My younger Buff years

[1261Truckie]

Kind of like sitting around the Kitchen Table, enjoying the company, hearing about and learning about the job.
Thanks to all of you who share your stories and your experiences.

 

[mack]

There is a topic today about customizing FDNY rigs.  I do not think there was much customization until the War Years.  Most of the pictures you see of rigs in the 40s and 50s were simple red engines and trucks.  In the 60s and 70s, you started to see names on rigs, customized numbers, logos, horns, pictures.  Most were creative and built esprit.  Remember all the red/white/blue customization in 1976?  Not only rigs, but also firehouse doors.

1976 bi-centennial - from Bill's NFD 2004 collection: 


From Michael Dick's collection: 


WNYF Cover 2nd Issue - 1976:

 

[68jk09]

  Jamaica Big House Formerly 275..298..299..127..BN*50
2010....Most recently occupied by parking enforcement...now available for lease. 
More info back on page # 48 of this thread.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Big House" Firehouse Project Building, Jamaica, New York City

 

[68jk09]

LAD*108..ENG*216..BN*35....BI-CENTENNIAL DOORS....    http://fdnyrant.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=downloadattachmentpage&board=history&thread=6422&post=110806

 

[mack]

Jamaica Big House Formerly E275..E298..E299..L127..Bn50

 

[69 METS]

Maybe some of you will recognize a few in these photos. Is that "69 Mets" we see ?? A little time spent in the streets  with 75/33.

  http://sjrothphotography.smugmug.com/In-The-Past-1/FDNY/12228621 q6Xyo-871239732 wBFX6 (hope it works.

I really enjoyed seeing these photos, lot's of memories of the great firemen I worked alongside back then in 75/33 & 43/59 ... Two GREAT houses. I guess I wasn't working during the tours that these photos were taken... 'mikeindabronx' managed to catch me though ...


http://fdnysbravest.com/fp135.htm

 

[nfd2004]

I really enjoyed seeing these photos, lot's of memories of the great firemen I worked alongside back then in 75/33 & 43/59 ... Two GREAT houses. I guess I wasn't working during the tours that these photos were taken... 'mikeindabronx' managed to catch me though ...
http://fdnysbravest.com/fp135.htm

  I never really met any of those guys in that picture. But I bet I saw them work hundreds of times in those streets. In my opinion, its guys like these that I feel were the Best Firefighters in the World. If that wasn't True, I wouldn't have driven that 340 mile round trip so many times over the last 40 plus years.
  Once again Mike (indabronx), you were there too. Thanks for preserving it for us to see now. 

 

[68jk09]

In addition to the Jamaica Big House ENG*275..298..299..BN*50......In the past other multiple Unit house' s that used to exist were ENG*46-1 & 46-2..LAD*27-1 & 27-2.........ENG*91-1 & 91-2..LAD*43 & BN*25........ENG*93..LAD*45..R*3 & BN*13...........ENG*82..ENG*85..LAD*31..BN*27 & TCU*712...........ENG*231..ENG*232..LAD*120..BNs 44-1 & 44-2.......the only one with 3 Units operating from within today is ENG*264..ENG*328..LAD*134......i have been inside all of the above houses & none are as big inside as the Jamaica House which is also very deep.......ENG*91..93 & 264 are similar 3 door houses ....a number of other Houses had multiple Units in a regular 2 bay House at times because of 2nd Sections..TCUs..SQUADS rotating etc......for example in the early '70s every third night Union Av would have ENG*216..LAD*108..BN*35 & from 6 to midnight SQ*3 & BN*60...equalling...20 FFs ...3 Co Officers ...2 Chiefs....add a few Cops & Buffs...& you had over 30 in on the meal but do to the activity rarely would all get to sit & eat together. 

 

[guitarman314]

Let's not forget my "second home", E60, L17, L17-2, Bn 14 and E58, L26, L26-2, Bn25 with two ALF tillers in the house. Both of these firehouses were used as staging points where on mny nights you would see the street lined with rigs staged as 2nd, 3rd & 4th sections.

 

[Atlas]

Looking at triple units houses, every one always forgets about the one that was in Northern Queens. Eng 296, Eng 297, & Lad 130.
Eng 296 was disbanned on April 1, 1961 but had been located at 18-18 125 St. Eng 297 was quartered there from 1922 to until 1931 when they moved to their current station on 14th Road. However, Lad 130 was there longer from 1908 until 1931.
This is one of the hiden facts of FDNY history. I think that the building was taken down in the past 25 years to make way for new construction.

 

[firebuffkevin]

Looking at triple units houses, every one always forgets about the one that was in Northern Queens. Eng 296, Eng 297, & Lad 130.
Eng 296 was disbanned on April 1, 1961 but had been located at 18-18 125 St. Eng 297 was quartered there from 1922 to until 1931 when they moved to their current station on 14th Road. However, Lad 130 was there longer from 1908 until 1931.
This is one of the hiden facts of FDNY history. I think that the building was taken down in the past 25 years to make way for new construction.

