Minnesota Apparatus

[grubber33270]

Hopkins Ladder 9.

[grubber33270]

Hopkins Ladder 9

[grubber33270]

Hopkins Engine 2, and Ladder 9.

[grubber33270]

Hopkins Engine 1

[usonian55077]

[quote name='b9208' timestamp='1313214683' post='452749']

I may have missed it along the way in this thread, but is the return to the commercial cabs in Minneapolis simply a monetary issue? The new Rosenbauers look smaller overall than the Pierce E5 and others...Are they equipped differently or used in a different role, or just a change in body style for engine companies?

[/quote]



Not that I pose as an expert authority, but, I do have some additional background on the commercial chassis tradition which I posted earlier in this thread but has merit mentioning again:



There is a tradition component to it all as well. For many years, the Upper Midwest Fire Apparatus Market was dominated by a handful of regional builders, most notably General Safety, Inc. of North Branch, MN (now part of Rosenbauer). In a story not unlike the Pierre Thibault/Pierville family schism, CustomFire, Inc. was born in the late 1970's and both companies prospered and continue to thrive.



Owing to our challenging winters, crew enclosures started appearing in the 1960's, with the Saint Paul FD utilizing the infamous "telephone booth" enclosure on their Ford C/General Safety rigs. Minneapolis had been specifying fully enclosed sedan cabs since the late 1940's on their Pirsch, WLF, and Mack rigs, so when they made their first move away to commercial chassis in the early 1970's, it was natural they would specify 4 door cabs on the Ford L's.



It has been suggested that Saint Paul started specifying Ford chassis in the 1960's as an homage to the Ford Plant located in the city. But, by the 1970's Ford L chassis became a mandate from both Saint Paul and Minneapolis city beancounters. Whatever chassis manufacturer won the bid for city municipal heavy equipment (e.g. Snowplows, Refuse Haulers, etc.) dictated on which chassis the next batch of fire apparatus would be built. This is why, until the last decade or so, Saint Paul has had a mix of Ford L, Volvo, and Sterling rigs, and Minneapolis with Ford L, International S, and Freightliner apparatus.



Like in so many metropolitan areas, suburban departments adapted whatever was working for the big cities, and General & CustomFire built very durable bodies on these commercial chassis...as did Saint Paul, Minneapolis, General & CustomFire went, so did much of the region.



The Peterbilt chassis tradition has another origin. In the 1970's, the south metro suburb of Burnsville had the only combined Police/Fire/EMS Public Safety Department in the state, which was a source of pride. In fact, Burnsville's annual community celebration is the Burnsville Fire Muster. Out of this pride (and the fact that over-the-road trucking was a cultural fixation in the 1970's, a la "Smokey & The Bandit", etc.), Burnsville specified two pumpers to be built by General Safety on Peterbilt conventional chassis, with their stylish Super Chief body and complete with the Telephone Booth (by this time marketed by General as "The St. Paul Cab"). These were, by far, the flashiest pieces of firefighting equipment in the state and got a lot of notice, even a 1/25 model kit of these rigs was produced. Burnsville later went on to purchase two more Peterbilts, this time built by CustomFire. Neighboring Eagan ordered 4 Peterbilt/CustomFire pumpers in the 1980's (as Josh photographed above), and then the Peterbilts just kept popping up everywhere...Prior Lake, Lakeville, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Cottage Grove, just to name a few.



Though industry-spec chassis (Spartan, HME, etc.) are becoming the norm, Rosenbauer & CustomFire still have a good share of the market here. All of Saint Paul's Spartans were built by CustomFire. Pierce is making some serious inroads in this part of the country, but except for a few oddball ALF's and E-Ones here & there, that's our scene.

[b9208]

[quote name='usonian' timestamp='1313292721' post='452914']



Not that I pose as an expert authority, but, I do have some additional background on the commercial chassis tradition which I posted earlier in this thread but has merit mentioning again:



There is a tradition component to it all as well. For many years, the Upper Midwest Fire Apparatus Market was dominated by a handful of regional builders, most notably General Safety, Inc. of North Branch, MN (now part of Rosenbauer). In a story not unlike the Pierre Thibault/Pierville family schism, CustomFire, Inc. was born in the late 1970's and both companies prospered and continue to thrive.



Owing to our challenging winters, crew enclosures started appearing in the 1960's, with the Saint Paul FD utilizing the infamous "telephone booth" enclosure on their Ford C/General Safety rigs. Minneapolis had been specifying fully enclosed sedan cabs since the late 1940's on their Pirsch, WLF, and Mack rigs, so when they made their first move away to commercial chassis in the early 1970's, it was natural they would specify 4 door cabs on the Ford L's.



It has been suggested that Saint Paul started specifying Ford chassis in the 1960's as an homage to the Ford Plant located in the city. But, by the 1970's Ford L chassis became a mandate from both Saint Paul and Minneapolis city beancounters. Whatever chassis manufacturer won the bid for city municipal heavy equipment (e.g. Snowplows, Refuse Haulers, etc.) dictated on which chassis the next batch of fire apparatus would be built. This is why, until the last decade or so, Saint Paul has had a mix of Ford L, Volvo, and Sterling rigs, and Minneapolis with Ford L, International S, and Freightliner apparatus.



