TEXAS RIGS
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[quote name='biotelbob' post='156006' date='Oct 14 2007, 21:14 ']Just to add to the answers you've received so far, here in Dallas the boosters were mainly sent on grass/brush fires with 2 men staffing it off the engine or truck at the station. They also made box alarms and were sometimes very helpful with their extra supply of water to put out a fire that often spared the second up engine from having to lay their 5 inch hose. A few of suburb cities- Plano, Grand Prairie to name a couple actually used their booster trucks on standard engine calls. The engine only ran on box alarms. the engine had a 1 man crew and the boosters had a 3-4 man crew, usually 3 back then in the small cities. All the cities have since gone to using engines for all their calls and the boosters are used mainly for brush/grass fires. In the summer up here it gets very hot/dry and there are a lot of fields, woods that burn readily. Plus passing trains throw sparks onto dry grass a lot and those are a big problem as well. Robert.[/quote]
First off... EXCELLENT photos Robert. I've really enjoyed what you've posted and hopefully we'll see alot more! Secondly... to add to what Robert posted about the Boosters (or "A" Wagons as the old timers call them)... Dallas does not man boosters with constant staffing. When one (or more than one) is needed, they are special called and dispatched to the incident scene. All members of a booster's assigned station are trained in its use and one will drive and operate it to and at an emergency scene when it is needed. If everyone is already on a run when a booster is needed, typically the next closest available (meaning personnel are there to drive it) will be sent. One person drives the unit there and is aided by manpower of the fire companies already on location. If a run is dispatched for a station housing a booster, the station officer has the discretion to add the booster to the assignment if he feels it may be needed. This typically occurs at outlying stations with grass fires or in areas where a booster has been needed in the past due to terrain or access. Typically, we use them for grass & brush fires as well as car fires in parking garages due to the restricted height. Our boosters are designed to have as minimal a height as possible. If you see a picture of our current boosters, you will notice that they do not have a lightbar. All warning devices are no higher than any part of the body. Post away Robert!
[quote name='biotelbob' post='155326' date='Oct 12 2007, 15:16 ']Carrollton is a northern suburb city that borders Dallas. Booster 1 was a 1973 GMC/Boardman, 300/750.[/quote]
I guess the driver drove with his window up!
[quote name='biotelbob' post='155340' date='Oct 12 2007, 15:48 ']In 1981, Truck 2 received this 1981 Seagrave, 100 ft/1500/300. I believe this was Carrollton's first truck.[/quote]
Robert, Any idea as to why Carrollton bought the batch of low profile apparatus? Everything over there is big, wide, and open.
[quote name='rjtoc2' post='157726' date='Oct 22 2007, 17:28 ']Lindsay,
I believe this is an ex-Dallas rig. If anyone knows for sure, please post.[/quote] Ronnie: To my knowledge, this is a Farmers Branch original. The information that I have on it is that the Branch's pumper locked up and they were in dire need of a new one. This engine has the same specs as the Dallas engines of the day and Farmers Branch piggybacked on a Dallas order. Thus, it certainly appears to be the same as the Dallas engines. I have seen the delivery photo of it and it is original to Farmers Branch. Lindsay D Richardson, TX
[quote name='biotelbob' post='155407' date='Oct 12 2007, 19:27 ']Another Dallas reserve engine was this 1964 WLF, 750/500.[/quote]
Although some apparatus were delivered yellow, many of the ones that were repainted from red to yellow were painted with a "flat" yellow - the same color used to paint hydrants. No matter how much waxing or washing, these looked dull and faded from the day it was repainted at the shop until they were removed from service.
[quote name='1949ALF' post='154148' date='Oct 7 2007, 01:46 ']I had no idea that was the one Chuck has now. Of course, I haven't talked to him for quite some time. The last time we were at his place was during the SPAAMFAA Nationals in 2005. Now that you've mentioned it, I might have a picture of that truck. I'll have to check. I'd love to see more pictures of it, though.
Here's the information for at least four ALF 700s that were delivered to Beaumont, Texas: 1947 American LaFrance 700 Series 100-foot Aerial 7-100-AJO, Reg. No. L-3105 1948 American LaFrance 700 Series Engine 775-PJO, Reg. No. L-3519 1953 American LaFrance 700 Series Engine 775-PJO, Reg. No. L-4843 1955 American LaFrance 700 Series 85-foot Aerial 7-85-AJO, Reg. No. L-5322[/quote] Here are more recent photos of Beaumont Ladder 3, as restored by the Lone Star Fire Museum, especially Ken Paradowski. BTW, our numbers on the 4 700's match up with yours (probably coming from the same source). We just missed the first 2 rigs when we looked the first time. jgohio photo. Joe
A view from the cab. Looking at apparatus lining up for the Deer Park, Texas Fire Departments annual Fire Prevention Week Parade in 2004. The previous 2 photos were also taken at the same event. I had the pleasure of riding on Trcuk 3 in the Parade. I used this photo to open my thread of photos on the Parade titled "Old and New" I just started posting photos from this year's parade in "Old and New Part 4." Unfortunately Truck 3 didn't make it out this year but could have gone if there had been a willing driver.
Joe
My good friend Duane Troxel visited Beaumont in 1975 and shot the entire department. I just scanned a few of his slides from the trip, including the four ALF's operated by Beaumont.
Beaumont Truck 4, 1947 American LaFrance 100-foot MM, ALF #L-3105. - 1975 Duane Troxel Photo
By 1975 the 1947 American LaFrance 750/150 pumper, ALF #3519 was Beaumont Reserve Engine 3. Too bad it's got the wood cab on it.
- 1975 Duane Troxel Photo.
In 1975 the 1954 American LaFrance 750/300 pumper, ALF #L-4841, was Reserve Engine 2. It was on the shops when Duane visited. Here's the only shot Duane got of it.
- 1975 Photo by Duane Troxel
Beamont Truck 3 was using the 1955 American LaFrance 85-foot Mid-mount, ALF #L-5322 in 1975.
- 1975 Photo by Duane Troxel
In 1975 Beaumont ran a number of IHC model CO-190 commercial pumpers built by Seagrave, Timco and Ward LaFrance. Here is Engine 2 operating a 1963 IHC CO-190/Seagrave 750/300 pumper, Seagrave #N-8205.
- 1975 Photo by Duane Troxel
Here's one more fot tonight. Beaumont Light Wagon, 1963 Chevrolet 60/1948 PAC light wagon. I'm not sure what PAC stands for. I can scan some more Beaumont rigs from Duane's 1975 trip if anyone is interested.
-1975 Photo by Duane Troxel |
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