bulldogboy

Joe; What happened? Hope that the accident wasn't too bad and that no one was injured. bulldogboy

"L" model fire trucks had hand crank starting, if needed. Fortunately, I never had to do it, those trucks started right up (most of the time). The hand crank for the booster reel was also the starter crank. bulldogboy

Wrestling with bea? Bea who, Bea Arthur? Sounds manly to me. I'm a Ford guy but obviously I'm not man enough for this truck. I don't buy the idea of a "feminine automatic". There are times when an automatic comes in handy. I've driven Mack fire trucks with standard and automatic transmissions, believe me auto is better. Just concentrate on getting to the scene safely without all the double clutching and shifting. My ego doesn't need the manliness of a standard in a fire truck bulldogboy

kscarbel2: Does Ford of Brazil sell its heavy duty trucks in Mexico and other Central American countries? bulldogboy

That's my situation; I've had my CDL for over 40 years (not class A). My license expires in 2014 and because I do not have a current medical card I'm thinking that I will have to revert to an Operator's license. I haven't driven a commercial truck or fire truck in years and, at my age, I doubt that I will ever again. I have been told that I could still get a CDL without a medical card if I am only driving non-commercial within the state (NH). I will look into this but, like I said, I think the truck driving days are over. I have my fond memories of driving Mack "L", "B" and "C" model fire trucks. bulldogboy

Nashua, NH Public Works Department once had a fleet of Mack "N" model rubbish trucks; green cabs with gray bodies. Unfortunately, no photos. At least the PWD is now running a fleet of Mack "MR" and "LE" CNG powered rubbish and recycling trucks. bulldogboy

Was the name of the company Idlenot Dairy or something like that? They also had a restaurant division, there was an Idle 90s restaurant down the road. Similar setup to Friendly's today. Friendly's still has a few Macks running around but I've seen more Volvos lately. bulldogboy

Our 1974 "CF" had a GVW of 33,000 lbs, give or take a few. It was a basic 1000/500 with high side compartments, a real workhorse with few frills (typical northern New England). I would imagine that a similarly equipped "R" would be a few lbs. less due to fewer occupants. bulldogboy

Former Hollis, NH engine, 1975 1000 GPM. It was later rehabbed into a tanker. I know that it has a Scania engine but I don't know what model. bulldogboy

Too bad; IMHO the Mack "B" model fire truck was the best looking ever. All the chrome looked good and the "B" model was a workhorse for the fire departments that were lucky enough to own one (or two or three). bulldogboy

Raymond, ME Fire Department used to have a 1963 Mack "B-85" pumper with a coupe cab. Not sure if they still have it. bulldogboy

I was driving a fire department vehicle on an emergency call one snowy evening years ago when the road I was on passed under a highway bridge. At the exact moment I went under the bridge a plow on the highway above dumped a load of snow completely covering my windshield. Needless to say, I now always check the bridge above when passing underneath. Lesson learned. bulldogboy

Beautiful truck; have fun with it. You and your buddy can compare notes on restoring your "AB"s. bulldogboy

Randy: Congratulations and good luck to you and your family. bulldogboy

The Mack tanker is a Mack/Pierce for the Se-Wy-Co Fire Company of Lower Saucon Township, PA, near Bethlehem. It replaces a 2010 IH Workstar/Fouts Bros. 1750/3000 tanker that was destroyed when a runaway dump truck smashed into the Leithsville fire station. The resulting fire destroyed the station and all apparatus inside. A new station is under construction. bulldogboy

When I clicked on the article a bar appeared above saying that it is in Russian and then giving me an option to translate it into another language. Not sure if this is just my computer or if it is on all programs. bulldogboy

Good article, I think that it was something about Ford and trucks but my Russian is a little rusty. Where's Vlad when you need him? Finally, saw the translation button. bulldogboy

That "A" model cab and chassis fire truck looks like it once served Township 17, Range 4 & Range 5 Fire Department in Maine. This is an area of extreme northern Maine where there are few incorporated towns; instead there are plantations, townships, gores, and other unincorporated places. T17, R4 & R5 F.D. has since changed its name to North Lakes Fire Rescue. That "B" model deluxe cab looks familiar. Did Paul Romano once own that? Loss of that "C125" is a shame. bulldogboy

Must not have made the final cut. When I joined the service in 1970 the crash trucks were O-11As, O-11Bs, and the newest were 1960s FWD P-2s. In the mid-1970s the Oshkosh P-4 came along to replace the Os. Too bad, I would have liked to have seen an MB-3 in action. bulldogboy

I believe that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) still runs some "trackless trolleys" in the Watertown, MA area. Don't think that they are Macks, though. bulldogboy

I think that Meadowood disbanded last year. Meadowood was a private fire department located in Fitzwilliam, NH (Fitzwilliam has its own fire department). Their mission was to operate a fire training school and to supply specialized equipment that was not available in rural N.H., VT., and MA. back in the '60s and '70s. Their first aerial was a 1956 Ford "F" with a Sponco electric ladder. They later had several Mack Aerialscopes and even a rescue truck built on a Mack Aerialscope chassis. They had one of the first FD dive teams in the area. bulldogboy

There is a photo of a USAF MB-3 on page 183 of Harvey Eckart's book, "Mack Fire Apparatus, A Pictorial History". kscarbel, were any MB-3s ever put into service? When I was in the USAF the crash trucks from the 1950s were O-10s, O-11As, and O-11Bs, all built by American LaFrance. None of my training manuals mentions an MB-3. bulldogboy

Where in New Hampshire did you haul the fire truck? Looking forward to the pictures. bulldogboy

When I was an Air Force firefighter all the fire trucks were the same no matter where you were stationed. The P-2s, O-6s, O-11Bs, 750As, and 530Bs were the same at each base; it made training easier so that when you were transferred the equipment was the same. Probably the same with the Cat engines; made it easier for the motor pool if all engines were the same. As was mentioned earlier, vehicles on Air Force bases didn't travel far or fast. The fact that a lot of these Mack and Dodge refuelers are still in fire department service says a lot about their durability even if they didn't have any panache. bulldogboy

A former USAF refueler; most were built on Mack or Dodge chassis. Many found a second life as fire department water tankers after their military careers were over. bulldogboy