A group of former firefighters restore rare firetruck from Nyngan

A group of retired New England firefighters are working to restore a 99-year-old fire truck from Nyngan to its former glory.

The 1920's Garford fire truck was the very first motorised fire appliance to go into service across NSW.

President of the Tamworth Classic Fire Engine Club Barry Owens, said these types of fire trucks are very rare, but what makes this one extremely rare is how "good of a condition" they found the vehicle in.

"We were amazed. Four of the members went to Nyngan a week ago and we were just amazed by the condition it was in," he said.

Mr Owens said aside from the vehicle being in 'good nick', what truly amazed them was that it had almost all of its original parts.

As soon as the truck arrived at their Tamworth workshop the club's 20 members started on the restoration process, which will take upwards of 12 months to complete.

"We have found out the colour of the wheels that have gotta be done, and getting it back to its former glory," he said.

The 1920's fire truck started life with the Nyngan brigade in 1947 and served the township until 1961. Since it was retired it's been housed in the old Bogan Shire fire station.

Once the restoration is complete the truck will be returned to Nyngan where it will be displayed at the new fire station museum.

"The Bogan Shire Council has received a government grant to restore the old fire station. When we restore this it will be going into the fire station as a relic of yesteryear," Mr Owens said.

Since the Tamworth Classic Fire Engine Club formed in 2017, they have fully restored around six decommissioned fire trucks that were in use from the early 1930's to the 1980's.

The former firies said they have enjoyed the challenge and the chance to breathe new life into each and every piece.

The club has also amassed a collection of vintage firefighting equipment, including helmets, wool uniforms, and more. The oldest piece currently on display is a late 1800s' hand-drawn hose reel.

"There was an old fire station [in] the area of Diggers [in Tamworth] and they had one of these hose reels. We found an entry in a book that four men and the hose reel departed to a burning house in Calala," said vice president of the Tamworth classic fire engine club Gerry Cannon.

"The entry stops there. We don't know what they were going to do or any further explanation, but we assumed they passed out from exhaustion."

If you are curious to learn more about the history of fire fighting, be sure to pop into the Tamworth Classic Fire Engine Museum located at Showground Road, Taminda.

This article first appeared in the Daily Liberal.