Bill Friedrich has initiated the first in a series of posts chronicling different types of apparatus that saw service in Chicago. The first post covers the Ward LaFrance engines from 1970.
There were a total of (7) P80’s delivered in 1970, one for each district. Companies that received these were Engine 126 (D-372), Engine 73 (D-373), Engine 8 (D-374), Engine 106 (D-375), Engine 22 (D-376), Engine 113 (D-377) and Engine 49 (D-378). These units had 2,000-GPM pumps.
Chicago Engine 113 was one of 7 units built in 1970 by Ward LaFrance with the Ambassador chassis, a 2,000-GPM pump, and 500 gallons of water. Bill Friedrich photo
This unit originally assigned to Engine 22 later went to Engine 99 and then to Engine 46 after a complete refurb. The CFD scramble on the door and the red unit number on the front were not part of the original graphics. This unit, damaged by a wall collapse, was rebuilt. Shown here after the rebuild, the cab is lacking the continuous hand rail at the canopy that extended up the sides and across the top. Additionally, the red section above the pump panel is not how this series was delivered to the city. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 73 was assigned shop #D373 that was eventually scrapped. This was the only 1970 Ward LaFrance that was not later rebuilt. Jack Connors photo
Engine 126's rig (shop #D-372), shows the full height polished metal behind the pump panel.. Jack Connors photo
Engine 106 received one of the seven units built in 1970 by Ward LaFrance. The original graphics only included the Chicago Fire Department name above the windshield. Larry Shapiro photo
This photo of Engine 8 in Chinatown shows the unit when it went into service. Jack Connors photo
Engine 49 is seen here on the fireground. Jack Connors photo
In 1990 (6) of the original 1970 P80’s were rebuilt by Able Fire Equipment Co. at their Frankfort, IL facility. The rebuild included a Ranger 4-door cab, a new aluminum Emergency One body, a 140-gallon foam tank, and other components of the original apparatus. The following companies received these vehicles; Engine 122 (x-Engine 126), Engine 69 (x-Engine 8), Engine 113 (x-Engine 106), Engine 46 (x-Engine 22), Engine 14 (x-Engine 113) and Engine 34 (x-Engine 49) All these vehicles were equipped with 5″ hose. One was assigned in each district of the city. Two of these, D-374 and D-375, were used in the movie Backdraft.
Engine 113 with a rebuilt 1970/1990 Ward LaFrance/Ranger/EONE engine. Bil Friedrich photo
This unit (D-378) for Engine 34 was formerly assigned to Engine 49. Jack Connors photo
Chicago Engine 14 also received one of the rebuilt Ward LaFrance engines in 1990 that had an extended bumper with LDH. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 122 received one of the 1973/1990 Ranger/EONE/Ward LaFrance refurbished engines. Jack Connors photo
Engine 69 received shop #D-374 which was later used in the movie Backdraft. Jack Connors photo
This shot of Engine 46 working at a fire scene provides a look at the officer's side of the rebuilt units. Jack Connors photo
#1 by Rdengr39 on December 28, 2014 - 1:43 PM
Bought d 376 in the late 90’sfrom a collector in lisle repaired various items and sold it to a fire dept down in southern Indiana .they liked it very much don’t know if its still in service
#2 by paul forman on December 27, 2014 - 8:42 PM
Awesome! Thanks for you time and effort.
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#3 by Steve LAbbe on May 5, 2012 - 11:08 AM
Great pics and tremendously in grattitude for the posting of them. Any other info/history and or PIcs of 113 anyone has, I would greatly love to see. My father, was FF and later engineer of 113 back in the early 80’s. I spent several times with him at the station house and that 1970 WLF rig!
#4 by Bill Post on March 28, 2012 - 8:40 PM
I would like to point out that when the 1970 Ward LaFrance 2000-GPM pumpers were rebuilt in 1990 they also had a 140-gallon foam tank added to the rigs. While the intentions were to have one assigned to each of the 6 Districts in the city proper, it turned out that wasn’t the case. District 2 technically speaking didn’t have a Ward LaFrance/Ranger rebuild assigned to it while District 4 had 2 such pumpers assigned to it. They were Engine Companies 34 and 113.
