bulldogboy

Nice trucks. When did they change the round headlights to the quads? bullogboy

Kissimmee, FL has changed a bit since that photo was taken. Those are great old photos, brings back some memories. bulldogboy

fxfymn: There is a website, www.firenews.org, that has a lot of information about New England fire departments. If you go to "Department Listings", "Massachusetts", "Barnstable", there is a photo of Barnstable's 1935 Mack. If you are on the Cape and have a day available, head over to Martha's Vineyard. Edgartown has a fire museum with a restored 1927 Mack "AB" pumper and a 1952 Mack "A" pumper. bulldogboy

TRFD1933: Maybe you could touch base with the Barnstable, MA Fire Department; they have restored their 1935 Mack "B" model pumper, very similar to yours. They may have some ideas to help you. Barnstable, like Palmer, has several separate fire departments (Cotuit, Barnstable, West Barnstable, Hyannis, and Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills). Barnstable has the restored '35 and Hyannis has a 1950 "L" model. Good luck with your project. Re: ground ladders. I know of one department that bought an "L" model pumper in the mid-1940s and it came with suction hoses on both sides. It was intended to be a water source engine. bulldogboy

Congratulations and continued good luck in the future. In any endeavor the hardest part is getting started. Also, remember, you are not doing this just for yourself but for your wife and two boys. bulldogboy

How did we get from the top of Mt. Washington, NH to sunny Florida in the same thread? Yes, I know, take I-95. bulldogboy

I have a few old pictures that I saved from a calendar, one of them is a 1936 Mack Jr fire engine. There is no name on the truck but it has NY license plates. It has been beautifully restored. Unfortunately, I can't scan it. bulldoigboy

GearheadGrrrl: $250 a year; is that per household? Are you served by a subscription fire department? I've read that some subscription departments will fight a fire in a non-member's property and then send a bill while other departments will not fight a fire unless the subscription has already been paid. Having worked for a tax supported fire department this is a foreign concept for me but it might be good to know in advance for those who may be served by a subscription fire department. Mack fire trucks automatically make the department better. bulldogboy

Check out the "Craigslist Macks" thread. There is an FWD fire engine for sale by the Alexandria, NH Fire Department. bulldogboy

Yes, 231 MPH. At one time it was the highest wind speed recorded on Earth. It has since been bypassed by a recorded speed in New Zealand several years ago. Still, it's a different place to visit; it can be summer at the base and snowing at the summit. There is a NOAA weather station and NH state park at the summit. Another route up, other than hiking, is the Cog Railway. It's an experience but expensive. On one side of the mountain is Tuckerman's Ravine. People usually ski there into late spring but beware of avalanches, they can be dangerous. bulldogboy

There was snow in the White and Green Mts. last night; saw pictures of Mount Mansfield, VT and Bretton Woods, NH covered in snow. Littleton, NH received about 4 inches. Drove through Hinsdale, MA last Sunday; first time in my life although I have been to Hinsdale, NH several times. bulldogboy

The Hollis, NH Mack "R" was originally delivered to Hollis as an engine. It was later rebuilt as a tanker with a body by Valley Fire Equipment. The "L" model came from a department in New Jersey (I think). It is now owned by a private collector who keeps his trucks in top condition. Last time that I saw it, it was in nice shape. The FWD was in Alexandria, NH for many years. This is the same department that previously owned MADDOG93's Mack "B" and Ward LaFrance engines. They have replaced all three with two IH/Valley engines and a 2012 Ford F-550/Smeal pumper. bulldogboy

Thanks to all you guys who maintain old Mack trucks for our enjoyment. I would love to have an old Mack fire engine but I have three strikes against me: 1. I'm a retired firefighter - No money (but lots of "L" and "B" memories) 2. No place to park one. No way I would buy one to leave it outdoors in New England 3. I'm not a mechanic, I think that you have to be able to do maintenance on them. I read a lot of these threads and I'm amazed (and jealous) at what you guys know and can do to your trucks. I'll continue to live vicariously through you guys. bulldogboy

Drove to the top of Pilot Mountain in 2011; it's a state park. Very unusual looking mountain. Mount Airy, NC was the setting for Mayberry on "The Andy Griffith Show". The neighboring town to Mayberry was Mount Pilot. bulldogboy

kscarbel: I knew you would have the answer; thanks for the info and link to the previous post. bulldogboy

Mindlessly surfing the web again and I came upon an NPR report on new fire engines needed in Afghanistan. It showed Afghan firefighters training on a fire engine built on a Ford high cabover that looked similar to the "Xcient". The story said that the engine was American built but the chassis was obviously European. Anyone have information on this model Ford? bulldogboy

Yikes, I hope there isn't a quiz on this any time soon! bulldogboy

Must have been a slow day in New York City when you could draw a crowd to watch a street being cleaned. bulldogboy

I have a photo of the Mack when Alexandria had it for sale. Later, I saw it in Harvey Eckart's book, "Mack Model B Fire Trucks". Glad to see that it was saved. You drove it to rural Alexandria? Must have hurt to leave it behind. Alexandria liked having the Mack in their department. bulldogboy

Looks like the 1932 Mack ladder truck that was restored by the Stony Brook, NY Fire Department. bulldogboy

MADDOG93: Is that the Ward LaFrance that was in service in Alexandria, NH for several years? I know that they had a Ward LaFrance like that and a 1957 Mack "B"; both came from Port Chester, NY. I saw the Mack when it was in service in Alexandria. bulldogboy

I thought that it was on mutual aid to Worcester and was climbing one of the hills. bulldogboy

Is Charlton still interested in buying it? bulldogboy

"How old can an active fire truck be?" Depends on where you live. In the mid-Atlantic region a fire truck has to be replaced either when it gets dirty or a neighboring fire department buys a new truck (have to outdo the Jones, of course). Here in northern New England, departments run trucks that are 20, 30, or 40 years old because they have no other options. Buying used trucks is big business. Rural fire departments have to buy what they can afford regardless of what the N.F.P.A. "recommends". bulldogboy

To me, the quickest way to tell the difference is by looking at the windshield; "A"s have a one piece windshield, "L"s have a two piece windshield. There is also the size difference, "A"s are smaller than "L"s. bulldogboy