Posts Tagged Ward laFrance fire engine photos

Chicago FD History – Ward LaFrance (more)

Mar 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus | 7 Comments

Images from Dave Fornell’s collection illustrating Chicago’s Ford C-Series Ward LaFrance engines.

The Ward/Ford canopy pumpers were delivered near the end of 1969. There were 10 units in the order and were the only WardLaFrance/Ford canopy pumpers delivered to the CFD. There were a number of non canopy Ward/Fords delivered, and quite a few of Pierce/Ford, E-One/Ford and even a set of Seagrave/Ford canopy pumpers supplied.

The WardLaFrance/Fords went to extremely busy companies, who beat the stuffing out of them. They all had rear compartment mounted winches and were built on Ford C-8000 chassis with 175′ wheelbases. Later E-One and Pierce rigs had 153′ wheelbases largely because the size of the canopy seating area was much smaller.

In those days, the yearly apparatus orders were distributed among politically connected vendors. So, when these were delivered, Schuster equipment was the designated vendor. Pierces (and Seagraves) came from Illinois FWD Truck and Equipment in Rosemont, owned by Ray Schuster, yes a brother to the owner of Schuster Equipment, and the later E-Ones from Able Fire and Safety.

The photos show the following:

The side view is of one of the rigs being acceptance tested on the lake near McCormick place.

Engine 19’s rig is shown right after delivery in front of its quarters.

As the years wore on, Engine 95 and Engine 61 are shown in front of quarters.

Note that Engine 95 was running with 150′ of 3″ supply line, 100′ of which was carried on top of the driver’s side compartments, and the rest in the hose bed. This was a precursor of the 150′ of 4″ line carried on the front bumpers of Chicago rigs today.

One photo shows this evoloution-not standard in the CFD at that time-in use at a junk yard fire on the West Side in the late 70s.

The photo of Engine 19, shown operating at a fire in 1977, with the three-compartment driver’s side body. The story goes that a well-heeled lawyer slammed into the rig and the resulting insurance settlement was enough to allow 3D Metals in Wisconsin to replace the original body.

All of the 1969 Ward/Fords had the same 2-compartments each side body. The later E-One, Seagrave and Pierce bodies had half/height compartments on top of the lower compartments.

These rigs were the last Ward/Ford rigs delivered to the CFD.

Capt. Dave

classic Ford Ward laFrance fire engine in Chicago

Dave Fornell collection

Dave Fornell collection

Tags: Chicago FD Engine 19, Chicago FD Engine 61, Chicago FD Engine 95, Chicago Fire Department history, Dave Fornell, Ward LaFrance fire engine in Chicago, Ward laFrance fire engine photos

Chicago FD History – Ward LaFrance

Dec 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Historic fire apparatus, Historic Fire Photo | 5 Comments

Images and information from Dave Fornell about some of Chicago’s Ward LaFrance apparatus:

I was going through my files and came across some photos of what I’ve always considered as one of my most favorite Chicago pumpers; the seven 1970, Ward LaFrance 2,000-GPM engines. It is interesting to note that the rigs had Cummins NTF high-torque, 365-HP engines that were needed to power the two-stage Hale Q pumps. The five trucks delivered the same year had less expensive Detroit 350-HP powerplants.

After the great snow in 1967, rigs were specified with rear-mounted, 20,000-lb hydraulic winches. Both the engines and trucks sported these. Ward LaFrance, a manufacturer whose performance can be described as somewhat spotty, did a great job on these rigs. I was impressed by the brushed stainless steel pump layout and extremely expensive, but highly accurate, Crosby black face gauges that were provided on the panel. Never seen these used before or since.

The rigs had relatively short wheelbases, but extended bodies behind the rear axle. This body style was also used on Ford chassis pumpers purchased later.

The engines were joined by five trucks mounting 100′ Grove ladders. With today’s NFPA ratings, the ladders, based on Grove 18-ton cranes, would be classified as heavy-duty, with 500-lb tip loads. All of Chicago’s other ladders (ALF, Seagrave, Pirsch) purchased around that time would be medium-duty with 250-lb. tip load ratings.

The Grove ladders were massive and heavy–too heavy to be supported properly by a single axle. The rigs proved troublesome during their service lives with continuous brake and axle failures. The fact that they also had a 300-gallon booster tank, pump, and twin reels didn’t help either. On the other hand, take a look at the ground ladder compliment; 2 ea. 30′, 2 ea. 40′, a 50′, and 20′ carried under the turntable. Three roof ladders were carried each side.

I remember climbing the main of one of these rigs at a fire where the operator positioned the tip about 12″ above the parapet, just like they did with the old wooden ladders that would then drift down as you climbed them. The Grove was rigid, and even with our entire engine stretching a line to the roof for point of vantage operation, that tip never dropped an inch nor did the ladder bounce as all the others did.

Circumstances caused me to come into possession of the original factory delivery photo negatives, which are reproduced here. I’ve also included photos I shot of the engines undergoing acceptance testing near McCormick Place, The rear views show the winch installation. Also note that the two rear discharges had 3-1/2″ boat hose threads (the rigs carried a 700′ bed of it).

When I was fanning on the West Side, Division 2 Chief Dan Lynch would always special call Engine 113 to drop the 3-1/2″ into a Snorkel when he had a still and box.

Two photos show the Grove ladder in operation. The first is at the Bedford Hotel fire on the near West Side early in the 70s. If my foggy recollection is correct, there were two extra alarms working in the city at the time when the Bedford fire hit, and no Snorkels were available. 2nd Deputy Bill Foley, who normally was in charge of the shops, took command. That is the first time that I had ever seen two ladder pipes and no Snorkels working at an extra alarm fire in Chicago.

The second was shot at an extra alarm on the South Side, but its location is lost to history. Another negative scanned at the same time shows Engine 63 operating, so maybe someone can identify the company.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

ACD