his home in the early 1930’s,
Ernie had finished school aged 16 years, and was off to his new job at the butchers which used to be in the set back cottages opposite the Village Hall in Overton on Dee.
Church Cottage was on fire and the Bryn y Pys Engine had to be called.
Ernie took off his brand new apron and placed it down by the pump while he helped.
The cottage was saved but Ernie’s new apron was burned to a cinder as a spark must have ignited it.
Today, James relates, the blackened beams can still be seen upstairs in Church Cottage.
John Buttress of Overton also adds that he saw the engine at Moreton in Marsh Fire Service College when he was in charge of training for counter terrorism post 911.
He describes the Bryn y Pys Engine as “well ahead of its time” being used in the 1930’s, as steam engines of this type had only been invented in the 1820’s.
(Thomas Newcomen invented the first, to help pump water out of mines ,and they were extremely large to begin with).
The Bryn y Pys fire engine would have had to be brought by horsepower to the fire, the steam engine fired up, a water source found and the steam power built up. No wonder Ernie’s apron caught fire!.
We would like to thank Wendy Jones, wife of Wynn Jones, who features in an interview on this News section, for kindly bringing the original photograph to our attention.