Fire Truck Friday

[haywire 440]

Have a good friend who’s Father was a Chicago Fireman and lived into his late 90’s. He would steer the ladder truck from the rear position out in the open like Cosmo there!

He talked about the “early days” going to calls in certain parts of Chicago. While doing the steering He and the ladder truck would be under fire from some high rise buildings. He always carried his PPE and would return fire while steering one handed.

He received a Fireman pension for more years than he worked.
Oooh the stories he could tell, a fact filled history lesson.

 

[64BEL]

I'm in my 33rd year with our FD and still pumping! I'm still ranked Lt, but I mostly drive the engine and run the pump, now - and leave most of the real work to the youngsters.

We have a lot of firetruck manufacturers in WI. Pierce was #2 in the world behind E-One at one time - maybe still? Pierce is now a subsidiary of Oshkosh Truck - makers of heavy military trucks among many others.

Seagrave supplies the ladders for FDNY last I knew. When FDNY lost all of those trucks on 911, Seagrave cranked things up and had replacement trucks ready in 6 months to help resupply them. Unbelievably fast for a custom truck that usually took a year to build. This was the first one they completed, and it was a big deal when they rolled it out with the flag mural and other 911 related markings - Ladder 10. We visited NYC in August of 2002 and saw this truck on the street and then in it's temporary firehouse (while 10 House was still being rebuilt). We stopped and spoke with the guys and told then how it was built not far from us.

This is one of my favorite firetruck related pics. Every firefighter's dream!

 

[Dave6T4]

I am glad I tapped into a vein of firefighter stories and memories. Feel free to share! ....and pictures!

 

[64BEL]

Have a good friend who’s Father was a Chicago Fireman and lived into his late 90’s. He would steer the ladder truck from the rear position out in the open like Cosmo there!

He talked about the “early days” going to calls in certain parts of Chicago. While doing the steering He and the ladder truck would be under fire from some high rise buildings. He always carried his PPE and would return fire while steering one handed.

He received a Fireman pension for more years than he worked.
Oooh the stories he could tell, a fact filled history lesson.

That's called a Tiller. Interestingly, tiller ladder trucks are seen more in big congested cities. Sounds the opposite of what you'd think, but they're more maneuverable than fixed real wheel ladder trucks.

I snapped these pics a few years ago in Appleton, WI. It's a new Pierce after being picked up to be driven to it's new home.

 

[Richard Cranium]

 

[Basket case]

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[Basket case]

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[Basket case]

original Engine 51

 

[GTXDAN]

Question for you guys, but do those rear steer trucks have to have someone driving the back all the time it's on the road or does the back steering lock so you can drive it long distances with out a back driver. I don't know anything about firetrucks but they're pretty cool.

 

[64BEL]

I believe you can lock the rear steering, then pull it without a rear driver - like pulling a trailer.

 

[pricer140]

View attachment 1628741

My first thought on this thread.

 

[Dave6T4]

ca. 1915 Seagrave pumper

 

[Dave6T4]

St. Thomas, Ontario 1951 Bickle-Seagrave Cabin Pumper and Detroit, Mi. 1950 Seagrave Sedan Pumper

 

[69B7RR]

 

[F4R/T]

I have a good friends brother that has a American La France ladder truck with rear tiller, I believe it’s Continental powered gasser, from a St. Louis fire house. Yes the fire house is still in operation too. He also has a local Dodge dealers first truck he sold a salesman it was a mid 50s Dodge fire truck.. I’ll work on getting some pictures. I was a fireman for years, I was a fan of E one, we had a variety of chassis and bodies all were good. I also worked for a local Ford dealer and recall the stories of old trucks going in for pump testing and how the gassers would make the manifolds glow and some required a little help on tuning once in awhile so we sent an old school tech to make it pass with a little tuning.

 

[Longknife]

My son is a fire fighter with a collection of fire trucks. He often drives them in parades. I think he has about seven right now. A few in need of restoration but most are original and operational. He is a member here as he also owns a 69 RR.

PS, He has a 1957 Mack that is built on Dodge chassis. It has a Red Ram Hemi under the hood!

 

[XS22J8R]

My son is a fire fighter with a collection of fire trucks. He often drives them in parades. I think he has about seven right now. A few in need of restoration but most are original and operational. He is a member here as he also owns a 69 RR.

PS, He has a 1957 Mack that is built on Dodge chassis. It has a Red Ram Hemi under the hood!

That’s very cool. But where does he keep them all? I have a tough time with the logistics of just 6 cars.

 

[Hey-O]

This was given to me 40 years ago by an executive of the shriners circus for helping build a few parade floats. It came from an OLD fire truck that pulled a float.

 

[64BEL]

I have a good friends brother that has a American La France ladder truck with rear tiller, I believe it’s Continental powered gasser, from a St. Louis fire house. Yes the fire house is still in operation too. He also has a local Dodge dealers first truck he sold a salesman it was a mid 50s Dodge fire truck.. I’ll work on getting some pictures. I was a fireman for years, I was a fan of E one, we had a variety of chassis and bodies all were good. I also worked for a local Ford dealer and recall the stories of old trucks going in for pump testing and how the gassers would make the manifolds glow and some required a little help on tuning once in awhile so we sent an old school tech to make it pass with a little tuning.

We used to have a Pierce pumper on a '73 Ford chassis with a gas engine. It's true - the exhaust manifolds would glow red when running it hard.

 

[pricer140]

My son is a fire fighter with a collection of fire trucks. He often drives them in parades. I think he has about seven right now. A few in need of restoration but most are original and operational. He is a member here as he also owns a 69 RR.

PS, He has a 1957 Mack that is built on Dodge chassis. It has a Red Ram Hemi under the hood!

Can't imagine the cost and time needed to restore fire trucks. Great to have diversity in our hobby.