ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <title>Ford Cargo 0813 Graphex Tender</title> <meta name="description" content="Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Group appliance, Ford Cargo 0813 Graphex Tender"> <meta name="keywords" content="strathclyde,fire,preservation,group,rescue,ayeready,heritage,vintage,wheeled,dounreay,glasgow,scoosher,goddess,firefighting,pumpescape,appliances,cheapside,street,disaster,glasgow airport,dennisf8,light6"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <link href="../styles/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> </head> <body> <div id="layout"> <!-- Top Banner Start --> <div id="header"> <div class="FloatL"> <a href="../index.htm" title="Home"><img src="../images/site/sfrlogo.gif" width="370" height="128" alt="Strathclyde Fire &amp Rescue Logo" border="0"></a> </div> <div class="FloatR"> <img src="../images/site/PresGroupLogo.jpg" width="293" height="128" alt="Strathclyde Fire &amp Rescue Preservation Group Logo"> </div> <div class="both"></div> </div> <!-- Top Banner End --> <!-- Navigation Start --> <div id="navbar"> <ul id="main-nav"> <li><a href="../index.htm" title="Home Page">Home Page</a></li> <li><a href="../aboutus.htm" title="About Us">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="../appliances.htm" title="Group Appliances"> Appliances</a></li> <!-- <li><a href="../chairmans_report.htm" title="Group Chairmans Annual Report">Chairmans Annual Report</a></li>--> <li><a href="../cheapside_street_50_years.htm" title="Commemorating The Cheapside Street Disaster - 28th March 1960">Cheapside Street 50 Years On</a></li> <li><a href="../contact.htm" title="Contact Us">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="../events4.htm" title="Events We Are Attending">Events</a></li> <li><a href="../featured.htm" title="Featuring Specially Selected Events and Appliances">Featured Events and Appliances</a></li> <li><a href="../guestbook1/sfrpg_guestbook.html" title="Why Not Sign Our Guest Book">Guest Book</a></li> <li><a href="../imagegalleries.htm" title="View Image Galleries">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="../links.htm" title="Some Relevant Links You May Find Interesting">Related Links </a></li> <li><a href="../manuals.htm" title="Hand Operated Fire Appliances">Manuals</a></li> <li><a href="../media-section.htm" title="Our Work With The Media">Media Section</a></li> <li><a href="../projects.htm" title="Active Restoration and Preservation Projects">Projects</a></li> <li><a href="../st_mungo.htm" title="The St. Mungo Fire Boat">The St. Mungo Fireboat</a></li> <li><a href="../steamers.htm" title="Steam Powered Appliances">Steamers</a></li> <li><a href="../trailer_units.htm" title="Miscellaneous Trailer Units">Trailer Units</a></li> </ul> </div> <!-- Navigation End --> <!-- Page Content Start --> <div id="content"> <!-- Actual Content Start --> <!-- Appliance top navigation start --> <div id="ApplianceNavContainer"> <ul id="ApplianceNavList"> <li><a href="K665_OSU.htm" title="K665 OSU, Volvo FL18 Water Tender Ladder"><< Previous</a></li> <li><a href="HSU_109A.htm" title="HSU 109A, Landrover Redwing">Next >></a></li> </ul> </div> <!-- Appliance top navigation end --> <h2 class="centered">B383 WSK<br>Ford Cargo Graphex Tender</h2> <table align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../images/appliances/B383_WSK_2rd.jpg" width="380" height="320" title="Keys Being Handed Over For The Ford Cargo Graphex Tender" alt="Ford Cargo Graphex Tender"></td> <td><img src="../images/appliances/B383_WSK_1rd.jpg" width="380" height="320" title="Ford Cargo Graphex Tender" alt="Ford Cargo Graphex Tender"></td> </tr> </table> <p>James Gunn, Senior Technical Officer Site Closure Project, Dounreay, Caithness, hands the keys for Graphex Tender B383WSK to Bob James of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Group as fellow group members look on. One of two uniquely designed fire engines, these appliances were specially made to tackle radioactive metal fires at Dounreay s experimental fast breed nuclear reactors. </p> <p>The fire engine, known as a graphex tender, is one of only two in existence. They were designed and built to Dounreay s specifications, to fight liquid metal coolant fires in the site s experimental reactor's. Each vehicle carried one tonne of graphex powder, a graphite-based fire fighting agent. With the bulk of the coolant in the prototype reactor destroyed and work now underway to destroy the coolant in the Dounreay fast reactor, the need for the bespoke fire engines has diminished. </p> <p>Dounreay s fire chief Kenny Porteous says that this is an ideal time to withdraw the tenders from service.  The tenders gave us the reassurance that we could deal with a large scale metal fire if one broke out, he said.  However, they have now reached the end of their operational lives and can be retired to a new home. </p> <p>Brief History 1,500 tonnes of Sodium, a highly toxic, flammable and volatile substance was used as the main coolant in Dounreay s prototype nuclear fast reactor. Because of the unusual and unique demands this type of substance generates when on fire it was subsequently decided it was a necessary to have in place 24 hours, 365 days a year dedicated fire appliances and specially trained plant firefighters. A pair of Graphex Fire Tenders (B382WSK & B383WSK) filled the fire appliance requirement, both  going on the run in 1985, to remain the first response appliances until the fast reactor was shut down. James Gunn, Dounreay s heritage officer commented.  These appliances were brought into service in 1985 just for tackling large sodium fires. The Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay had 1,500 tonnes of sodium as coolant. The bulk of the sodium is now destroyed and they are no longer needed. Thankfully the tenders were never required to be used! Two standard Ford Cargo truck chassis & cabs were adapted to carry two vertical storage vessels, each containing commercially available Graphex powder (graphite based), pressurisation cylinders and equipment lockers. </p> <p>On Saturday December 12th 2009, a five-man team from the "Group", travelled to Watten, near Wick and then on to collect the appliance from Dounreay. Our guy's on the scene were David Adam, Edward Gray,William Gordon, David Mcausland and Bob James. The following day the appliance was given the once over by our Fleet Engineer David Mcausland, before our happy band of travellers set off back home with our latest vehicle. The appliance arrived safely at our Storage Facility where it will lavished with some TLC before taking to the event's scene in 2010. I am told that the appliance performed superbly on the long trip home. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Group wishes to offer our sincere thanks to Strathclyde Fire & Rescue for providing the transport and once again our sincere thanks to Dounreay for this superb donation to our fleet. </p> <p>Appliance Details: Type: Ford Cargo 0813  2-man tilt cab, medium wheelbase chassis with double back wheels. Year: 1985 Registration Number: B383WSK Length: 7.8m Width: 2.8m inc. mirrors (2.3m without) Height: 3.1m Engine: 6L non-turbo Gearbox: Manual 4-speed Brakes: Air over hydraulic brakes Electrical System: 12 volt </p> <!-- Actual Content End --> </div> <!-- Page Content End --> <!-- Footer Start --> <div id="footer"> &copy; Strathclyde Fire &amp; Rescue Preservation Group </div> <!-- Footer End --> </div> </body> </html>