Montreal Fire Department 1970's

[Ian Stronach]

That's it for the pumps.  There are more but pretty much copies of the same models.  Now the ladders.

 

Ladder 403 - 1957 Mack-Magirus 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 403 - 1974 Thibault 100 ft. replaced the Mack-Magirus.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 404 - 1965 Thibault 100 ft.  Thibault built their first 100 ft, rearmount aerial on their own custom  AWIT chassis in 1962 for Quebec City.  In 1965 Montreal took delivery of their second such ladder.  These were the only two rear-mounts on this chassis.  There were many mid-ships on the AWIT.

[Ian Stronach]

The Montreal Thibault rear-mounts had a bed ladder pipe with a straight tip, hence the roll of hose on the bed section near the turntable.  The ladder pipe is barely visible under the tip of the bed section.  I have fireground shots of these ladders operating with both the bed ladder pipe and one on the last fly section tip at near full extension - certainly a testament to how rugged their ladders were.  There will always be anecdotal stories both good and bad about Thibault's quality but they saw some incredible fireground service in Montreal in the 1970's and early 1980's and stood up very well to the test.  The other advantage of these ladders was their short wheel base and turning radius (pretty much like a pump) which made them very maneuverable in Montreal's narrow streets and lanes.

 

Ladder 405 - 1975 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 405 - 1981 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 407 - 1974 Thibault 100 ft.

[hank]

Good photos!

 

tHANKs

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 409 - 1958 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 410 - Ford.  I really don't have the history on this rig.  Montreal had a number of tiller service ladders with commercial tractors, the last ones of which were taken out of service in 1974 when the large delivery of Thibault 100 ft, rearmount ladders was made.  This photo was taken on 24 June 1973.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 415 - 1941 Seagrave 100 ft. with 1955(?) GMC tractor.  Montreal had two of these - one was delivered with a J-model tractor and the other without a tractor!.

 

 

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 415 - 1975 Thibault 100 ft. replaced the Seagrave tiller.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 416 - 1954 Mack-Magirus 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 416 - 1979 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 419 - 1953 Mack-Magirus 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 419 - 1979 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 422 - 1975 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 432 - 1955 Thibault-Magirus 100 ft.  There were two rigs like this.  I understand the turntables and raising mechanisms were reused from early (1930) Magirus ladders and the wooden 100 ft. 4- section aerials was replaced by steel ones.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 432 - 1975 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 433 - 1980 Thibault 100 ft.

[Ian Stronach]

Ladder 434 - 1962 Lafrance 100 ft. running as Ladder 420.  Montreal had two of these.