[ Recent History ] [ Vehicle Description ] [ Vehicle Specification ]  [ Manufacture’s History ] [ Service History ] [ Manuals ] [ Restoration ]

I have a long and varied history with respect to vehicles which in part is why this is in the hobbies section of the site. In addition to a succession of cars, both owned and company cars of various makes, I have also owned a number of trucks and coaches, and a fire engine.

Recent History

Currently I own a Bedford TM 6x6 and a Carmichael Mark12A which I bought from Witham Specialist Vehicles by auction in 2007. Witham SV is a MOD sales agent and both vehicles are ex MOD. Despite this both were in fairly poor condition in different ways.

Witham SV arranged transport by low loader to Dunsfold where I already had my Bedford Library Van stored. Even on a low loader it still managed to meet with a bridge on the journey and lost the amber airport light as a result

All the loose fire equipment had been removed prior to sale and the blue lights removed. The white lettering had also been removed, presumably before it left service. Unfortunately, whoever had been instructed to remove the ‘Royal Air Force Fire and Rescue’ got carried away and scraped away at the operating signs as well including tyre pressure and locker labels. They also started removing the front Carmichael sign but stopped after two letters.

Some of the letter scrapping had damaged the paint and in places gone down to bare metal. Fortunately the metal was in this instance aluminum, so it had not rusted. However, the paint work generally was very faded and requires a significant amount of work to avoid a complete re-spray.

Before anything else I had to replace the batteries as it had been standing for a good while and the existing batteries would not take a charge. Peter recommended a motor factors in Guildford  called SED.

David on the Mark 12A shortly after delivery to Dunsfold

Peter Edwards owns and runs 1st Defense Fire & Rescue Services Ltd which is based at Dunsfold Park, just south of Guildford. Dunsfold Park is where we keep our Carmichael Mark 12A and Bedford TM 6x6. Jez helps David and I with the restoration of both the Mark 12A and the TM.

SED supplied 4 large 12v truck batteries which I connected in parallel and series to provide the required 24v system. More on that later including the specs and wiring details.

This was all that was necessary to get the Mark 12A basically mobile.

Shortly after delivery the Mark 12A was back on a low loader. David and I have been going to the War and Peace Show for a number of years. More on that can be found on another page of this site by following this link. I took the opportunity of exhibiting both the Carmichael Mark 12A and the Bedford TM. The Mark 12A was the first to travel. The low loader driver stopped off on the way and put £100 of diesel into each vehicle. Less than a third of a tank. Its a good job that neither of them do a lot of miles.

Not yet road licensed so the Mark 12A is transported to the War and Peace Show whilst the Bedford TM waits it’s turn and the Bedford Library  van has to stay at home.

The Mark 12A has arrived at War and Peace Show and is parked up in the top field in the sunshine awaiting the arrival of the Bedford TM.

The sunshine didn’t last long and it soon turned to rain. The field road turned to mud, the main road adjacent to the Hop Farm was closed to traffic due to mud on the road. That was just the roads, the arena was up to two foot deep in heavy mud, just right for showing how well high and medium mobility vehicles can perform. Both the Bedford TM and the Carmichael Mark 12A are described as medium mobility with tanks etc. being high mobility. The 6x6 drive train configuration is enhanced with axle differential locks and inter axle locks. The Carmichael Mark 12A has three air assisted flick switches in their own little cage, to the right of the cab, to activate the diff locks in various configurations.

The conditions in the arena were superb both to give an interesting show for the relatively small crowd on the hill who had braved the weather and the mud, and to test the ability of the vehicles in a very difficult, but safe environment. It is not often that you get the chance to test the transmission in such challenging conditions.

Unfortunately, I have not got any photos of either of my vehicles actually in the arena doing their thing. The closest I have is the photo ‘In the queue waiting for entry to the arena at War & Peace Show 2007. View from the cab of the Bedford TM.’ to the left. Photos of the arena activities that year can be found at the War &  Peace Show web site. Look around for the 2007 photo gallery. If anybody has any photos of either the Bedford TM 6x6 or the Carmichael Mark 12A that they would be prepared to share, I would be very interested to see them.

Safety is paramount it the arena and the vehicles process around the circuit for a couple of times in an orderly fashion. However, there are different obstacles and sub routes which can be explored with appropriate vehicles. Some of these are small hills with peaked tops. In normal weather some trucks could climb these and get over the summit without grounding. Tanks would balance atop the summit for a while before pounding on. This time they were avoided. However, the hollows were very interesting. Mud glorious mud.

