FDNY Rigs (Bill D's photos)

L 147

L 147

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Jun 2, 2010
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654
raybrag said:
Sorry, Willie . . . it's just that I didn't want to think I was the only one around here who's older than dirt. ;) :D ::)  For the record:  I REMEMBER seeing chain-drive FDNY Macks on the streets of NYC.  And many, many Mack AP concrete mixers from Colonial Concrete . . . also chain drive.

engine3211930mack.jpg
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  1930 Mack chain drive
 
raybrag

raybrag

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Apr 1, 2007
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4,109
Yup, that's one of them.  There were still some hanging around right after the war (you know, the ONLY war), and I was just a little kid thrilled with the thought of those big red noisy things flying down the street with men hanging off of what seemed like every place you could possibly get a foot hold.
 
L 147

L 147

Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
654
they were still using them as spares in the early 1950's.It seemed like there was one parked  behind E 309's 1951 WLF all the time. They used to store spare tires for the rigs in the kitchen.
 
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nfd2004

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Jun 22, 2007
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5,756
I do feel better that there are a few OLDER Members on here than I am. Those rigs that were chain driven were before my time. And I thought "JohnD" on here was the only one Older than me.
  Thanks guys for your input, and again, Thanks to "r1SmokeEater" for posting those FDNY Photos that I was lucky enough to be around to photograph. And let me say also, that whenever I was at the "Rock" on Wards Island taking those photos, I was ALWAYS treated with Respect by the Members of the FDNY from the Probies to the Chiefs within the dept.
  Today its not so easy to get into the Rock. Things changed after 9/11. And we can all understand that.
 
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nfd2004

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Jun 22, 2007
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Okay Jamie, no more Thank you's.
  But here's a story about that photo of Engine 35 (Mack). When I took that picture the chauffeur of the rig, pulled down his lower lip. Inside that lip was a tatoo of the letters "F.D.N.Y.".
  When I took the picture of Ladder 38 (at the Rock), as they were leaving, they played the Cavalry Charge over a PA System from the rig.
  When I took a photo of Ladder 5 the chauffeur was really decent to me. He asked me to come down to the firehouse. About 20 years later that firefighter remembered me taking that picture that day and somehow we got in touch. His wife just recently published the book "By the Grace of God".
    Just a few thoughts I wanted to share.
 
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nfd2004

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Jun 22, 2007
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R1SmokeEater said:
More up today, Queens multiple alarm....... no other info-remember where Bill??

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64984462@N06/
Click to expand...

  Sorry Jamie, the only thing I remember about that fire was I believe it went to a Third Alarm and I believe TL 121 was first due. I remember the big thing that I did remember was how TL 121 carried that surfboard on the side. That wasa first for me to see.

  But sorry, I don't remmber what street it was on.
 
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nfd2004

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Jun 22, 2007
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R1SmokeEater said:
More........
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64984462@N06/

Better quality pix to follow, as the 1st bunch were scanned slides.
Click to expand...

For our newer members, and visitors of this site, I'd like to introduce you to these fire apparatus photos that were posted way back in July, 2011 by member "R1SmokeEater" on this web site.

Included are fire apparatus photos from the FDNY, Boston and Springfield, Mass., as well as Providence and Cranston, RI.

In the Providence photos there is a picture of Tower Ladder 1, which had seen it's days during the so called very busy "FDNY War Years".
The Providence Shops members did an entire rehab job on the rig which DID look like it had been through a War
"If that truck could only talk, the stories it could tell".

The Providence FD put that rig in service as Ladder 1, the busiest Truck Company in the city, serving the city for many more years.
They also did the same when they bought another former FDNY Mack Tower Ladder and put it in service as Ladder 2.
Those old Mack Tower Ladders Proved themselves once again
Those Macks were really built tough.

Anyway here is the flicker link that "R1SmokeEater" used to post those pictures
Some of these rigs have NOT been seen in years.

Click on the link above to view them.
FDNY Fire Apparatus Photos begin about halfway down page 2
 
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