Your FAVORITE classic NYC firehouse?

FDNYBuff97 · Apr 21, 2011

96 and 54 all the way !!

memory master · Apr 21, 2011

Manhattan, E74 for a shot of the Ahrens-Fox.

guitarman314 · Apr 21, 2011

memory master said:
If you go to "the unofficial homepage FDNY" and click on ladders 32, 136 and 163 you will see pictures of the '55 FWD rigs that JOR referenced 105 truck as having. If memory serves me correctly there also is a picture of an enclosed cab Ahrens-Fox in there somewhere. As a side note, my dad always said he hated driving the "Fox" trying to look around the "ball" on the front mounted pump.

Point of information: L105 didn't have a '55 FWD 75 ft. aerial, they did however have a '36FWD 85 ft. aerial from 1936 to 1959 which was the rig that was mentioned that had to mount the opposite sidewalk to turn out. L105 had a 1959 Mack C/Maxim 85 ft. 4-section metal aerial during the period that L32, 136 & 163 had '55 FWD sticks.

JOR176 · Apr 22, 2011

GMan you are correct , I was referencing the 36 or 37 FWD Monster, I should have mentioned tat but I forgot that I'm probably alot older than most on here and started buffing when I was 10.

68jk09 · Apr 22, 2011

I seem to remember LAD*125 having a monster early FWD.

guitarman314 · Apr 22, 2011

68jk09 said:
I seem to remember LAD*125 having a monster early FWD.

L125 also had one of the four 1940 Ahrens Fox 85 ft. sticks, those trucks were beasts.

kidfrmqns · Apr 22, 2011

Anyone know what is the oldest firehouse still operating as a firehouse in the city?

vbcapt · Apr 22, 2011

I think it's Engine 5's house, 1885 ?

68jk09 · Apr 22, 2011

G-Man you are right i meant to say Ahrens Fox ......i remember 125 relocating with it one day.....CPT. Triptree was working.

10-3thebox · Apr 22, 2011

E-55 in SoHo looks like it must be one of the older houses as well, no? 8)

HCO · Apr 22, 2011

Re postings 45, 46 and 49 -- some clarification to clear things up re Ladder 125.

Ladder 125 did have one of those very big 1938 (NOT 1936) 85 foot wooden aerials, which they received second-hand from Ladder 30 on July 17, 1959. This was Registration # 332 and was one of 14 similar 1938s. It was the only one of the 1938s not retrofitted with either a 1947 or 1948 Ward LaFrance tractor. It was reassigned to the Division of Training after leaving Ladder 125 in 1962. The 1936 FWDs, of which FDNY had twelve, were much, much smaller than the massive 1938s.

Ladder 125 DID receive a second-hand 1940 Ahrens-Fox 85 foot wooden aerial on February 13, 1962, but it had a 1948 Ward LaFrance tractor by the time it was assigned to Ladder 125. This one was Registration # 342 and originally assigned to Ladder 41 and later was reassigned to Ladder 169. The four 1940 Ahrens-Fox aerials had smaller tractors than the 1938 FWDs, however their actual aerial ladders and hoists were even more massive in appearance than the FWDs.

Another unusual thing about Ladder 125, is that for a few months, starting in July 1953, they were assigned the 1930 Seagrave hose wagon (Registration # 232) of Engine 264, as their regular apparatus. This was due to a lack of spare aerial trucks. The hose wagon was equipped with various ground ladders and forcible entry tools.

guitarman314 · Apr 22, 2011

Thanks for the clarification HCO

guitarman314 · Apr 22, 2011

guitarman314 said:
memory master said:

If you go to "the unofficial homepage FDNY" and click on ladders 32, 136 and 163 you will see pictures of the '55 FWD rigs that JOR referenced 105 truck as having. If memory serves me correctly there also is a picture of an enclosed cab Ahrens-Fox in there somewhere. As a side note, my dad always said he hated driving the "Fox" trying to look around the "ball" on the front mounted pump.