Yes Atlas, E296 house was torn down. There are brick attached houses there now .

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=18-18+125+Street,+College+Point,+NY&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=40.782702,-73.843415&cbp=13,274.0,0,0,0&cbll=40.782688,-73.843144&hl=en&ved=0CA8Q2wU&sa=X&ei=9_CATaG4AaqEyAWkjKDuDg

 

[johnd248]

Triple house in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in the old days: E 246, L 169, and E327? Can"t remember the exact number of the third engine which has since been disbanded.

 

[memory master]

I had the pleasure, several times, of being in 296 quarters on 125 street. The place was older than old. The apparatus floor was two bays, two apparatus doors and the housewatch area was in the middle of the floor between the two bays. There were two poles from the second floor directly behind the housewatch area. You could see where the former horse stalls and hay storage area was in the right rear of the apparatus floor as you walked in. The kitchen, if you could call it that, was on the second floor rear and the bunk room was in the center of the second floor. The office, of course, was in the front of the building on the second floor. If I recall correctly the basement was only an area that contained the furnace and the coal bin. The last rig they had before closing was a 1951 or 52 Ward LaFrance 750 GPM. This one was one of those Ward's that had the doors on the open cab. One afternoon, a friend and I were "treasure hunting" down in the swampy areas around the old "Speeds Airport", aka, Flushing airport when we came across a length of 2.5 that was probably overlooked when taking up from a past brush or rubbish job. It belonged to 296 as per the stamped in numbers on the brass coupling so we rolled it up and threw it on our "Red Flyer" wagon and hauled it back to the firehouse. We thought we were hero's as we sat down in their quarters, were given a soda each and then the Officer gave us a buck apiece. That was a great day for a couple of seventh graders. After the company was disbanded the Communications linemen moved in for a few years. Then sadly the building was raised many years later and they managed to get the two or three brick, three family homes wedged into that spot.

 

[lucky]

Some of the turn of the century lower Manhattan quarters had three units as the results of having 2 sections in one of the units. I remember reading about 30 Engine having 3 separate sections for a time but that was probably before Rescue 1's time.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

The curse of 3 units houses. In the 1980 Boston had an assole mayor with dreams on the White House (K White) Because of budget constraints and his personality he passed a budget which crippled the BFD. Every 2/1 house was hit. X-E1, E39/L18,  E-5, XE-11/L-2, E-7, X-E26/L17, E-9, XE-40/L-2. XE-12, E-14/L4, E-32, XE-36/L9, X-E45, E-53/L16. X equals company dis-banded.

 

[Atlas]

You are right about Coney Island. I think that both 245 & 246 had second sections that later on were renumbered as seperate units.  So 245-2 became 326 & 246-2 became 327. Now add the ladders (161 to 245 & 169 to 246) & we have two more triple stations.

 

[Atlas]

Before I forget, add Eng 52 & Eng 70 to the list of triple stations. They both had second sections for a period.
Now for the remainer of the Bronx:
Eng 46, 46-2, L-27 L-27-2, BC56 (2 seperate stations next to each other)
Eng 45, Sq 1, L-58, BC 18 (2 seperate stations next to each other) also E-512 was there
Eng 50, 50-2, L-19, Div 6
Eng 60, L-17, l-17-2, BC 14
Eng 73, Sq 2, L-42, BC 55  (2 seperate stations next door to each other)
Eng 82, Eng 85, L-31, L-712, BC 27
Eng 88, Eng 88-2(former 46-2), L-38 (2 seperate stations next door to each other)
Eng 94, E-513, L-48, BC-3

 

[guitarman314]

And you the oldtimer's may remember that E266, E267, L121 & BC47 were all together at 92-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd from 1922 to 1954.

 

[guitarman314]

Going way way back to 1930 I see that engines 5, 7, 13, 16, 18, 26, 30, 31, 33, 76 & 91 were double engine companies with hosewagons for each section. E299 was the only one with a hose wagon in the Jamaica "Big House" but they shared the south bay with E298 while L127 had the middle and E275 & BC50 had the north bay.

 

[mack]

E 246/L 169/E 327 - Sheepshead Bay :  I remember visiting the old 3 company quarters on E23 St.  My father was assigned then to one of the companies.  I remember going to pick up his pay check and the bells started to ring when we were close to the 3 bay firehouse.  It was awesome to see all companies turn out.  I am pretty sure each engine company had two pieces.  It seemed like a parade with bells, whistles and sirens.  E 327 had a massive Ahrens Fox rig.  Guys hanging off the sides of L 169's wooden aeriel ladder and the back step of the pumpers. 

I witnessed my first firehouse prank there. My dad ducked in a yard as the companies turned out. Then we ran to a local deli and bought a few dozen eggs.  We ran back to the firehouse and stuffed eggs into the pairs of black shoes all over the floor.  Then we hid again, and watched, as the units returned, broke eggs and blamed each other.

I also remember the explanation about which engine company left quarters first.  If the box location was left out of quarters, E 327 led the way.  If the address was to the right of quarters, E 246 responded first.