Once in the arena with the Carmichael Mark 12A I selected the full diff lock configuration. It was time to test what works and what does not. It is immense fun putting a 28 ton truck in a six wheel drift to get round a muddy bend knowing that you are not going to hit anything. (Its important to know what is around you at all times)  It performed excellently, hauling through the mud without a problem. The convoy was stopped facing the crowd on the hill.

The commentator talks about each vehicle in turn. I was amazed by how much he knew about my Mark 12A. His knowledge is always excellent regarding the normal army vehicles, but to know so much about the Mark 12A without having any advance notice that I was bringing it into the arena that day, was very impressive.

After the commentator had described each vehicle to the audience the marshals send the vehicles on another circuit of the arena prior to exiting on the other side of the field.

Well, this was a find out the problems session, and that was exactly what was about to happen. Just in front of me, slightly to  the left was a seesaw which drivers try to balance a jeep on.

The Mark 12A has, I believe an air assisted throttle which seems to create a bit of a delay in following instructions. I assume that this is required due to the engine being at the rear. Normally this is easily compensated for. However, with all of the mud, I needed to put on reasonable amount of power to get the Mark 12A moving. And that was when I learnt another important lesson. With all the weight of the engine cantilevered of the back, the front of the Mark 12A is extraordinarily light if there is no water in the tank. The water tank is mid ships and therefore counters the engines weight. To set off I needed to apply full left lock and power off. The Mark 12A has power steering so despite the huge wheels and tyres it is easy to apply full lock.

Whilst the wheels were pointing hard left, the Mark 12A was only coming round very slowly, ploughing a furrow towards the seesaw. The lack of weight on the front axle, even though drive was engaged meant that I was, in the commentator’s words “going to have a go on the seesaw and that it was unlikely to take the weight”. The delay on the accelerator exasperated the problem. Only a very heavy application of the breaks brought weight to the front axle and the Mark 12A started to turn as it came to a halt. The marshals then stopped the rest of the convoy to enable me to back out and attempt a much wider turn to the relief of all.

The final circuit also was not without its problems. More mud with some over 2 foot thick and more solid. Towards the end of the circuit and again at the exit gate there was a loud metallic tickling noise. I have been told that this may be a problem with the transfer box. It only happens with full diff locks applied and has not happened since. Still it represents something will need to be fixed. The list of what does not work grows, but it would have been difficult to find out without the opportunity provided by the weather.

Still to take.

At the War and Peace show it generated a bit of interest. thorycroft man. Fire station help. Kiss

What does not work.

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An earlier photo of the same Mark 12A can be found at Fire Engines Photos together with a photo of my Mark 12A.

The photo was taken in 1990 at RAF Brise Norton by Peter Mitrovitch and  is reproduced here with his kind permission.

Peter also pointed me to his Flickr collection of superb photos of fire engines, buses and planes. They can be found at WestwardPM.

His photos demonstrate an extensive history of military fire engines.

More of Peter’s photos can be seen here.

Caption as on  Fire Engines Photos site.

Mk12a, 10AY98 RAF Brize Norton

This Mark 12a is seen at RAF Brize Norton during August 1990. As far as I am aware it was the only Mark 12 delivered to the Royal Air Force and differed to Royal Navy Mk 12's by having a high access hydraulic turntable ladder.

Vehicle Description

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Vehicle Specification

[ Base Vehicle ] [ Dimensions ] [ Engine ] [ Cab ]

I am slowly collecting information about my Carmichael Mark 12A fire engine from a wide variety of sources. This includes the manufacturer and part and equipment providers. Where possible I have acknowledged the provider of the information. Frequently it is the vehicle itself that has provided the raw data. As it is a unique vehicle there is very little published information to which I can refer. However, over time I expect this section to expand and hope that it will become the definitive source of information regarding the Mark 12A. It is the elevating platform that distinguishes it from a normal Mark 12.

I phoned Carmichael in June 2010, and as I found earlier when I needed some parts, they were extraordinarily helpful. The person I had dealt with earlier had retired about eight weeks prior to my call in June. Colin helped by providing dimensions directly off of the desk sized paper drawings. He also read through the hand written workshop journal of the time for any references to my Mark 12A. The information he provided is reproduced below.

Also in June 2010 I managed to locate a manual for the 903 engine. I bought a copy from Cummins, the engine manufacture. Unfortunately it was only available form the USA so the postage was almost as much as the manual. It is still under copyright so I cannot reproduce it here.

