bulldogboy

Last Thursday, February 29th, was very windy in the northeast, wind gusts on Mt. Washington reached 147 miles an hour. The Mount Washington Observatory has a FB page, they post some fantastic photos from the top of New England.

On 8/17/2023 at 3:57 PM, GA_Dave said:

Ladder 1, Gloucester, MA (retired)

1966 Mack B-85FT/1984 Ladder Towers Inc.

0/0/106'

#1511/#8404998

Usually departments buy a new tractor to replace the original, worn out tractor but keep the ladder and trailer. In this case the 1966 "B" model tractor was attached to a 1937 Pirsch aerial ladder. In 1984, the old Pirsch ladder was replaced with this 106' LTI ladder. It made for an unusual looking rig, a big, new trailer and an older semi-cab tractor. Gloucester, like many old, seaside communities, has very narrow streets in a compact downtown. The ladder truck is privately owned and shows up at various truck shows.

The "Tunbridge" Mack "B" model sedan cab is currently listed for sale on the SPAAMFAA "FB" page. Located in Syracuse, NY.

Brooksville's  (Port Chester) "B" model was sold to the small town of Alexandria, NH. AVFD photo.

On 12/1/2022 at 11:00 PM, mdixon said:

Norwich area

Was that where the chicken barn burned the other day?

I was at Cumby's this morning to pick up the newspaper, buy some lottery tickets, and a cup of coffee. It's right next to Dunkins but DD doesn't sell newspapers. There was a Cumby's tanker delivering gas, they now have Pete tractors. I remember when they and Friendly's Ice Cream had all Mack tractors.

On 12/2/2022 at 1:25 AM, MorrisMe said:

Says Mack fire apparatus Sidney Ohio.

In 1956 Mack Trucks bought the C.D. Beck Company of Sidney, OH. Beck built buses and also Ahrens-Fox fire apparatus. The new A-F cab forward chassis became the Mack "C" model fire truck. Mack built both the "B" and "C" model fire apparatus in Sidney until late 1958 when fire apparatus production was moved back to PA. 

There was a "B-21" for sale on e-bay several years ago. It was located in Barre, MA along with a 1947 Mack "Type 85F" pumper.

A question was asked on another FB page, "Did the grill louvers on "B" models open and close due to the temperature?" We had five gas "B" models in our fire department and none had movable louvers. Were they available on the larger "B" models or diesels?

20 hours ago, 70mackMB said:

Manchester (NH) Mack, I've never heard of them being on Chestnut St. or 2nd St.  The Elm St. site is now an overflow parking lot for SNHU and a State of NH Liquor store. McDevitt Mack Volvo(Isuzu, Western Star) is now on Mack Av & Frontage Rd.    .....Hippy

I read that Ballard Mack from Worcester, MA bought McDeviitt. Also, Allegiance Trucks from Walpole, MA, a IHC, Ford, and Pierce dealer, bought Liberty International in Manchester, NH.

I missed Dysart's for lunch but I did notice its fleet of Mack Anthem tractors. I went to Tim Horton's for coffee but it was closed. Bummer!

Nashua, NH Public Works employees repairing a street with one of their Mack "B" model dump trucks. Painted orange with black fenders.

I saw my first Mack "MD" in the wild today, making a delivery in Maine. I've seen two "MDs" at Donovan Spring in Londonderry, NH,

probably getting new bodies.

Even though it was built on an "A" model chassis, Mack fire apparatus were called "Types"., in this case a "Type 505A". "505" should be stamped on the radiator shell under the "Mack" name.

Strange that the F-600 is only offered in a regular cab. Ford is big in the emergency vehicle field but most want a Super Cab or Crew Cab model.

I think that the F-600 will be big in emergency services but it needs the larger cab.

Widening Main Street in Nashua, NH, 1958. Nice looking Mack on the job.

Ford Motor Company and outdoor clothing manufacturer Filson have developed a concept wildland firefighting vehicle built on a 2021 Ford Bronco "Badlands" four door SUV. The firefighting package is built by Kimtek and includes a 50 gallon water tank with a Davey high pressure pump and various hand tools. Two concept Broncos will be donated to a wildland firefighting organization. No information on when, or if, it will be commercially available.

This was our 1947 Mack pumper. I don't have a closeup of the scroll but our 1949 Mack pumper had the same scroll so I'm

guessing that it was a standard Mack design. For the most part, New England Mack fire trucks were basic, no frills work horses.

Dependability was considered more important than "bling".

   Looks like a "C-119" behind the Haydentown forestry truck.

Somebody at Ford must read these forums. I posted on Monday that Ford should feature fire apparatus built on Ford chassis in it's commercials and, lo and behold, this morning on the national TV news there was a Ford truck ad featuring fire trucks and ambulances built on Super Duty chassis.

That's a leap of faith by Republic Services to order 2,500 trucks from a brand that has yet to get a truck on the market. Good luck to them. Wasn't Republic getting one of the Mack "LR" electric trash trucks to test next year along with the DSNY?