Fire & Rescue NSW Fire Tankers & 4X4's

Fire & Rescue NSW Fire Tankers & 4X4's A page for Fire & Rescue NSW bushfire tankers, Hazmat and Rescue tankers and 4x4's new and old trucks.

In service and retired as well as museum and privately owned former NSWFB/FRNSW Tankers.

FRNSW Glenbrook station 301 (current Tanker 301) behind their old tanker 10 recently restored (pic credit Museum Fire Fa...
09/05/2026

FRNSW Glenbrook station 301 (current Tanker 301) behind their old tanker 10 recently restored (pic credit Museum Fire page)

An old pic of FRNSW station 505 Wyong, Tanker 505 aka the camel! Pic circa 2019 credit to FRNSW Wyong page
08/05/2026

An old pic of FRNSW station 505 Wyong, Tanker 505 aka the camel! Pic circa 2019 credit to FRNSW Wyong page

FRNSW 464 Toronto using one of the SEV’s at a HR Burn this week with NSWRFS Assistant Commissioner Leigh Pilkington
26/04/2026

FRNSW 464 Toronto using one of the SEV’s at a HR Burn this week with NSWRFS Assistant Commissioner Leigh Pilkington

Last night we hit a milestone at Fire & Rescue NSW Fire Tankers & 4x4”s we hit 3000 followers. A big thanks to all of ou...
23/04/2026

Last night we hit a milestone at Fire & Rescue NSW Fire Tankers & 4x4”s we hit 3000 followers. A big thanks to all of our followers and contributors, keep the cool pictures and stories coming in.

In 1952, following a series of major bush fires in the Blue Mountains areas resulting in numerous fatalities and major p...
19/04/2026

In 1952, following a series of major bush fires in the Blue Mountains areas resulting in numerous fatalities and major property losses, the Board of Fire Commissioners acquired nine surplus “decontamination units” from the Royal Australian Air Force. These were GMC 6-wheel drive chassis fitted with water tanks and high pressure water pumps.

After modifications, including fitting 2,800 litre steel water tanks, they were assigned initially to the Katoomba, Blackheath, Springwood, and Glenbrook Brigades; other units were kept in Sydney, Newcastle and Canberra areas for backup deployment as required. As new trucks were acquired from the mid-1960s, they were dispersed to other brigades until progressively retired from the mid-1970s.

“Water Tanker #10” was commissioned at Springwood in January 1953, and subsequently saw use at Katoomba (1965), Lithgow (1975), Glenbrook (1978). It was the last to be decommissioned in October 1980 and set aside for preservation. It was displayed at the Fire Services Museum in The Rocks from 1981, and moved to the Museum of Fire at Penrith in 1985. It was placed into storage, and left somewhat neglected until 2025 when an opportunity arose to commence restoration. This is the only known intact survivor of the batch.

The work was carried out by regular Museum of Fire volunteers and Historic Fire Engine Association members, guided by Reg Varley. The water tank was removed and sent away for cleaning; the chassis and running gear were stripped back to metal and repainted. The brakes were rebuilt; new electric wiring and lighting fitted. Following his passing early in April, the volunteers worked “overtime” to have it roadworthy and displayable for his funeral.

The truck is a GMC CCKW-353, a 5 ton model developed for the US military (which actually rated them at 2.5 tons capacity where US Servicemen gave them the nickname duece and a half) in the early 1940s. Over 800,000 were built up to 1945. The engine is a petrol 270 cu.in. (4.4 litre) ohv design, rated at 34 BHP SAE, developing around 100 BHP at 2750 RPM and 216 lb-ft of torque at 1,400 RPM). Transmission is 5 speed overdrive with high/low range and selectable 4/6 wheel drive.

The pump is a Friend Model AXB Quadruplex "decontaminating apparatus"; a high pressure 4-cylinder piston type pump, rated 28 gpm at 400 psi. Manufactured by Friend Manufacturing Co of Gasport NY. (Photos and story courtesy of Brian Blunt) if you want to see this newly restored 6x6 tanker and many other old fire trucks and tankers, please head out to the Museum of Fire

FRNSW station 50 Hornsby tanker.
02/04/2026

FRNSW station 50 Hornsby tanker.

While driving around Port Vila Vanuatu with fond memories of the 2 Mercedes Benz 911 tankers NSWFB donated to the Vanuat...
05/03/2026

While driving around Port Vila Vanuatu with fond memories of the 2 Mercedes Benz 911 tankers NSWFB donated to the Vanuatu fire service. I spotted out of the corner of my eye a smashed hella lamp base mounted on the grill of a damaged red Mercedes 911 and after closer inspection found it was one of the exNSWFB tankers destroyed during cyclone Pam 2015.

FRNSW Station 234 Bowral on the Hume Hwy
26/02/2026

FRNSW Station 234 Bowral on the Hume Hwy

FRNSW station 92 St Andrews, giving the Caf's tanker a run.
20/02/2026

FRNSW station 92 St Andrews, giving the Caf's tanker a run.

FRNSW tanker 513 station, Young NSW. Pic by Michael Taylor.
19/02/2026

FRNSW tanker 513 station, Young NSW. Pic by Michael Taylor.

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Fort Denison
Sydney, NSW
2000

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