St. Louis Metro

[Guest]

The department purchased two 1946 Central 1000/200 pumpers. Here is StLFD #44 which served as Engine 8, Engine 44 and Hose 7 (as pictured here with a 400 gallon tank added later). Again. we're not sure of the chassis used, possibly either a GMC or Available chassis .



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Here is the twin 1946 Central 1000/200, StLFD #110, used as Engine 7 and later as Hose 5 (as pictured here).



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

A 1946 Seagrave 750/200 pumper also served with the StLFD. Seagrave #C7830, StLFD #38, served as Engine 13, Engine 27 and Reserve E50 (no photo).



Here is a 1946 IHC K-model which served as Rescue Squad 1 from 1946 to 1957. It is StLFD #237 which was reassigned to Generator Wagon #1 as seen here at a 2nd Alarm fire in 1965 towing a Deluge trailer at the time.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

I'm going to leave off here and tomorrow I'll continue with StLFD apparatus from 1947. We'll get into a lot more color from here on out as many of the rigs from 1950 on were still in the department when Duane visited in 1976. Oh how I wish I could have shot the 1965 photos in color, but as I explained earlier we were just out of high school and could not afford anything more that B&W which we processed in our own dark rooms at the time.



Here is some more miscellaneous info from our 1965 trip:



When Paige Van Vorst and I visted in 1965, the StLFD had 41 Engine companies and 23 Hook & Ladder trucks. The radio call letters back then were “KAG 632” and they were operating on 154.130 MHz. We arrived in St. Louis on Thursday, September 10, 1965 and left St. Louis on Tuesday, September 14, 1965.



Paige and I recorded all the StLFD fire calls we heard in a notebook, logging company assignments, address, box number, what was burning, and time dispatched. We got to a number of StLFD incidents, including a number of working fires and also a 2nd Alarm. I owned a 117-volt Motorola (gray box) tube radio back then that we powered with a 12-volt DC/117-volt AC car inverter that plugged into the cigarette lighter.



My dad let me drive his car to St. Louis in 1965 (he got to drive my 1957 Chevrolet that vapor-locked whenever it got hot). We drove down through the City of Chicago, arriving on Tuesday, September 8th. We stayed in Chicago the first night at the Downtown YMCA Hotel on Wabash Avenue. Paige and I were awoken by a 12:07AM CFD alarm on September 9th, which turned into a 2-11 Alarm at 14th & Blue Island for a fire in a large vacant produce warehouse. Paige and I took a taxicab to the fire in a pounding rainstorm.



We arrived to find seven CFD snorkels surrounding the huge warehouse, all shooting heavy streams, trying to control a very stubborn fire. The snorkels were being supplied by 20 lines pumped by eight different CFD engine companies. Paige and I soon became water logged, but it was well worth it to see such a heavy attack by CFD companies. Paige shot a few B&W photos using his 35mm camera. It was quite a show!

[Guest]

[quote name='usonian' post='132893' date='Jul 24 2007, 19:31 ']Steve, as always, you've given us a #1 AAA Blue Ribbon thread. Your photos and commentary are real treasures.



Thank you.[/quote]





Thank you for the nice compliment. I hope you find it gets better as we go along. I'm not a fan of indoor shots, but in this case it was all we could do for many of the older StLFD pieces.

[Guest]

[quote name='KFDI3' post='132866' date='Jul 24 2007, 18:34 ']Beautiful, Keep em coming, love the history lesson.[/quote]



Thank you very much.



Again, I'd like welcome others that have St. Louis fire apparatus photos to submit them, but request that you wait until the period being covered so that they we will appear in fairly consecutive order by year purchased in this thread. Thank you.

[fl ron]

Steve,



How I look forward to your threads on the apparatus from a by gone era. Thank you for sharing this history with us. <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yourock.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Ron

[Guest]

[quote name='Fl Ron' post='132936' date='Jul 24 2007, 21:06 ']Steve,



How I look forward to your threads on the apparatus from a by gone era. Thank you for sharing this history with us. <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yourock.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Ron[/quote]



Thank you very much Ron. I'm glad you are enjoying them.

[Guest]

Steve, your and duanes shots always are above and beyond as always. keep it up.



Andy <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/machinegun.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[dcfireman]

Great road trip story and photos. The well thought captions make this a most enjoyable thread. I apologize for being mostly a lurker on this site and not an encourager, so I want to say there are a few folks that - when we see their name - we immediately know we are in for enjoyable edification. Of course, Steve Skaar, aka firebuff55407, is one.

[Guest]

Can't wait to see the rest, great thread!

[Guest]

That is a great history you have in your and Duane's photos of your early buffing trips. I am looking forward to many more. It was a great pleasure knowing Duane and that you have kept all of his pictures and slides to share with us. Thanks Steve. FLJack.

[Guest]

navyfire72- Thanks for your encouragement Andy.



dcfireman- Thank you for the very kind words. Your Washington DC thread has been one of my favorites.



squad546- Thank you. I hope you'll be pleased with the rest.



FLJack- Thank you Jack. If it wasn't for Duane, I don't know if a lot of us in the Extra Alarm Association would have ever met each other. Because of Duane's early efforts to form a fire buff club, we're all great friends.



I found another photo of StLFD Engine 40 backing in the station with their 1946 Mack 1250/200 pumper, StLFD #41.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

We left off at 1947. The StLFD purchased two 1947 Central 1000/200 pumpers that had become Hose Wagons by our visit in 1965. I believe these were on Available chassis, although they are similar to the Duplex chassis used by Howe at the time.



Hose 4 at Station 5 operated this 1947 Central 1000/200, StLFD #3.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Hose 6 at Station 38 also operated a 1947 Central 1000/200, StLFD #2.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

The department also purchased two 1947 Mack 750/200 pumpers. Both were in reserve in 1965 (sorry, no photos).



Also purchased in 1947 was the departments last 65-foot aerial, Seagrave #C-7540, delivered in March 1947, StLFD #9. They are seen here backing into Station 22 (note old number "33" on station in photo).



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

Duane caught this photo of the departments 1948 IHC/Holmes wrecker in the fire department shops in 1976.



- 1976 Photo by Duane Troxel

[Guest]

In 1948 the department purchased a 100-foot Seagrave TDA, Seagrave #D-2385, StLFD #25, which was serving as Ladder 5 in 1965. The trailer was at the shop in 1965 waiting to be joined with a brand new Mack B tractor, Mack #B85FT-1502. The department bought four Mack replacement tractors, one each in 1952, 1953 (Mack A models), in 1963 and in 1965 (Mack B models). Here is the new tractor in the shops paint booth.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

In 1948 the department purchased a 100-foot Seagrave TDA, Seagrave #D-2385, StLFD #25, which was serving as Ladder 5 in 1965. The trailer was at the shop in 1965 waiting to be joined with a brand new Mack B tractor, Mack #B85FT-1502. The department bought four Mack replacement tractors, one each in 1952, 1953 (Mack A models), in 1963 and in 1965 (Mack B models). Here is the new tractor in the shops paint booth.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar

[Guest]

In 1949 the StLFD placed this 1949 Reo City Service truck into service. It served as H&L 23, StLFD #83 before becoming Reserve L28, as seen here in 1965.



- 1965 Photo by Steve Skaar