St. Louis Metro

[fyrfoto]

[quote name='firebuff55407' post='133322' date='Jul 25 2007, 20:42 ']Duane took this photo in 1976 of Hose 5 was operating with 1951 Mack 1000/200, Mack #95LS-1251.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel[/quote]





There were actually buildings around the firehouse then, I believe that house is referred to as the little house on the prairie because the neighborhood around it all burned down or was otherwise destroyed. This has to be one of the best threads yet!!



J

[Guest]

Here is StLFD Engine 34 running with 1954 Mack 1000/200, 95LS-1358.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

In 1955 the department purchased two Howe Defender 1000/200 pumpers as follows:

9555 StLFD #59 E3 1955 Howe Defender Open CF 1000/200

9556 StLFD @39 E25 1955 Howe Defender Open CF 1000/200



They were both apparently gone when Duane visited in 1976. Here is Engine 3 operating with Howe #9555 in 1965.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Engine 25's Howe Defender was in the shop for major overhaul in 1965. Here is a photo of it torn apart in the shops.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

The department also purchased two Gas Trucks in 1955. They were staffed with a driver in 1965 as we saw them at a few fire scenes. Here is Gas 1's 1955 International/???.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Here is Gas 2's 1955 International/???.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

The department also purchased this 1955 Mack B/Maxim 85-foot TDA the same year. Here is H&L 8 using this piece, Mack #B85F-1049, StLFD #94.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Here is a 1976 shot of the 1955 Mack B/Maxim 85-footer as Reserve H&L 25 (formerly H&L 1 and H&L 16).



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

[quote name='ppfd' post='133283' date='Jul 25 2007, 18:52 ']Great job Steve! For 1965 photos, the clarity is superb!



Couple of questions,



Who is Duane? I've heard the name and seen the fine work he has done in the past. Is/was he a firefighter?



As for St. Louis, not to sound dumb! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_redface.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> but, I've always wondered as far as open cab trucks.

Were there any precautions used in rain, snow or washing the apparatus?



Were the trucks radio equipped, when did they start equipping them?



I notice no mirrors in some of the backing shots, did they not use them?



Thanks for the fine contribution![/quote]



Duane Troxel was a Twin City area (MN) fire buff that went on many long trips from 1965 to 1979 shooting fire apparatus. He died in 1980 from cancer at the young age of 37.



[i] I can't answer your question about open cabs, but many other departments like New York City still had open cab apparatus in 1954. Minneapolis operated open cabs until 1951 and we're a lot further north than St. Louis.



The trucks were equipped with radios- not sure when they were installed however.



I can't answer the question about mirrors, but they were probably trying to look over the hose body to make sure the area was clear behind them.[i]

[Guest]

[quote name='fyrfoto' post='133356' date='Jul 25 2007, 20:33 ']There were actually buildings around the firehouse then, I believe that house is referred to as the little house on the prairie because the neighborhood around it all burned down or was otherwise destroyed. This has to be one of the best threads yet!!



J[/quote]



Thank you for the kind words fyrfoto.



Tomorrow we'll start where I left off with the large 1956 & 1957 ALF orders by the St. Louis FD. It would be the end of the "Squirrel-tale" hookups for St. Louis.

[Guest]

My bad. When I typed "Squirrel-tale" in a couple posts last evening it seemed wrong but I couldn't figure out why (maybe it was one of my senior moments). It finally came to me late last night that it should read "Squirrel-tail" hookups.



The Memphis Fire Department also used the squirrel-tail hookup exclusively until 1965 when they started purchasing cab-forward type fire apparatus.

[kieferfire]

Steve,



thanks again very much for sharing the great Duane Troxel photos and the very informative background info to the group. My interest in US fire apparatus started about 20 years ago and for me it's very nice to see the stuff from the sixties and seventies.



Juergen

[Guest]

[quote name='kieferfire' post='133660' date='Jul 26 2007, 14:51 ']Steve,



thanks again very much for sharing the great Duane Troxel photos and the very informative background info to the group. My interest in US fire apparatus started about 20 years ago and for me it's very nice to see the stuff from the sixties and seventies.



Juergen[/quote]



Thank you very much Juergen. There's a lot more to come. We'll see a lot more of Duane's 1976 photos from this point on.

[Guest]

The St. Louis Fire Department received nine pumpers and four tractor-drawn aerial ladders in 1956, all from American LaFrance. The "Squirrel-tail" hard suctions were gone. The new pumpers hooked to the hydrant with soft-suction hose connects at the rear of the new rigs.



Here are the nine new ALF pumpers:

N161 StLFD #42 E23 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N162 StLFD #93 E36-24 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N163 StLFD #71 E9-12 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N164 StLFD #97 E42-6 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N165 StLFD #100 E38 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N166 StLFD #98 E13-27 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N167 StLFD #102 E20 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N168 StLFD #103 E14 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300

N169 StLFD #104 E7-19 1956 American LaFrance Canopy CF 1000/300



Here is Engine 6's (formerly E42) 1956 ALF 1000/300 in front of the Station.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

Here is Engine 12's (formerly Engine 9) 1956 ALF 1000/300, ALF #N163, StLFD#71 in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

Here's the same rig in 1965 operating as Engine 9 at a working fire on Sunday, 9/12/65 at Box 8116 near Montgomery & 9th Street.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Here's Engine 27 (formerly E13) with 1956 ALF 1000/300, ALF #N155, StLFD #98 in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

Engine 38's 1956 ALF 1000/300, ALF #N165, StLFD #100 in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

Engine 14's 1956 ALF 1000/300, ALF #N168, StLFD #103 in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

Engine 23's 1956 ALF 1000/300, ALF #N161, StLFD #32 in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel