Apple Blossom 2015

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The Apple Blossom Festival is an annual event taking place in Winchester, VA, it marks the beginning of Spring and includes one of the largest firefighter parades in the US.  The day starts at a local high school for apparatus judging and the ODHFS (Old Dominion Historical Fire Society) has a strong showing.  Apparatus moves down-town in the afternoon for the line-up and the parade takes place in the evening. Definitely a fun day.  

 

I'm posting a sampling of the apparatus that attended for those that couldn't make it out this year.  Not always a great place for pictures, clouds throughout the day didn't help.  If anyone else has photos to post, feel free.

 

First up is this beast from Chester Gap, VA (Rappahannock County).  Tanker 1409 is brand-new and won several awards.

 

   

 

Brush 1404 from near-by Flint Hill, VA 

 

   

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Engine 21 from Mount Weather is this new PUC.  Mount Weather is a federal facility located between Loudoun County, VA and Clarke County, VA, they run mutual-aide to both counties.  

 

   

 

Tanker 601 from Leesburg, VA (Loudoun County, VA) is this sharp Pierce.

 

   

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Hamilton Rescue Squad's (Loudoun County, VA) newer utility truck.

 

   

 

U617 towing their boat.

 

   

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Luray, VA (Page County) brought their brand-new Tanker 6.

 

   

 

 

Timberville, VA (Rockingham County) Engine 654.

 

   

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It's not an Apple Blossom without Fortsmouth Engine 8 attending.  Fortsmouth is located in Front Royal, VA (Warren County).

 

   

 

Also from Warren County, Brush 10 from North Warren.

 

   

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Tom's Brook is located right off I-81 in Shenandoah County, VA.  Tanker 9 is this sharp Sterling.

 

   

 

SERV 9.

 

   

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Shenandoah Shores, VA (Warren County) Pumper-Tanker 5.

 

   

 

The Axalta plant is located in Front Royal, VA, it is the former Dupont chemical plant.  They have an on-base fire brigade, this is their only response truck.  

 

   

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Sperryville, VA (Rappahannock County) Utility 2 is this sharp Ford.

 

   

 

Marshall Wagon 1103 (Fauquier County, VA) is this brand-new Pierce.

 

   

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A couple from the Remington Rescue Squad (Fauquier County, VA)

 

   

 

   

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Squad 4 from Boyce, VA (Clarke County) is ex: Goshen, PA

 

   

 

Also from Clarke County is Berryville's Tanker 1

 

   

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From Elkton, VA (Rockingham County), Squad 33

 

   

 

This nice Hahn is run by Weyers Cave (Augusta County, VA)

 

   

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A couple of really nice ones from East Rivanna (Albemarle County, VA)

 

   

 

   

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Strasburg Rescue Squad's (Shenandoah County, VA) Ambulance 25-2 is painted in the local High School's colors.

 

   

 

Valley Health Transport is a large transport company in the Shenandoah Valley/West Virginia region.  This is their NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) ambulance based out of the Winchester Medical Center.

 

   

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Physicians Transport Service is a large transport company in the Northern Virginia area.  Their NICU unit is based out of INOVA Fairfax Hospital.  "Starkid" is this huge Freightliner.

 

   

 

   

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Blue Ridge Mountain (Jefferson County, WV) usually attends Apple Blossom well.

 

Engine 5 is this KME

 

   

 

"Water Kong" is this huge tanker

 

   

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Brush 502 from Blue Ridge Mountain was recently acquired from nearby Bakerton, WV

 

   

 

Also located in Jefferson County is Friendship

 

   

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Capon Springs (Hampshire County, WV) Engine 8 is this Pierce Tele-Squirt that is former Virginia Beach, VA

 

   

 

Ambulance 8-1 is painted in this sharp gray color

 

   

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Tower 80 from the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV (Berkeley County) is this Pierce 

 

   

 

Capon Bridge's (Hampshire County, WV) antique engine

 

   

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Rosenbauer has sponsored the parade the past couple of years.  They were showing Baltimore County's new Engine 3.

 

   

 

Engine 1-1 from Gettysburg, PA is this nice Sutphen.

 

   

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Couple from the host city, Winchester.

 

The Sarah Zane Fire Company disbanded numerous years ago.  Last year, Winchester FD's new chief brought home this 1947 Buffalo which was privately owned in Broadway, VA.  Cool to see another antique come back to the Winchester area.

 

   

 

FM buggy from Winchester.