Virginia apparatus - miscellaneous

[mnsand]

And I will save the best for last (in my opinion) from McGaheysville.



While I was photographing the apparatus at McGaheysville, some of the guys made a phone call to a member asking him to bring down one of the newest acquisitions to the area. Although not owned by the fire department because there is no room to store this truck, a member purchased it and there is a tremendous amount of pride in this truck.



Originally ordered by Merck & Company which has a nearby plant in Elkton, Virginia, this truck was donated to McGaheysville when the department was just getting started - roughly in 1965. It was the department's second truck (the first being an old tanker).



It is a 1942 Diamond T Model 404 which is in very good shape.



Here is the interesting part.....I was told Diamond T built the entire truck, including the fire truck body. I had never heard of that before and was told that Diamond T built a small number of fire trucks. Any Diamond T experts out there that could confirm this? I looked for a builders plate but could find nothing except the Diamond T plate.



After serving at McGaheysville, it was sold to Hugh Whitlow (I hope I spelled that name correctly) in the early 1980's, who was once the Oren dealer in Virginia. My understanding that due to older age and health, Mr. Whitlow had to sell the truck, and it was offered back to McGaheysville, but there was no room at the station. That is when a member stepped up and purchased the truck.





Mike Sanders

Ashburn, VA