Philadelphia, PA

[Guest]

[quote name='Truckman' post='241250' date='Aug 25 2008, 10:58 ']Ummm makes you wonder Looks like there shouldn't two names that are very close as this one is. Could cause some troube.



Hey, most apparatus that were built in 1971 - 1975 had severe rust problems due to the metal, paint primer and top coat paint. We suffered right along with every one else.[/quote]

First off, after the corporate mergers that created American LaFrance, a nephew of Asa and Truckson LaFrance, Ward, started building "assembled", ie built with vendor components, commercial trucks. Fire Apparatus didn't begin until the 1930's, and Ward LaFrance built commercial trucks into the 1940's.



Second, a major USA steelworkers strike in apx. 1970 drove many steel users to seek imported steel from Europe. This steel was different in composition, and did not take primer and paint as well as US made steel, resulting in water/road grime and salt getting to the metal and causing the rusted out rigs of the 1970's (DCFD also had the same problems with WLF/Ford C pumpers, and had them re-bodied by Young in 1979-80).



Third, 1972's Hurricane Agnes caused serious damage to the American LaFrance plant in Elmira, NY, not the Ward LaFrance plant in Elmira Heights, NY.



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