More photos of the new 6-5-2 at Midway Airport from Gordon J. Nord, Jr.
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo
#1 by Bill Post on September 5, 2016 - 9:14 PM
Mabas 21, that’s a very good question. Engine 127 never did have an active Snorkel company located in the station with them. Truck 40 originally was put in service at Engine 127’s old house and was there from August 1927 until April of 1932, but that was long before there were Snorkels. During the early 1980s, Engine 127’s house had chemical companies for short periods of time. Chemical 7 was there from May through October of 1981 and Chemical 8 was there from October 1981 through June of 1983. Chemical 8 was actually Engine 118’s last pumper. It was a 1967 Ford/Ward LaFrance with a 750-gallon booster tank that had been converted to a foam tank for Chemical 8 in 1981. Engine 118 was taken out of service in 1974.
While it’s possible that Engine 127’s station might have stored a reserve Snorkel at one time or another after 1983, it really wasn’t that likely. After 1983 when Chicago had three or four reserve Snorkels, they were usually at houses deeper into the city such as Engine 101, Engine 49, and Engine 72. These all had reserve Snorkels for short periods of time from late 1983 through the early 90s.
There is an easy explanation however. The Bedford Park Fire Department had a station 3 blocks south of Engine 127’s old house and also on the east side of the street. Bedford Park Station 2 was just south of the old water works and just north of 66th Street. The address would have been approximately 6575 S Central and it may still be standing. 65th Street was the boundary line between Chicago and Bedford Park. There were two stations just three blocks apart on the same street. If you were to include the old Midway Airport station, that would have made three on the same side of the same street all within about nine blocks from each other.
So it was Bedford Park Station 2 at 66th and Central that had a Snorkel at one time.
#2 by Bill Post on September 4, 2016 - 3:09 PM
This is a correction. Engine 127 is located on the northside of 63rd and Laramie but on the south side of the airport.
#3 by Bill Post on September 4, 2016 - 2:04 PM
Michael M the crash trucks are on the north side of the station that faces the field. Battalion 16, Engine 127, and Ambulance 54 all face 63rd Street for obvious reasons. Haven’t you seen the station yet? It is on the south side of 63rd and Laramie so there aren’t any access problems to get inside the station.
Unit 886 (the Mass Casualty Van) also faces north and is usually behind unit 634 (the emergency staircase unit). In the other 3 apparatus bays the rigs are back to back with the crash rigs facing north.
Here’s some interesting history about Midway’s fire rescue service. The previous Midway Airport fire station located at 5837 S Central faced south so the rigs would have to turn east for runs on the field. The station was opened in August of 1949 and originally went in service as Engine 118’s quarters. It also housed Crash Wagon 1 and Chemical Wagon 1. The crash wagons in those days were known as Cardox Units because they primarily contained refrigerated CO2 (carbon dioxide) in their tank and were like giant CO2 extinguishers on wheels. In the spring of 1950 both Truck 54 and Ambulance 12 were put in service there as well. Chemical Wagon 1 was relocated to Engine 49’s quarters around the same time.
Due to a new Federal Aviation Authority regulation after September 5th of 1957, both Engine 118 and Ambulance 12 were no longer permitted to be dispatched off of the airport grounds unless except for an aircraft related incident. In the case of Engine 118 being restricted to the airport, it wasn’t the worst thing because Engine 127 was located at 64th St and Central about 5 blocks south of Engine 118’s quarters. The nearest ambulance was Ambulance 8 located at 5218 S Western (today’s Greater Chicagoland Fire museum). If there was a medical emergency that wasn’t actually at the airport, Ambulance 8 would be dispatched from at least three or more miles further east.
To alleviate that situation, the CFD first put Ambulance 19 in service at Engine 127’s old quarters over a year later on November 4th 1958. Ambulance 19 was to provide EMS service to neighborhoods that surrounded the airport and Ambulance 12 was to only be dispatched to airport related incidents. After Engine 32 and Truck 60’s new quarters was opened on December 21st 1959, Ambulance 12 was relocated to Engine 32’s house and Ambulance 19 was relocated to Engine 28’s old quarters near Loomis and Archer Avenue. Since Ambulance 12 was relocated off the field they could then be dispatched to the surrounding communities. Engine 118 didn’t officially go out of service until February 2nd 1974. On February 16, 1962, Battalion 31 was put in service which was the highest numbered permanently assigned fire battalion in Chicago at the time.
The irony is that Truck 54 was permitted to be dispatched off of the airport when they were located there. They were relocated to Engine 34’s new station when it opened November 9, 1967.
#4 by MABAS 21 on September 5, 2016 - 1:48 PM
Bill, didn’t Engine 127’s old station on 64th & Central at one time house a snorkel?
#5 by Michael M on September 4, 2016 - 10:11 AM
Which side of Engine 127’s station are the Crash Trucks on?
#6 by CrabbyMilton on September 2, 2016 - 8:26 AM
Nice monsters.
I always get a kick out of those pictures of helicopters as if they were perfectly still in mid air.