The rebuilt pumper that was assigned to Engine 113 was initially going to be assigned to Engine 35 (in District 2) however it was also the intention of the CFD to have the rebuilt pumpers located near each major expressway. Since both Engine 69 and Engine 14 were located off of the Kennedy expressway and the Eisenhower expressway didn’t have a rebuilt Ward LaFrance pumper assigned nearby, at the last minute the rig that was destined to be assigned to Engine 35 was assigned to Engine 113 instead.
The way the rebuilt engines were ultimately assigned for expressway coverage was that Engine 69 covered the west end of the Kennedy and the Edens, Engine 14 covered the east end of the Kennedy including the Eisenhower and Dan Ryan “Spaghetti bowl”, Engine 113 covered most of the Eisenhower, Engine 34 covered the Stevenson, Engine 122 covered most of the Dan Ryan and Bishop Ford (Calumet expressway at the time) and Engine 46 covered the Skyway.
While Engine 69 was officially assigned to the 3rd District they were on the border line of the 2nd District as well.
#5 by Grumpy grizzly on March 27, 2012 - 4:04 PM
Love the history, these were the rigs I photographed when I moved out here from Boston in the late 70’s, last day in Boston was Flight 191. Did all the rebuilds have the hard suction on the roof? How was that used? Again great info. Andy Munzing
#6 by Bill Post on March 27, 2012 - 11:48 AM
The rig under the bridge was probably a 1954 Mack pumper. The CFD had purchased around 30 of them. The CFD’s first Ward La France Engines were purchased in late 1967.
The “1960’s” style Mack Engines that you are talking about were actually 1956 “B-95” models and they were built with 200 gallon booster tanks. Only ten of them were purchased. The Mack that Chief Kolomay owns was originally a 1960 Skokie Engine that was modified to look like a Chicago Engine.
From 1956 until late 1966 Chicago hadn’t purchased any new engines and with the exception of the ten 1956 Macks and a modified 1948 Mack pumper none of our engines had booster tanks at the time.
Chicago did purchase about 15 small “High Pressure Fog” equipped small booster pumpers which were mostly built on International chassis between 1961 and 1966/67. Three of them served as the second pieces to our original Snorkel Squads but the other 12 served as “Fog Pressure” companies and were mainly in high volume call areas and near some of the expressways. One of them served at O’Hare Field and that was the original Fog Pressure built on a “Willies Jeep Chassis”.
#7 by Drew Smith on March 26, 2012 - 11:54 PM
The rig under the bridge looks like a 1950s Mack or LaFrance. The grill and windshield are not sloped like the 1960s Mack owned by Chief Kolomay at Carol Stream. EG Twp had an engine (Ward LaFrance?) similar to this when they started up in 1979.
#8 by Scott on March 25, 2012 - 9:57 PM
Thanks. Got confused as to when the wall collapsed! LOL
I’d like to know what is the rig in the background under the bridge in the photo behind Eng 73’s Ward????
#9 by Scott on March 25, 2012 - 6:46 PM
Eng 22 has a different light package then the other Ward engines… Any reason why? Was this the last engine when CFD started the conversion from the “Aurora Borealis”?
#10 by bgshap on March 25, 2012 - 6:56 PM
Engine 22 had a wall fall on it and was rebuilt. Evidently that was another difference between the before and after as mentioned in the photo caption.
#11 by Scott on March 25, 2012 - 12:57 PM
Great job on the old Ward photos.. Engines & Trucks!
THANKS!
#12 by John on March 24, 2012 - 9:16 PM
Really enjoyed that history–thank you!
#13 by Tim W on March 24, 2012 - 10:25 AM
So as I read this. E113 had two of the rigs overtime? D-375 & D-377