Like in so many metropolitan areas, suburban departments adapted whatever was working for the big cities, and General & CustomFire built very durable bodies on these commercial chassis...as did Saint Paul, Minneapolis, General & CustomFire went, so did much of the region.



The Peterbilt chassis tradition has another origin. In the 1970's, the south metro suburb of Burnsville had the only combined Police/Fire/EMS Public Safety Department in the state, which was a source of pride. In fact, Burnsville's annual community celebration is the Burnsville Fire Muster. Out of this pride (and the fact that over-the-road trucking was a cultural fixation in the 1970's, a la "Smokey & The Bandit", etc.), Burnsville specified two pumpers to be built by General Safety on Peterbilt conventional chassis, with their stylish Super Chief body and complete with the Telephone Booth (by this time marketed by General as "The St. Paul Cab"). These were, by far, the flashiest pieces of firefighting equipment in the state and got a lot of notice, even a 1/25 model kit of these rigs was produced. Burnsville later went on to purchase two more Peterbilts, this time built by CustomFire. Neighboring Eagan ordered 4 Peterbilt/CustomFire pumpers in the 1980's (as Josh photographed above), and then the Peterbilts just kept popping up everywhere...Prior Lake, Lakeville, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Cottage Grove, just to name a few.



Though industry-spec chassis (Spartan, HME, etc.) are becoming the norm, Rosenbauer & CustomFire still have a good share of the market here. All of Saint Paul's Spartans were built by CustomFire. Pierce is making some serious inroads in this part of the country, but except for a few oddball ALF's and E-Ones here & there, that's our scene.



[/quote]

Thanks for the information, and for the points brought up by the other guys. Nice to see a change for tradition and / or function, and not simply a "beancounter" cost-saving initiative.

Gary

[Roto-Ray]

[quote name='grubber33270' timestamp='1313284706' post='452898']

Hopkins Engine 1

[/quote]



I fell in love with this rig when I first photographed in back in 2003. If they ever sold it, I'd love to buy it just to enter in East Coast parades and hear people ask, "WTH is that?!" <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/fireman.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[grubber33270]

We'll you happen to be in luck engine 1 and engine 2 are gonna be up for sale very soon the department is looking and selling those and getting a 75 ft stick. 2013 was the date I wanna say that's supposed to be final. I would personally love to own engine 2 I love that thing

[davemcclung]

[quote name='Roto-Ray' timestamp='1313295664' post='452919']



I fell in love with this rig when I first photographed in back in 2003. If they ever sold it, I'd love to buy it just to enter in East Coast parades and hear people ask, "WTH is that?!" <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/fireman.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[/quote]





LOL all I want for Christmas Taylor is Alexandria's Engine 204 or 207. How about a swap.....

[grubber33270]

Yeah I'm sure chiefs won't mind a bit for that, I got my eye on engine 2 for hopkins. She's a bute.

[Roto-Ray]

[quote name='grubber33270' timestamp='1313322689' post='452952']

We'll you happen to be in luck engine 1 and engine 2 are gonna be up for sale very soon...

[/quote]



I talked to Hopkins' chief this afternoon, they've already been offered FAR more for E1 than this dude can afford. Cest la vie! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />



FYI, he also reported that their Peterbilt/CustomFire rescue is up for sale as well.

[willman940]

Sad Day, Hopkins has a great fleet right now. That heavy rescue is PRIME!

[hadg317]

Elmira NY has a couple of Peterbuilt/Custom Fire engines. Definitely a rarity here in the East

[usonian55077]

[quote name='hadg317' timestamp='1313781882' post='453640']

Elmira NY has a couple of Peterbuilt/Custom Fire engines. Definitely a rarity here in the East

[/quote]



There's a few NY State & Jersey Departments that are in the know about CustomFire. Here's a new delivery for Macedon Ctr., NY:

[url="http://www.customfire.com/details.php?id=139"]http://www.customfire.com/details.php?id=139[/url]

[usonian55077]

[quote name='MFD 61 KS' timestamp='1313199740' post='452725']

Wish MFD would get real Q Sirens again.

[/quote]



Or, even better (in my book at least), the B&M Super Chief sirens they used in the mid '60's to mid '70's

[usonian55077]

[quote name='grubber33270' timestamp='1312999475' post='452395']

Minneapolis Mn, New Engine 4, Freightliner/M112 Rosenbauer Generals. they will be getting 3 in this batch Engines 4-8-14. this is the first one thats going to see service. The weather was very uncomfortable this day so.









[/quote]



I don't intend to hijack this thread & make it "Usonian's lights & sirens extravaganza", but, are those PowerArc oscillating LED's on the grille of the new MFD engines?

[grubber33270]

Stop stealing my thread punk, just kiddin. No about the only thing I know is there bright and I think they flash. The darker outside it gets the brighter the bulb get. That's all I know about lights

[willman940]

They look to be powerarc yes.

[Roto-Ray]

I can verify they're Powerarcs, I saw 'em on the rigs while I was at the factory.

[grubber33270]

St Paul Ladder 10