bulldogboy

Congratulations, Al, the truck looks great. Where is it from originally? bulldogboy

Joe: Good luck, hope that you can buy those two "CFs" and get yours back in service. As to the driver, give him a little space and time to recover, eventually he'll feel ready to drive again. Almost all of us have put a ding (or worse) in a fire truck, it's part of dealing in a hazardous and ever changing environment. bulldogboy

Nice "C" model. Years ago I drove a Mack "C" model aerial ladder; it was a great truck, had a few "big ones" with it. Was that '73 "R" model the one that Brighton donated to Bon Weir, TX to replace its pumper that was destroyed during Hurricane Rita in 2005? bulldogboy

Speaking of I-495, a couple of weeks ago on 495 I passed a TT unit from Roaring Spring, PA. Smith Transportation or something like that? I don't remember the company name but can't forget the unusual name of Roaring Spring. I have passed by Sinking Springs, PA which is near Reading. bulldogboy

Where in northern Vermont is that? bulldogboy

Vinny: I don't know what kind of tractor it was. I think the "R" model dump truck in the photo may have been a town of Alton truck. bulldogboy

The dam break was in Alton, NH, March 13, 1996. A two year old earthen dam gave way dumping the contents of Meadow Pond onto the unsuspecting citizens below. Unfortunately, one woman was swept away and died; her body was located several days later. She was trying to flee in her pickup while her husband attempted to move his tractor-trailer. Both were caught in the flood but the husband was rescued. That's his TT unit in the photo. Ironically, their home was spared, it would have been a safe haven for them. Hindsight is always 20-20. A tragic accident. bulldogboy

Probably too late on this one but jhancock has a posting on "Trucks For Sale" showing a 1983 "CF" for sale in Winchester, NH. The closing date was November 6, 2013; if not sold it may be still available. That '91 looks nice and has an enclosed cab. Mack stopped making complete fire trucks in 1984, after that Macks came with a variety of different manufacturers' bodies. Grumman built a lot of the Mack "MB" bodies. 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