The Retained appliance became unavailable in 1955 due to shortage of crew but was not withdrawn from the Establishment until much later. (Dave Mitchell 26/11/2017)

In 1982 the Establishment was 1 Sub Officer, 1 Leading Fireman and 5 Firemen per watch (4 watches).

Dalkeith had a call sign of 33 in Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to J01, the new National Call Sign on 3/5/2017.

HISTORY OF DALKEITH FIRE BRIGADE 

The proposal to form a Fire Brigade in Dalkeith was first considered by the Commissioners for the Burgh at a meeting in March, 1883. Provision of sorts for fighting fire had already been made but two serious fires had. shown that the existing arrangements were insufficient.
The Commissioners elected a small group to form a Committee called “The Fire Engine Committee” to enquire into and report on the possibility of forming a Fire Brigade for the Burgh and. neighbourhood. The Committee were quick to arrive at a decision, in fact the following month, April, 1883, they recommended the formation of a Fire Brigade comprising six men. Their recommendations were approved by the Commissioners and remitted to the Committee to ascertain whether the men and equipment could be obtained and at what cost.
During the months that followed, meetings took place and discussion on the project blew hot and cold. At one particular meeting on the 13th August, 1883, Commissioner Mr. Paterson stated that the pressure in the water mains was sufficient for firefighting without the aid of a fire engine. He managed to convince the Commissioners to shelve the idea of a Fire Brigade meantime until a further meeting at which the year's accounts would be passed.
On the 12th November, 1883, the Committee brought forward a new suggestion for the formation of a Fire Brigade. The Chairman recommended the appointment of two or three men in addition to the Water Officer for the Burgh as Firemen with a payment of £1. 1. 0d, per annum exclusive of charges for their services at fires. The meeting approved the recommendations and instructed that the appointed Firemen should be provided with helmets, Mr. George Wilson the Burgh Water Officer was designated “chief” and the other men were to be tradesmen chosen from a class suitable for the work.
Four men were appointed as Firemen. Each man received a cap as a badge of office and a sum of l0/6d. when turned out to a fire in addition to his annual payment of £1. 1. 0d.
It was decided at a meeting held on 12th January, 1885, to purchase fire hose in order that it may be readily available to protect the lower end of the town. The hose was ordered from an Edinburgh Company on the 9th February and delivered exactly one month later and deposited in the Municipal Buildings where it was decided by the Commissioners that it should stay until required for use.
There was still no mention of a fire engine: Dalkeith had a Brigade and equipment of a kind but no appliance. It is likely that a barrow containing hose, buckets, possibly tradesmen’s tools and perhaps a small ladder would have been provided. One of Dalkeith’s older members remembers something of the kind before the First World War and as he recalls, it was kept in the base of the water tower. This would certainly explain why hose was required to protect the lower end of the town,
At a later meeting, a motion was put before the Commissioners by a Mr. Liddell that the Fire Brigade be re-organised to obtain 20 men, each to have a distinguishing mark such as a helmet. It is also interesting to note his concern for their efficiency because he also suggested that in order to become proficient in the use of their equipment, they must drill once a fortnight, on Saturday afternoons.
At a meeting held on the 4th December, 1885, to discuss the re-organisation of the Brigade, the Commissioners instructed the Committee to look into and report on the probable expense of a Fire Engine House in Buccleuch Street. They were to being in plans of the building and equipment for the men as proposed. Whatever transpired at the following meeting we will never know, but it seems that as it was a massive undertaking at that time, it must have fallen through.
However, only three months later on the 8th March, 1886, Dr. Thomson read a report from the Committee. It stated that Mr. Cochrane was agreeable to giving the Commissioners the use of a shed in Back Street rented by him from the Duke of Buccleuch, provided that the Chamberlain had no objection to the sub-lease. Dr. Thomson was directed to proceed with the matter if it was agreed by all parties.
Again something happened along the way. On the 12th April, 1886 just over a month had passed, Dr. Thomson attended another meeting with another proposal to recommend the acceptance of an offer from Messrs. J. Haig & Son, a local Building Contractor. It was the offer of a Fire Engine House in his yard at Croft Street at a rental of £5 per annum.
It was agreed to accept the lease for a period of five years with the right to extend that period after the first year if the premises were found to be suitable. A ladder was to be provided and the Fire Engine Committee was made permanent. The lease was finally signed on the 14th June 1886 – at long last Dalkeith had a Fire Station.
There are no records of the type of Fire Engine that was to be housed in Croft Street. The records only made reference to the “Fire Engine” never to type, make or model. There are a few interesting notes worth a mention. Dr. Thomson stated on 10th February, 1890, that consideration should be given to overhauling the Fire Engine and to the possibility of getting another. On the 21st April 1890, the Committee again reported that the Fire Engine was defective with the result that the Commissioners instructed the Committee to ascertain the cost of a new engine from several makers.
Firemaster Wilkins from Edinburgh was invited to inspect Dalkeith Fire Engine on the 9th June, 1890, and his report confirmed that the Fire Engine was as bad as earlier reports had made out. It was exactly two years later, in the month of June, 1892, that the matter was finally resolved by Commissioner Liddell. He told a meeting held on the 13th June, 1892, that he had given instructions that the Fire Engine was not to be taken out again as it was in such a state of disrepair that it might involve the Burgh in a claim for damages from accident.
This brought about immediate action and the Committee were instructed to look into the matter. They decided on a new Fire Engine and reported that there was a choice of two, either a steam engine or a manual engine. The steam engine cost £145 to £152 and the manual engine cost £120. They were then ordered to purchase a Shand Mason Manual Fire Engine to be paid out of the capital funds of the Burgh. The new Fire Engine arrived at the Croft Street Fire Station in November, 1892.
As an interesting side note, Firemaster Black, successor to Chief C. Wilson, reported on the 11th December, 1892, that the Fire Brigade had been turned out four times to fires in the Burgh and once to a fire in Bonnyrigg.
As the years passed, there must have been many changes with men, equipment and possibly even one or more Fire Engines but they remained stationed at Croft Street until the start of the Second World War.
With the declaration of hostilities, all Fire Brigades were nationalised and. became known as the N.F.S. (National Fire Service). The Dalkeith section were then moved to the “Institute” in Back Street. This building had a varied life as a school, Girl Guides and Brownies hall, a factory making ladies hosiery and as an isolation hospital f or smallpox contacts before it became a Fire Station.
Finally on the 9th November, 1970, very nearly a century later, Dalkeith personnel moved into their new Fire Station in Abbey Road.

