bulldogboy

Back in the early '80s I had a part time job at a freight forwarder. They had two medium trucks, a Mack "MS-200" and a M-B "L-1316". The M-B had an automatic transmission and was underpowered. It did have a very roomy interior. Whenever I drove it I would think to myself, "This is what driving a whale must be like if one could drive a whale." In my full time job as a firefighter I was around Macks all the time so I was partial to the "MS". bulldogboy

The "E" series is being replaced in 2014 with a new Transit van. It will be offered in various roof heights, wheelbases,and models; van, wagon, chassis cab, and cut-away. There will be a diesel option, a 3.2L, I-5 Powerstroke. Not sure if there will be an ambulance package offered. I have read that the "E" series will still be available as a chassis cab and cut-away until the end of the decade. In my area, AMR Ambulance is still buying new "E" models so I assume that they have the V-10 gas engines. bulldogboy

pavrguy3: Thanks for the info about the East Kingston Mack. I will have to ask around about it. Where is your Mack from? I go to the Fire Wardens' meeting in New Boston every July. bulldogboy

Durham, NH's Mack "B" model pumper was sold and is privately owned. The last time that I saw a picture of it, it was still a pumper not a tanker. Durham, at one time, did have a tractor trailer tanker with a "B" model tractor. Both "B"s served together in the 1970s when it was still the Durham-UNH Fire Department. Both Chester, NH and East Kingston, NH had "B" models but I don't know if they were pumpers or tankers or where they came from. Sure would have like to have seen them back in the day (other than seeing them parked in the stations when I drove by). bulldogboy

Golden's Bridge also had a 1960s Mack "C" model pumper. It was featured in an ad back in the '70s. The ad was for a warning light company (Whelen?). I wonder if the "C" is still around. The '68 must have been rehabbed; it has the chrome grill, in '68 it would have had the chrome strips. bulldogboy

Additional information on several companies mentioned earlier: Blue Line Express - Nashua, NH - was all over the place on trucks, Macks, Fords, Whites, the Whites were the round cab models (3000?). Out of business more than 30 years. St. Germaine Trucking (SGT) - Quebec - now seems to be running KW BFI - now A/W. The Tyngsborough, MA yard is full of "MR" and "LE" packers. A few IH trucks, also Cumberland Farms - now running Volvos A few obscure Nashua, NH companies from the 1950s: Cities Transportation was a small fuel hauler with a couple of "B" model tractors Round Pond Oil Company had two fuel oil tankers, one "B" and one "A" model bulldogboy

I believe that was Mack engines and tower ladders. The aerial ladders were Seagrave. bulldogboy

Braun's Express and its sister company, Normandin Transportation Systems of Hopedale, MA run a fleet of Vision tractors and Vision straight trucks. bulldogboy

Nashua Motor Express, Nashua, NH ran a fleet of "R" and "U" tractors. It went out of business in 2013. N & B (Northampton/Boston) Express, Deerfield, MA ran a fleet of "R" tractors. Also out of business. bulldogboy

Charlie: Interesting history of your "BB". That's a subject for a new Mack fire apparatus book, Mack fire trucks that had a civilian career before they became firefighters. Forty years ago Wilton, NH had a "B" model tanker that was donated by a fuel company. bulldogboy

BSP Transportation is an air freight forwarder in New Hampshire. Back in the '80s they ran a fleet of Mack "MS" straight trucks and "MS" tractors plus a couple of "U" model tractors. It is still in business but I only see an IH straight truck around every so often. bulldogboy

Yep, stopped there in 1998. It's in Vinita, OK on I-44. At the time it was supposed to be thelargest McDonald's in the world. bulldogboy

Back in the '80s several former Long Island Mack "B" and "C" model fire trucks were sold to volunteer fire departments in New Hampshire. One was a 1965 "C" model ladder truck that was sold to Hopkinton, NH. It was a straight truck with a semi-cab. HFD later found an old "C" model pumper, cut the roof off, and added it to their ladder truck. I'm not sure if they also used the windshield from the pumper; I saw the pumper later at Dick Kemp's in Hillsborough and the roof and windshield were missing. A "C" model semi-cab can be made into a canopy (crew) cab because it already has the jump seats. An semi-cab "L" or "B" model can only be made into a coupe cab because it would not have rear seats. I have never seen a semi, crew cab, "E", "B", or "L" model. bulldogboy

A gasoline pump in the living quarters near a hot stove ...... what could possibly go wrong? bulldogboy

1949 Mack "L-85F" pumper, 750 GPM, semi-cab. Still around somewhere. bulldogboy

For some reason, I have always liked the "EU" model. In addition to its fleet of Mack "N" model rubbish trucks, the Nashua, NH Public Works Dep't operated a Mack "E?U model sewer cleaning truck. Not a vac truck but the old fashion scoop type. It used that truck for many years even after all the other Mack's were gone. When the PWD changed the color scheme from green to orange the old "EU" received the new orange paint. I was a kid then; wish now that I had photos of the "EU" and "N" models. bulldogboy

And I jumped into a life net one time just to say, "I did it". Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!!!! bulldogboy

Good thing you guys are in Charleston this week. I was in Charleston last week and they had an ice storm that basically shut down the city. The Ravanel (the BIG one) and the Holt bridges were shut down for several days. Have a good meeting; talking Mack fire apparatus with Harvey must have been fun. bulldogboy

Last week I was heading south on I-95 in South Carolina and saw a Mack "CF" for sale. It was sitting in a field on the northbound side north of Exit 122. Not sure of its condition. There was also an ALF aerial ladder there. bulldogboy

Right now I am in NC where it is in the 20s and expecting 6 inches of snow tonight. They say that it is the most snow that they've had in 20 years. Things are better right now in NH. Oh,well, hopefully it will be warmer in Florida. bulldogboy

I have a photo of it when it was in Alexandria, NH. I'll scan a photo when I get home from Florida. Bulldogboy

Marion Hose Company #1 of Jim Thorpe, PA first motorized engine was a 1925 Mack "AB3A" combination pumper and chemical engine. Their website only says that it was replaced in the 1950s. Not sure if it is still around. bulldogboy

kscarbel2: Why didn't Mack/Renault bring the trim levels up to what American passengers wanted (whatever that was)? If the operators were happy with the buses' costs and performances it would seem that Mack could have captured a large share of the U.S. bus business. bulldogboy

Mike: Photos loaded okay. Is that second one (in the dark) a fire truck? Bulldogboy

The truck carrying the crane parts down Lowell Mountain hit a soft shoulder on the road and rolled over. A bulldozer was in front of the truck helping it to descend the mountain slowly when the truck hit the soft shoulder. In October, 2012, a Loomis armored truck struck a telephone pole on Rte. 100 in Lowell. For a small town Lowell seems to be a dangerous place for trucks. bulldogboy