A LOOK BACK.

Capttomo said:
A great photo taken by Wesley Pearman in January of 1970 on East Fordham Rd in the Bronx. There is an old saying that every picture is worth a thousand words. This is certainly one of them. What I found most amazing about this photo and several others taken from this job (floating around the internet) is that it captured an era of rapid modernization in FDNY fleet. In this picture alone you can see a Ward LaFrance gasoline motor hand cranked wooden aerial (a reserve piece that Ladder 33 was using). I am told that a few companies around the city were regularly using these as late as 1974. Directly behind this rig is a new 1968 series American LaFrance covered cab roof, diesel powered motor with vertical exhaust pipe (loud, especially under the Els) with a 100 foot steel aerial. Satellite 2 is operating in the only 5 year old Super Pumper System and Satellite 3 was also placed into operation at this job. Visible in the right background is one of the 1969 series Mack CF diesel powered pumpers with the Conestoga Herculite Hosebed cover. And not visible in this photo, but in others taken from this job that morning was Tower Ladder 44 operating. TL44 was one of the first 5-10 tower ladders to be placed into service starting in 1965 and was quickly being discovered as an invaluable fire killer as the Bronx was burning. Lastly, first alarm company E75 was not even in the top 25 citywide for runs or worker when this photo was taken. 5 years later they would be # 1 in the city. 33 truck would vault to #1 or 2 as the fire storm roared out of the south Bronx into the 19th Battalion. 33 truck was the only truck from Webster Avenue to the Harlem River and from the Cross Bronx Expressway to Kingsbridge Road, (ladders 56 and 59 had not been assigned to E48 and E43 yet), and in 71 or 72, Ladder 33 was issued a new tower ladder and was being special called all over the northwest Bronx and upper Manhattan. I lived in this area as a teenager before we bailed in 1975 along with 10’s of thousands of others for the suburbs. Lastly over the decades the taxpayers along Fordham road from Sedgwick Ave over to Southern Boulevard were notorious for multiple alarm jobs over from the 60’s and into the 21st century. Great times and great memories. Thanks for posting Chief JK.
Click to expand...
In this great picture of history I noticed for the first time what appears to be a "Chief's car" with a bell mounted in/on the right front grille. I've never seen that before. At least not out here on the Island.
 
From this web site "FDNY - Something Different" date May 8, 2012.
Reply # 15 - I posted this:

"As I remember it, Ladder 1 and Ladder 14 were the first Mack Tower Ladders.
Then Ladder 114, a Stuphen tower ladder went into service.
But that was after several Mack TLs were already in service.

Then Ladder 14 got a Stuphen also.
But still, Mack was the main provider of most of the Tower Ladders.

Then Ladders 14 and 163 got ALF rear mounts with front bucket.
Those were Big massivre ALFs

After several more years, Mack provided the Tower Ladders and some 95 footers then went into service.

Then came Seagraves.

www.nycfire.net/forums/threads/fdny-something-different.16181/
 
Last edited:
nfd2004 said:
From this web site "FDNY - Something Different" date May 8, 2012.
Reply # 15 - I posted this:

"As I remember it, Ladder 1 and Ladder 14 were the first Mack Tower Ladders>
Then Ladder 114, a Stuphen tower ladder went into service.
But that was after several Mack TLs were already in service.

Then Ladder 14 got a Stuphen also.
But still, Mack was the main provider of most of the Tower Ladders.

Then Ladders 14 and 163 got ALF rear mounts with front bucket.
Those were Big massivre ALFs

After several more years, Mack provided the Tower Ladders and some 95 footers then went into service.

Then came Seagraves.

www.nycfire.net/forums/threads/fdny-something-different.16181/
Click to expand...
Yes the two Sutphens entered service in 1980.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top