David at the head of the elevating platform inspecting it before climbing into the cradle.

I understand that the platform / ladder was made by Sky King Ladders which were part of the group that makes King Trailers. They don’t make platforms any longer and I have not been able to get any information from them. They did however give me the name of a retired director who may remember some details.

In the tables below there is a mixture of imperial and metric measurements. The first stated measurement is as the source data with subsequent entries being conversions. This of course means that there is no consistent convention regarding the order of imperial and metric measurements.

The photos below are a record of the state of the Mark 12A just after delivery to Dunsfold Park.

Base Vehicle
Maufacturer		Carmichael Fire Limited
Model		Mark 12A
Date of manufacture		16 March 1990
Serial Number		CH 4919
Chassis manufacturer		Unipower Vehicles Limited
		Unipower were previously Scammell
Chassis number		LJ 72395
Number of axles		3
Configuration		6x6 Rigid
Maximum Weights
Front axle		8130 kg - 8 Ton
Rear axle - 1st		10160 kg - 10 Ton
Rear axle - 2nd		10160 kg - 10 Ton
G.V.W.		28450 kg - 28 Ton
Unladen weight
Tare
Model Code		SM28C50C47GCCD

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Info on similar but marine engine specs.

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Info on similar but marine engine specs.

Manufacture’s History

 [ Carmichael ] [ Scammell / Unipower ]

Carmichael’s history

 Amdac-Carmichael Ltd; July 2004 to date; Worcester UK

As at 2010 Carmichael is officially known as Amdac - Carmichael Ltd, and the company no. is 05170744. It is based in Weir Lane, Worcester  WR2 4AY, UK. The registered address is Quadrant House, Floor 6, 4 Thomas More Square London. UK E1W 1YW.

The name of Amdac - Carmichael Limited was incorporated in 05/07/2004 according to Companies House. The Nature of Business (SIC(03)) 3410 - Manufacture of motor vehicles and 5020 - Maintenance & repair of motors.

Amdac appears to be a traiding name of a Malaysian company called Pesaka Astana. The following is an extract from their web site.

Incorporated in 1992, Pesaka Astana a wholly-owned Bumiputra company is a major player in the heavy-duty and special purpose vehicles sector in Malaysia. Initially involved in the supply of these vehicles, the company today manufactures customized and specialized vehicles under the brand name AMDAC for a diversified clientele list.

 22 November 2004. Amdac (UK), a unit of Pesaka Astana(M)Sdn Bhd of Malaysia acquired Carmichael International Ltd, a Worcester-based manufacturer of fire engine. An extract from Thomson Financial's (TF) Worldwide Mergers and Acquisitions database.

Amdac (UK) Limited was incorporated in 06/07/2004, company no. 05171283 according to Companies House. The Nature of Business (SIC(03)) 7499 - Non-trading company. The registered address is Rutland House, 148 Edmund Street, Birmingham. UK B3 2JR.

Carmichael International Limited; 1992 to 1998, Worcester UK

A previous name of Carmichael International Limited, company no. 03527677, was incorporated in 16/03/1998 and dissolved on 13/10/2009 according to Companies House. The Nature of Business (SIC(03)) 2956 - Manufacture other special purpose machine.

There appears to be a hole in the trail between 1992 to 1998.

Carmichael ?? ; 1849 to 1945 ?? ; Worcester UK.

Carmichael Fire Limited; 1945 to 1992 ?? ; Worcester UK.

Click here to read the best history of Carmichael I have found so far. Reproduced below by kind permission of Worcester News

CITY STOPS MAKING FIRE ENGINES

From the archive, first published Saturday 27th Aug 2005.

THE last Carmichael fire engine is set to roll off the production line in Worcester. The 150- year old firm announced it is to stop making its vehicles in the city after more than half a century.

Carmichael, which supplies rescue vehicles to airports, oil refineries and fire services worldwide, says it is shifting its production line overseas due to rising costs, placing 45 shop-floor jobs at the Weir-Lane based company in Worcester in jeopardy. The company had previously announced it was expanding nto the Far East after being brought out by the UK subsidiary of Pesaka Astana in Malaysia last November.

A Carmichael spokesman said: "Production costs in the UK mean the continued production of these vehicles here is no longer viable.

"For the last six months, since the company was rescued from insolvent liquidation, we've worked hard to bring down costs and increase productivity.

"Unfortunately, our efforts have been in vain and it now looks as though we may have no choice but to move production abroad."

