Baltimore City Fire Department

[GA_Dave]

Wasn't Richmond,Va.'s Calavar on a Hendrickson Chassis?

It was, but it was a 100', not a 150'. This rig could be Atlanta's, but I'm at the Station today, away from all my reference material. I'll check things out tomorrow and post my findings.

[Guest]

[quote name='firebuff55407' post='53937' date='Nov 25 2006, 23:04 ']reckscoop - Thanks for the kind words and the correction on the year of the ambulance.



I was just going through an unmarked box of Duane's slides and discovered a few more Baltimore photos along with photos of more rigs from the fire apparatus parade. Here is a better outdoor photo of Baltmore's 1958 International/Hi-Ramger 75-foot snorkel assigned to Water Tower 1. I have this listed as both a 1958 anf 1961. Does anybody know for sure which year was correct.

- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.[/quote]



Hey Steve,



Great photos as always. On this particular HI-Ranger. Was Baltimore FD the second big city FD to get a

snorkel? I was just trying to find out.





take care



Andy

[Guest]

DAvid - I agree this wasn't the Calavar that went to Tucson.



navyfire72 - Thats why I question the 1958 date. I think 1961 is probably correct.



GA_Dave - Here's a photo I took of Atlanta's 1977 150-foot Calavar in the early 80s. I'm not sure if this is the Calavar at the IAFC either.

[Guest]

[quote name='firebuff55407' post='53937' date='Nov 25 2006, 23:04 ']reckscoop - Thanks for the kind words and the correction on the year of the ambulance.



I was just going through an unmarked box of Duane's slides and discovered a few more Baltimore photos along with photos of more rigs from the fire apparatus parade. Here is a better outdoor photo of Baltmore's 1958 International/Hi-Ramger 75-foot snorkel assigned to Water Tower 1. I have this listed as both a 1958 anf 1961. Does anybody know for sure which year was correct.

- 1973 Photo by Duane Troxel.[/quote]



I believe it was a 1961, at least that was when it was put in service.



It's bodywork was by Harwick.

[Guest]

Again, thanks for posting these photos.



A thouisand apoligies for incorrect info - The Steadman station was dedicated Sept. 11, 1973,



The IAFC was the following month.

[Guest]

[quote name='firebuff55407' date='Nov 16 2006, 20:22 ' post='51576']

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!





Here are two pix from the Md Fire Museum showing the Dahill air-over-oil hoist mechanism.

[Guest]

These refer to post #11, date Nov 16, 2006, on the first page of this thread



This is a view of the Dahill hoist from the other side. The big, white tank holds compressed air, the smaller tank holds the hydraulic oil, the vertical brass thingys are the cylinders used for raising the ladder. Firehouses had large, stationary compressors for recharging the air tank on the ladder trailer.

[Guest]

Here's noted fire apparatus historian Curt Elie standing next to the turntable. The ladder was raised to vertical and then the crew attached large iron turning bars to the a rim on the turntable. Like the capstan on a sailing ship used for raising the anchor the turntable was turned manually to position the ladder facing the building; then it was lowered to provide aerial access to the structure.



On the turntable can be seen the hydraulic oil tank and the brass lifting cylinders.



Phil, Bklyn.

[Guest]

Staying on the topic of Mack Bulldogs at the MD Fire Museum, here're pix of a Mack AC set up as the dept tow truck.

[Guest]

Here's another pic of it.

[Guest]

What it would look like if you were aout to be towed away.

[Guest]

The sign describing it.

[Guest]

And here it is in full color on the display floor of the museum.

[Guest]

Close up of what's under the hood. BTW, AC doesn't mean air cooled. This is a liquid cooled powerplant with the cooling fan and radiator in the back of the engine just in front of the driver/officer. In the first color pic you can see the hot air outlets (vertical screens) on the side of the cowl.



Phil, Bklyn.

[Guest]

Here's a 1922 Ahrens Fox model KJS4 Reg # 1114 formerly in service at Eng 7 in Baltimore City, now at the Md Fire Museum. Seen here in the 2006 Firehouse Expo Sunday morning parade.

[GA_Dave]

It was, but it was a 100', not a 150'. This rig could be Atlanta's, but I'm at the Station today, away from all my reference material. I'll check things out tomorrow and post my findings.

OK, I've eliminated the Atlanta rig by a minor technical feature, it has a different style door handle on the cab! I located the Firebird list I have and my best guess is the rig shot by Duane was the one that went to Anchorage, Alaska in 1974, later sold to Sacramento, CA in 1983 and repainted white/yellow. There's a shot of that rig, as Sacramento Truck 6, in Peter Aloisi's book "Apparatus And Fires Across America". It's on page 55.

[Guest]

Here is a photo I took of Sacramento Truck 6 in 1981, listed as a 1975 Calavar Firebird 150-foot.

[hungrybus]

If you guys don't mind, I would like to add a few of my Classic and not so Classic Baltimore City Apparatus to this **GREAT** thread. I'll start off with a few old Battalion Vehicles. let me know if you want me to add some to the thread.

[hungrybus]

Battalion Chief 4

[hungrybus]

Engine 7