My old friend, Duane Troxel of Robbinsdale, MN, visited the IAFC Convention which was held in Baltimore in 1973. When he was there he photographed the entire department in slides. Last week I scanned all of his Baltimore slides.
In 1973, Baltimore had many rigs still in service that were 30 years old. A huge order of apparatus the next year would greatly reduce the age of the Baltimore fleet. While there, Duane was able to shoot apparatus that was still around from the 30s, including this 1933 Mack BQ model tractor that was used to pull the 1898 Hale water tower.
- 1973 Duane Troxel photo.
This 1938 Mack 750/??? pumper, Mack #80S-1002 was still in reserve service as Reserve Engine 10 in 1973.
- 1973 Duane Troxel photo.
[quote name='firebuff55407' post='51412' date='Nov 15 2006, 21:55 ']This 1938 Mack 750/??? pumper, Mack #80S-1002 was still in reserve service as Reserve Engine 10 in 1973.
- 1973 Duane Troxel photo.[/quote]
Now that's a sharp paint scheme!
Reserve Engine 35 was running with this 1939 Mack 750/???, Mack #80S-1019, in 1973.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
This 1939 Baltimore American LaFrance 750/???, ALF #L-1177, was being stripped at the shops when Duane visited.
-1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
Baltimore had a very interesting fleet of apparatus in 1973. Baltimore had many rigs painted red with white hose bodies going way back. Then the fleet became white with red fenders sometime in the late 30s. In 1973, the color was switched to white with orange fenders and trim. More Duane Troxel photos tomorrow night.
That tower in the first pic is on display at the Fire Museum of MD and occasionally makes the parade circuit.
Great stuff, Steve. Looking forward to more! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hail.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
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[quote name='firebuff55407' post='51419' date='Nov 15 2006, 23:01 ']This 1939 Baltimore American LaFrance 750/???, ALF #L-1177, was being stripped at the shops when Duane visited.
-1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.[/quote]
The Ward LaFrance next to the ALF was purchased from Anne Arundel County and cannailbalized for parts to keep the many City Wards running. The White oil tanker in the background was purchased from Crown Petroleum. It became Tank Wagon 1, used to fill apparatus on the fireground with gas and diesel. It was painted Omaha Orange, the then new City colors.
hawkins point- Thanks for the info on the 1933 Mack tractored Water Tower.
GA_Dave- Thanks Dave. I sure wish Duane could be around for his input on these great old photos he took. I'm sure he had a story to go along with many of these photos.
gfd1- Thank you for the very interesting information. You probably know a lot more about Baltimore City fire apparatus than I do. Please feel free to add anything and to correct me if I'm wrong. I've done a fair amount of research on Baltimore, goin through museum-owned copies of the "Unheralded Heros" and the very informative "Rigs of the Unheralded Heroes", both purchased by Duane Troxel before his death and now part of the "Duane Troxel Memorial Library" in the Firefighters Hall & Museum here in Minneapolis.
Other information that I will use comes from “Big City Fire Trucks – 1900 to 1950” by Donald F. Wood and Wayne Sorenson. This wonderful publication, printed by Krause Publications in 1996, has 336 pages, and contains hundreds of black and white photographs. I highly recommend this outstanding soft-cover book, which is now out of print, to any “big city” fire apparatus buffs.
The Baltimore City FD kept its Holloway and Hayes aerial ladders, which had been purchased during the horse-drawn era, in service for many, many years. Baltimore converted many of its older spring hoist aerials to Dahill compressed air hoists. One 1888 Hayes aerial ladder, which had been up-graded with a Dahill compressed air hoist, was in service for 85 years!
The Baltimore FD periodically replaced many of the aerial tractors on their old tractor-drawn aerials (TDA) with Mack tractors from the teens through the 40s. There were many Mack AC models (Bulldogs) in the Baltimore City fleet over the years. From 1941 on, the Mack LS model tractors were very common.
In 1941 Baltimore purchased seven more Mack aerial ladder tractors on LS chassis. They also purchased a Mack LS chassis which the shops used to replace a straight frame 1917 Mack Bulldog City Service Ladder truck that same year.
Here is Baltimore Reserve Ladder 18 with a 1941 Mack tractor, serial #19LS-1021, which I believe is pulling an Ahrens-Fox 85-foot aerial ladder.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
Many of Duane's shots of reserve Baltimore City apparatus were taken inside stations with a wide-angle lens. Here is Reserve Ladder 10 with another 1941 Mack tractor, serial #19LS-1018 towing what I believe to be another Ahrens-Fox 85-foot aerial.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
At one time Baltimore had what amounted to a second department in second line equipment.
Here is what seems like a rather strange combination. It is Baltimore Reserve Ladder 3 with another of the 1941 Mack tractors, #19LS-1023 pulling a 1944 American LaFrance 100-foot aerial ladder #8170.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
These are great shots! Can't wait to see more!
Duane caught Reserve Ladder 17 out on the street. It is yet another 1941 Mack tractor, #19LS-1019 , towing what I believe is another Ahrens-Fox 85-foot aerial ladder.
What I'm wondering is, did Baltimore buy these Ahrens Fox aerials without tractors? Or did the Ahrens Fox tractors wear out and need to be replaced?
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
I believe Baltimore City also purchased two 1941
Seagrave tractors for older Hayes aerials, neither of which Duane has photos of.
Here is a Reserve Ladder 23, a 1942
Seagrave 65-foot Mid-mount aerial ladder,
Seagrave #B-1855, delivered on 11/13/1942.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
[quote name='firebuff55407' post='51594' date='Nov 16 2006, 20:38 ']Duane caught Reserve Ladder 17 out on the street. It is yet another 1941 Mack tractor, #19LS-1019 , towing what I believe is another Ahrens-Fox 85-foot aerial ladder.
What I'm wondering is, did Baltimore buy these Ahrens Fox aerials without tractors? Or did the Ahrens Fox tractors wear out and need to be replaced?
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.[/quote]
I believe that the Baltimore shops built the trailers and installed the Fox aerials and installed the Mack tractors. The last of the Hayes/Dahill trucks in service was Truck 17. It served n first line until 1967 and many of these Hayes-Dahill rigs lasted several years in second line. Some had
Seagrave tractors. The Fire Museum of MD has a Hayes-Dahill trailer towed by a Bulldog Mack AC tractor. That unit came to the Museum with a Mack LS tractor which is used around the museum as a tow truck.
Duane took this photo of Reserve Ladder 4 at the training tower. It is a 1943 ALF 100-foot TDA, ALF #8169, delivered on 7/21/1943.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.
There were two 1945
Seagrave 65-foot mid-mount aerial ladders that Duane did not get photos of.
This is the only photo Duane got of the nine 1946
Seagrave 750/200 pumpers that Baltimore owned. It is Reserve Engine 25,
Seagrave #C-7860, delivered on 4/10/1946.
- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.