This from Steve Redick:
A classic image from my dad. I believe he took this when assigned to snorkel 4 at 25’s house, then at the academy. Notice the bell cutout in the grill. Don’t know the identity of these companies.
Another great shot Tower & Pressure 3 taken at a fire at 62 & Stony Island
Warren Redick photo
Warren Redick photo
Another coupla shots …Eng 48’s Pirsch taken at what was Engine 16 at 40th & Dearborn
High Pressure 1 across from Eng 1
These are great shots
Warren Redick photo
Warren Redick photo
Some additional notes from Mike K:
Great picture of Engine 48. When I started my career at Engine 19, we had an identical pumper. The rough ride of the back step on these old Pirsches force me to switch from Boxer shorts to Jockey shorts. Actally, when this picture was taken, the firehouse shown at 4005 S. Dearborn was not Engine 16’s quarters. It was Engine 48’s house. Engine 16 was located at 31st and Dearborn and the property was purchased by Illinois Institute of Technology and engine 16 was doubled up with Engine 48 at 4005 S. Dearborn.One of my Captain’s at Engine 19 was Captain of Engine 48 at that time and after repeated complaints to Commissioner Quinn that the single door firehouse was too small for two pumpers, he finally agreed. Thus, he ordered Engine 48 removed from service and gave the house to Engine 16. Captain Fletcher Thompson won his position, but found himself without a company to command.After losing his assignment at Engine 48, he became Captain of Engine 45 until transferring to Engine 19 about a year after I was assigned there.I’m not sure if Steve Redick is aware of the fact that 4005 Dearborn was originally Engine 48’s quarters, but his comment gives me the impression that Engine 48 was the “guest” at Engine 16.Mike K
#1 by Rdengr39 on April 8, 2015 - 4:02 PM
An answer to Tom Sullivan’s question on 633 a fwd pumper converted by theC.F.D. Shops the rig ended parked in a lot north of eng 107, my good friend was cap there in the early 90’s, he called me and said it was just towed by a private junk yard out to a yard on so.torrence called them the next day to find out about being able to buy it said it had already been cut up for scrap and they were selling no parts. R.D.
#2 by tom sullivan on April 8, 2015 - 8:34 AM
question for rdengr39,,,do you know what happened to the FWD that was used as 6-3-3 ? the last I saw of it was when it went to shops for starter repair & never came back.
got a chance to drive a FWD one more time when one was brought by e-95 quarters by a collector. we took it for spin around the block,,, well actually several blocks ! what a trip, that mars siren and open exhaust was heard all the way across Garfield park !!
#3 by Crabby Milton on April 8, 2015 - 8:21 AM
This all reminds me of when the old WMAQ 670AM was still all news. They were reporting on a big fire in Chicago and the anchor asks the reporter what that steady buzzing noise was. The reporter told him that was fire pump. Well those of us who knew could ID the unmistakeabe sound of an old SERIES 71 or 92 DETROIT DIESEL engine. Now I bet some reporter may have to really convince the listener that he is really at a fire being that these new engines are so quiet.
#4 by Rdengr39 on April 7, 2015 - 4:31 PM
The Mars dx 40 light known as a football light is a light only no siren both globes sweep from side to side with motor for that function located in the middle of the light.I own a couple of the old C.F.D. F.W.D.,s and the siren on those were located under the front end mounted up side down. They also were Mars sirens.
#5 by BMurphy on April 7, 2015 - 2:16 PM
Great info! Thanks for the replies to my siren question. I had a hunch that the sirens might have been under the hoods or behind the grills.
BTW, I can certainly attest to the quietness of today’s apparatus. Our brand new E-One is so muted that you can only tell by looking at the indicator lights if it is indeed in pump, and even when pumping at capacity there’s no trouble speaking at a normal conversational volume (and being easily heard) at the pump panel.
#6 by Crabby Milton on April 7, 2015 - 12:50 PM
I forgot about the exhaust pipes. I remember coming across an article which included a brochure on the ALF 700 which listed mufflers as optional!
I would imgaine the thinking was that mufflers were just an extra cost thing that wasn’t needed since the apparatus wasn’t being used as a cross country bus anyway. But then when diesel engine started becoming common, especially DETROIT DIESEL with straight pipe was a sound you could hear miles away and who needed a siren and airhorns?
Contrast that to now where these new generatiion engines are so quite that it’s hard to believe they are putting out more power than ever. Some are even quiter than some car and light truck engines.
#7 by tom sullivan on April 7, 2015 - 11:44 AM
just to concur,, almost all cfd rigs of the ’50s & ’60s had the mars sirens mounted under the hood, close to the grille. the “football” lights did not have sirens. in the ’70s rigs began to be fitted with sirens mounted on the roof, the ’74 mack / howe engines for sure. after the order to ride in the open jump seats was in place, (loosely enforced)
some rigs had the sirens moved to the front bumper because of the painful noise factor to the members in the jump seats. the air horns remained on the roof though.
some seagrave trucks had sirens in an enclosure in the front of the cab body. the noise factor in those days was pretty high,, sirens, air horns , open exhaust pipes, radios turned all the way up, all going right into the cab.
#8 by mike mc on April 7, 2015 - 10:48 AM
The Mack squad is probably Squad 6. They wrecked their AutoCar rig within a year or two of getting it and operated an old Mack for most of their remaining history. It was, and to some extent still is, an unwritten CFD policy that if you wrecked your rig, you operated a spare until new rigs were purchased to replace the ones that were not wrecked (the rigs operated by other companies that went in service at the same time yours did).
The sirens were probably mouted behind the grill. The CFD used Mars sirens that were smaller than federal and by no means ornamental in appearance. Chicago police cars from that era also had the sirens mounted next to the engine, behind the grill.
+
#9 by David on April 7, 2015 - 9:12 AM
Good question, in fact I never thought about this before but it looks almost there are none on the rigs. I’d say they may be hidden behind the grill but as from what I’ve seen the Pirsch and Mack engines from that era mostly had the sirens on the front fenders or cab, I doubt that the Mars “football” light on the roof was equipped with a siren.
#10 by Mike L on April 7, 2015 - 7:26 AM
The siren on the Mars “footballs” were in between the front and back light. Both the squad and the engine have them in this pic.
#11 by Crabby Milton on April 6, 2015 - 5:30 PM
Depends on the apparatus builder and the customer. It could be on the roof incorporated in a light or mounted on the bumper. Many were on the top or the windshield frame or perhaps behind the grill.
Either that or they yelled as they went.
#12 by FARTIN' FRED on April 6, 2015 - 4:25 PM
Nice pics & story….although the details of your undergarments could have been spared..
#13 by BMurphy on April 6, 2015 - 3:31 PM
Question for the historians: where were the sirens located on the rigs from this era? The cab light units (Mars?) don’t seem to be equipped with a siren, and the only ‘noisemakers’ I can ever make out are the bells. A silly question perhaps, but have always wondered.
#14 by Crabby Milton on April 6, 2015 - 11:22 AM
Holy Mackerel I never saw a PIRSCH quite like that before. That design was offered by PIRSCH until the early 1970’s so they must have done something right.
#15 by David on April 6, 2015 - 10:16 AM
Awesome photos, wish there was shown a bit more of the 1940 Mack Squad, very rare to see these in color, also the shot of the old IHC presure wagon with the two guns is luxurious. Thanks for sharing this!