The Chicago Fire Department purchased aerial ladder trucks with booster tanks and pumps for several years. Beginning in 1966 and spanning through 1973, 31 aerials were delivered from different manufacturers with on-board water. Seven of these were mid-ship aerials and the balance were rear-mounts. Units were built by Seagrave, Pirsch, Ward LaFrance (Grove), and American LaFrance.
This is the second of several posts that will highlight the progression of these truck companies in Chicago. The numbers listed above are revisions from what was originally included in the 1st post.
IN 1968, CHICAGO RECEIVED THREE PIRSCH REAR MOUNTED AERIALS …
These trucks were built on Mack chassis with CF Series cabs. Each truck had a 100-foot rear mounted aluminum ladder, 300 gallons of water, and a 60-GPM pump.
Pirsch delivery photo of a 1968 100′ rear mount on a Mack CF chassis for the Chicago Fire Department. Jack Connors collection
- The first of these 1968 Mack/Pirsch aerials (Shop #E-170) was assigned to Truck 22. This unit was eventually reassigned to Trucks 47, 16, 35, and 34.
Chicago Truck 22 was assigned Shop #E-170 in 1968. This was a Pirsch 100-foot rear mounted aerial on a Mack CF chassis. It carried 300 gallons of water and had a 60-GPM pump. Jack Connor photo
Shop #E-170 was assigned to Truck 47 after it had been running as Truck 22. This photo shows a canvas cover for the rear jacks instead of the metal doors that were delivered in that area. Jack Connor photo
This image shows the rear of E-170 after it was on it’s 4th assignment now as Truck 35. The booster reel is still mounted on the unit, but it is empty. Jack Connor photo
Shop #E-170 was assigned to Truck 16 after it served truck 47. This was the second 1968 Mack/Pirsch for Truck 16. Bill Friedrich photo
After some rehab work and the removal of the booster reels, E-170 was assigned for the last time as Truck 34. Larry Shapiro photo
Another image of Truck 34 on-scene this time after the booster tank and reels were removed. Steve Redick photo
- The next (Shop #E-171) was assigned to Truck 16.
Shop #E-171 was reassigned to Truck 16. Jack Connors photo
- The third (Shop #E-172) went initially to Truck 15, then was reassigned to Truck 37 and then Truck 42.
The 3rd Pirsch in 1968 went to Truck 15. The rear jacks have no cover in this photo. Jack Connors photo
Shop #E-172 was reassigned to Truck 37 after seeing service as Truck 15. Jack Connor photo
#1 by Mike McAuliffe on February 28, 2013 - 10:12 AM
I am sure that Truck 34 is a shop spare. Unlike today’s Fleet Management, the fire department shops were a little slow to renumber old rigs as shop spares. Spare rigs would sometimes be used for a year or more before being stenciled and renumbered as a reserve. The same was true with the engines and buggies. Circa 1973, Battalion 29 (which you know as Battalion 21) used a buggy that was clearly labeled Battalion 8 for at least a half a year.
Am I correct in assuming that the Pirsch rear mounts were married to Mack CF cabs because the Pirsch cabs were not yet adapted to rear mounts, which were a new concept at the time? Chicago would frequenly marry a rig to a cheaper cab, such as a Ford or International or Mack MB but Mack CFs must have been a little in the high end price range for Chicago. I can just picture Commissioner Quinn with sticker shock. They only had one Mack CF engine in their history. I wonder if they got a deal on the Mack CFs or if they had no choice but to use them. The investment certainly paid off though, the Mack CF rear mount chassis out lasted the WLF rear mount chassis that were puchased a few years later.
Thanks in advance for any responses.
#2 by Dennis on February 27, 2013 - 5:09 PM
Steve, How did Truck 34 and Truck 47 end up at a fire together? or is that something else?
#3 by RY on February 27, 2013 - 7:11 AM
AT Bill P. Thank You
#4 by Bill Post on February 25, 2013 - 2:09 PM
RY, the third 1972 Mack CF rear mounted aerial ladder went to Truck Company 5, which was located at Engine 18’s old station at the time.
#5 by RY on February 25, 2013 - 9:09 AM
“two of the three newer (Mack CF) 1972 models had gone to Truck companies (15 and 22) who had been assigned the 1968 models just 4 years earlier”
Do you know where the third one went?
#6 by Bill Post on July 4, 2012 - 4:25 PM
The Mack CF trucks were obviously popular (if not that numerous on the CFD) as within 4 years three more were ordered and two of the three newer 1972 models had gone to Truck companies (15 and 22) who had been assigned the 1968 models just 4 years earlier.
At the time Truck 15 was the busiest truck in the city and that was well before there was an ambulance assist program.
Truck 22 was also amongst your three busiest trucks on the north side and that was largely because of fire duty. The Pirsch aerials were also popular and apparently durable as the aerial ladder that was on Truck 16’s rig was remounted on a 1978 Ford/3D Metals chassis after the 1968 Mack was wrecked and 4 of the 5 aerial ladders from the 1966 Mack/Pirsch mid mounted truck companies were remounted onto new Ford/Pirsch chassis in 1988 for Trucks 41, 47, 4, and 32’s new (at the time) rigs.
The Mack CF cabs were quite popular with the New York City Fire Department as from about 1968 through the late 1980s (when the CFs were discontinued the NYFD had the majority of it’s new engines built with a Mack CF chassis.
#7 by Phil Stenholm on July 3, 2012 - 2:56 PM
E-171 (Truck 16) was totaled in a crash in 1977.
All boosters on trucks were disconnected in 1973 to settle a grievance with Local 2, which is why no boosters were installed on trucks purchased after 1973.
The issue that led to this happening was that by 1973 most of the CFD’s engine companies (about 85 out of 105) operated pumpers with boosters, so the original reason given to put boosters on trucks in 1965 (to provide water for automobile fires on the expressways at a point in time when most engine companies did not operate pumpers with boosters) was no longer valid.
#8 by David on July 3, 2012 - 2:31 PM
The Backdraft rig was not from this early batch, it was delivered later in 1972 or so. There are a few well visible differences between the ’68 rigs and the one used in Backdraft (I don’t mean the changes made later for the movie) like the different wheel rims on the front wheels or the typical large chrome plate on the front.
#9 by Scott on July 3, 2012 - 12:54 PM
Which one was re-furb to make it operable for the movie BACKDRAFT?
#10 by mike McAuliffe on July 2, 2012 - 11:04 PM
Great photos and valuable information. Thank you. I assume you are going to cover the Mack/Pirsch mid-mounts next.
Any idea as to why these rigs were never given Mars 888s? I suppose it is because at the time the 888s were cab mounted with the aurora borealis on the engines and buggies. However, the Mack MBs (SS-1, Flying Squads, and tiller tractors) had bracket mounted 888s. Why not these rigs?