About 100 people are employed at the company and it is uncertain whether any of its 40 office staff will be affected. Employees are set to be consulted over the next four weeks, when they will be given options such as voluntary redundancies.

One worker, who wished not to be named, said: "I'm very angry - it's a great British company that's been here for more than 100 years and it's been ripped from beneath us."

But the spokesman said it was hoped the firm would maintain a significant presence in the area.

"While the news may look gloomy, there's some hope for the future," he said. "We're hopeful the company can survive and, once costs have been cut to a competitive level, it can thrive."

Pesaka Astana was set up in 1992 and is a major player in the heavy duty and special-purpose vehicle sector in the Far East, supplying a range of vehicles under the Amdac name.

It's the end of an era

news that Carmichael is to cease production in Worcester will come as a shock to many, as the firm has been a household-name vehicle-maker for more than 150 years.

From its inception in 1849, producing horse-drawn vehicles, to being at the forefront of fire engine production, the prestigious firm has maintained a strong presence at the heart of manufacturing in the Faithful City.

Indeed, for decades it was at the hub of the coach-building world as it built up a national reputation for its products. The Carmichael coach-building company started off producing a wide range of horse-drawn vehicles and steadily built up its reputation throughout the Victorian era.

The firm kept abreast of technological advances in the 20th Century from its base at The Butts, Worcester, and switched to bus and coach construction, particular for major local firms of the time such as Burnhams and Owens.

The Second World War saw major changes for those on the fighting front and the workers and businesses keeping the home fires burning.

Carmichael was no exception and used its vehicle maintenance and repair expertise to help maintain the vital upkeep of ambulances and fire engines during those dark years. Immediately afterwards, the company built its first fire engine for the city brigade and in 1949 built a grand new factory on five-and-a-half acres of land at Gregory's Mill.

The move saw the firm fired up by new contracts as it constructed fleets of top-quality fire engines and crash tenders. It would mark the start of a 40-year period of huge demand for its vehicles from fire brigades and airports from Britain and overseas. However, this arm of the Carmichael operation ceased operations in 1992, with the closure of the Gregory's Mill works.

Six months later a Warwick-based group moved in and started fire engine construction from works in Weir Lane, Lower Wick, which remain the current premises. It became known as Carmichael International Ltd. It continued to supply rescue vehicles to airports, oil refineries and fire services around the world before it was acquired by AMDAC (UK) Ltd, a British subsidiary of Pesaka Astana, of Malaysia, last November. The merger paved the way to exports to more than 80 countries and it soon became a major player in the heavy-duty and special purpose vehicle sector in the Far East.

From the archive
http://www.thisisworcestershire.co.uk
© Newsquest Media Group 2005

The above article from the archive, first published Saturday 27th August 2005, with the headline ‘CITY STOPS MAKING FIRE ENGINES’ reproduced here by kind permission of Worcester News.         Copyright of Worcester News acknowledged.

The chassis by Unipower.

A consise list of british truck manufactures can be found by clicking here.

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Service History

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Prcfd

Manuals

I received a copy of Cummins ‘Operation and Maintenance Manual Automotive Diesel Engines United States and Canada’ on 20th May 2010 direct from Cummins in the States.

My engine is a VTA 903-500. The manual translates this code as:

V  = Type of engine

T = Turbocharged

A = Aftercooled

903 = Cubic Inch Displacement

500 = Maximum rated horsepower.

The manual also references the engine as a C.I.D. I assume this is Cubic Inches Displaced and not Compression Ignition Diesel.

Engine displacement is defined as the total volume of air/fuel mixture an engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle; it is normally stated in cubic centimeters, liters or cubic inches. In a piston engine, this is the volume that is swept as the pistons are moved from top dead center to bottom dead center. For conversions reference, 1 Liter = 61.02 cubic inches (C.I.D.). 1 cubic inch = 16 cm³ (C.C.). 1 liter = 1000 cubic centimeters.

The 903 is therefore 14.8 lts.

Engine output (power/unit displacement) is calculated as follows;

With a Hp of 500, (373Kw) this equates to 33.78Hp/lt or 25.19Kw/lt. This is relatively low in today’s terms, which can be 100 to 200hp/lt or 75 to 150Kw/lt.

The manual is 68 pages long and was ordered from Cummins QuickServe Store part number 3379137

On the left are two photos of a similar engine, a V903. This engine was found for sale at jobbersinc, at the bottom of the link.

http://www.mellingengine.com/

http://www.eastmarine.ru/incp/katalog/sierra/oil_filters.pdf

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