Baltimore City Fire Department

[Guest]

[quote name='ppfd' post='51609' date='Nov 16 2006, 20:08 ']Was the equipment "back in the day" that good? Or did cities just not replace equipment that frequently? I think the 60's and 70's are when most of the big cities experienced some of the more memoriable fires? I guess what I'm trying to say is that one most likely would not find 30 plus year old trucks in todays firehouses most the time. I love looking at these tough old trucks![/quote]

Many Cities did not have the money needed to replace lots of rigs, please keep this in mind that from 1929 through 1940 we were in the Great Depression where there was no money to buy anything except the essentials and then from 1941 through 1945 you had WWII when the apparatus that was allowed to be manufactured was being carefully doled out based on need by the war production board.



So many places had to make do and rebuild as needed and many places were not able to buy new equipment until the late 40's and early 50's.



The rigs were simpler that is for sure in construction and design but I am sure that they were also kept around out of necessity. Chicago due to financial constraints and shortages ran 1920's vintage Seagrave in some of the outlying companies and as spares up until the early 60's leaving the newer Macks and FWD's with the busier companies.