THE NEW DALKEITH FIRE STATI0N 

The new Fire Station is sited adjacent to the entrance to Newbattle Golf Club on Abbey Road, in what was once part of the Benbught Wood. Set back from the existing road line to allow for future road widening, the new building is delightfully set off on north side by gardens, and at the front, by the arrangement of contoured stone setts, laid in gentle curves and slopes delineating areas of planting. In single storey construction the black, white and ochre colouring of the buildings complement the browns and greens of the surroundings and horizontal emphasis makes the slimness and height of the adjacent training tower all the more striking.
The planning of the two bay station hinges on a central Muster Bay, opening on to the south side of the Appliance Bay and opening directly off it are the Lecture Room, Dormitory, Toilets and Switch Room; whilst a short corridor on the left leads to the Officers’ Room, Watch Room, Lounge and Study, and one on the left to the Leading Firemen’s Rooms, Mess, Kitchen and Locker Room. Opening off the Locker Room is a service area comprising Showers, Drying Room, Toilets and Scrub Down.
All…….(there is at least one more page which I don’t have)
(Source of document unknown)

Promoted 

Section Leader Murdo McKinnon, of Galashiels Fire Service, has left Galashiels to take over new duties as Company Officer in charge of Dalkeith Fire Station. Company Officer Mackinnon, who has had 15 years full-time fire service, was for 10 years at Fire Brigade headquarters in Edinburgh before taking over his duties at Galashiels over four years ago. The vacancy at Galashiels Fire Station following Company Officer McKinnon’s promotion, is to be filled by Section Leader Wood, who has been stationed previously at Leith.
(The Berwickshire News, Tuesday, May 23, 1950. Page 7)

If you know of any mistakes in this or have any additional information please let me know.