Click to expand...

Point of information: L105 didn't have a '55 FWD 75 ft. aerial, they did however have a '36FWD 85 ft. aerial from 1936 to 1959 which was the rig that was mentioned that had to mount the opposite sidewalk to turn out. L105 had a 1959 Mack C/Maxim 85 ft. 4-section metal aerial during the period that L32, 136 & 163 had '55 FWD sticks.

I meant to say a '38FWD, not '36FWD when referring to L105 in this post :-[

L 147 · Apr 23, 2011

I remember my Father driving one of those beast down Ave U. 159 had it as a spare.I remember the brass hand rail that ran around the front seat. The rig started backfiring by Marine Park were my friends and I were, we started laughing. We were in my yard when my Dad came home. He was pissed at us for laughing at a fire truck he was driving. One of the few times he got really mad at me I mean their was fear in all of us, my Dad was pretty big. He also got a freak injury from that rig. He was checking the fluids under the hood when the stick used to hold up the hood broke and sandwiched his head between the hood and the radiator he got stitches in his head and chin.
174 's first rig was one of those 1938 FWD registration number 329 probably had a Ward tractor by than and 147 had one of the 1936 and they got a 47 or 48 Ward tractor for it later on (both companies got them as reassigned rigs). I would not be supprised if 147 had to jump the side walk responding toward Coney Island Ave.

johnd248 · Apr 23, 2011

I also remember the old wooden stick at L 147. I used to watch them raise the aerial at MUD in front of quarters. Quite a site: spring loaded action.

memory master · Apr 23, 2011

Again, off the "Classic Firehouse" topic, but who cares? Do any of you historians know what type of rig L130 had before they received the 1955 75' wooden stick? I remember the 1941 enclosed cab that E297 had but cannot remember the truck. I do know that it had a "buckeye" whistle and I loved hearing it as they went around town. As for the classic...well my vote goes for the former quarters of E296. It was the most dilapadated, rundown house that you would ever want to see. Classic architecture...no way...but a classic in it's own right.

Happy and Blessed Easter to all of you!

guitarman314 · Apr 24, 2011

memory master said:
Again, off the "Classic Firehouse" topic, but who cares? Do any of you historians know what type of rig L130 had before they received the 1955 75' wooden stick? I remember the 1941 enclosed cab that E297 had but cannot remember the truck. I do know that it had a "buckeye" whistle and I loved hearing it as they went around town. As for the classic...well my vote goes for the former quarters of E296. It was the most dilapadated, rundown house that you would ever want to see. Classic architecture...no way...but a classic in it's own right.

Happy and Blessed Easter to all of you!

Back in 1946: E296 had a 31 Seagrave pumper, E297 had a 1941 Mack L 1000gpm pumper with a 1929 Seagrave hosewagon, L130 had a 1927 Seagrave 75 ft. aerial.

Yes, that old 125th St. College Pt. firehouse was a shack.

memory master · Apr 24, 2011

Thank you, G-man!

811 · Apr 25, 2011

JOR176 said:
10-3thebox said:

Not just in Manhattan, but it must be tricky in many situations to steer the rig(s) onto some of these narrower secondary streets and have only a couple feet to make that ever so important turn.

Click to expand...

Two of the tight turnouts I remember in Brooklyn were
E226 had an Ahrens-Fox (closed cab) on State St. and it was a marvel to see them turning out and backing in (one shot too)

L105 when they they were on Pacific St.had the Hugh FWD with the mars light above the grill, turning out in front of the firehouse was a brick retaining wall beyond which was the LIRR train yards. I remember the Truck had to jump the sidewalk almost every time.

JOR,

Here's one time on Pacific Street they didn't. Is it your photo?

JOR176 · Apr 25, 2011

811, Not my photo. I believe it you look close at the photo this show me they are backing in and not turning out. JMO. In addition L157 had the same rig but NO mar light on the top of the grill, circe mid 50's
H&L 147 L132 had the same FWD as L147.