bulldogboy

Great information....Thanks....I had never heard of a Herbert hose clamp either, or a Hux tool. I did get a brochure from the Mack museum with a generic list of equipment. Also the blueprint they sent had the locations of a couple different things.....such as the "Scott air packs". There are a few brackets (holders) I haven't seen before.....one compartment has 3 or 4 aluminum rectangle holders around 3"x5"...... Maybe for some type of flashlight? Also the Mack museum sent a picture of a truck with a slide out draw in the back for a safety net....I thought that was pretty cool. I saw an old picture once of guys training with one. Talk about trust! Anyone ever jump onto one???

Hey F.w.d........ Whats the OVM seat?

Yep, once for training; not too smart. Our ladder trucks carried life nets so one day we said, "What the heck, why not". You had to land just right or the jumper and the holders could get

seriously hurt. Never did it again.

bulldogboy

That's a former USAF aircraft refueler. Refuelers have the mufflers mounted under the front bumper away from the fuel tank. Most USAF refuelers were built

on Mack or Dodge chassis. Many found their way into civlian fire service after their military service was finished.

bulldogboy

Looks like a homemade vehicle.

bulldogboy

On page 11 of Harvey Eckart's book, "Mack Model B Fire Trucks", there is a spec sheet that shows the standard equipment that was supplied with either a "B"

or a "C" model pumper. In addition to the electrical system, brakes, axles, etc. there is also a list of small hand tools such as a 10' pike pole, 2 axes (1 pickhead,

1 flat head) and so on. Almost everything was out in the open on the running boards; the good old days (sorry for sounding like the dinosaur that I am).

Chem ox mask!!! I trained on one of those in the USAF. Never used it in a real situation though.

bulldogboy

From what I saw Mack has many military trucks currently offered, Though they appear to be regular trucks with optional armor plating . . .

Does Mack even offer an AWD truck any more ? !

Mil-Spec Macks:

http://www.macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=3452

Mike

I've seen pictures of a Mack "Granite" 6x6 tanker built by Pierce for the Seminole Tribal Fire Department in Florida. Not sure if it was a factory installation or

a later modification.

bulldogboy

We have pretty Peirces! But taking delivery of a brand new HME tanker/pump on Friday. I have training on it Tues and Wed. Can't wait to see how it performs.

I remember when Milford was a Mack town with 3 "CFs" and before that an American LaFrance town. Good luck with your HME.

bulldogboy

Town meeting day tomorrow here in Vermont and my town will be voting for or against having a FD. I hope we get it and the two trucks they want. We could use some good guys around here.

Tim:

I know that in 2001, Westmore, VT, up in your neck of the woods, started a fire department. They might be

a resource for you if you start a department. What kind of trucks does Coventry have in mind?

bulldogboy

In the automotive section of the "Boston Sunday Globe" on March 3, 2013 there is an article about VW and its plans to surpass GM and Toyota as the

world's largest car manufacturer. The VW product manager said that VW has no plans to produce a pickup truck for the U.S. (he said this shortly before

leaving VW to work for Chevrolet). Their feeling is that American pickup truck owners are extremely brand loyal so it would be tough to break into the

market. I saw a new Ford Ranger in St. Maarten last year; it looks a lot like the VW pickup. Maybe when it's time to replace my Ranger I can import one

from SXM (that wouldn't be too expensive, would it?).

bulldogboy

Didn't Dodge once sell a red pickup that came factory equipped with dual exhaust stacks? I think that it was called "Little Red Wagon" or something like that.

To be p/c, it is no longer Dodge, now it's Ram (a rose by any other name, etc.).

bulldogboy

The truck pictured was $430,000.

When I started my full time career as a firefighter in the early 1970s, I don't think that my department's 10 Macks cost $430,000 total.

bulldogboy

I remember several local "R" and "MB" model fire engines that had Scania engines. I assume that Mack offered these as a lower cost option to help win municipal bids. Did Mack find this more cost effective than building its own smaller diesel?

bulldogboy

I have this brochure; it's 20 pages long with two pages of old Mack fire apparatus. There are two pages for each of the following pumpers: "CF", "R", "MC" and

Midliner ("MS"). There are also two pages each for the "Aerialscope", "Bulldog I" aerial ladder, and the "MC" and "R" model chassis only. It brings back memories of

Mack's glory days in the fire apparatus business.

bulldogboy

Call the SPCA; some of these dogs have been severely abused! What a shame that someone buys a nice truck and lets it sit outside to rust away, like the one from New Haven.

Yes, it's a shame when old Mack fire trucks are left out to deteriorate. The one from New Haven formerly served West Fairlee, VT. There is another picture of it

on www.firenews.org sitting in a field, presumably in Vermont. I think that it is a shame when a department gets rid of an old Mack. I know that there are money

issues, lack of space, lack of interest in old fire trucks, not the original owner, etc. but I like to see departments keep their old Macks for parades, etc. A lot of small

departments near me had second hand or home made Mack fire trucks, now they are all gone. Wish I had pictures of them all.

bulldogboy

so, how are they handling selling the macks? i dont see them on any of the sites i frequent.

also, did they have any twin screw tractors? i remember seeing a lot of singles . . . . not sure about twins, though . . . .

According to Offset-U-bet on another thread, some NMX tractors are for sale at McDevitt's in Manchester. I believe that NMX had at least one twin screw, there may have been

others. Most were singles. Sad to see them go; I always liked seeing the Nashua logo on the highways.

bulldogboy

May as well buy an authentic Nashua truck,i'm sure they'll all be for sale soon...

Don't confuse Nashua Motor Express with Nashua Corporation. The only things that they had in common were; they both were located in Nashua, NH and both

ran Mack tractors. NMX is the company that recently went out of business and will be selling their fleet of Macks. Nashua Corp. manufactured tapes, printing inks,

and other computer products. The last Mack that I remember was a sharp looking blue "R" model.

Offset-U-bet: I think that Nashua Corp. still has an office on D.W. Highway in Merrimack. Maybe you could contact them.

bulldogboy

Back in the late 1970s there were a few departments near me that had tractor trailer tankers with "U" model tractors. Wish that I had taken

pictures of them back then. They weren't very practical so were replaced by newer straight chassis tankers.

fifth wheel: the website; www.firenews.org has a section on N.E. fire apparatus past and present. Under Holden, MA they mention the Mack "B"

tanker but have no photo of it. Any chance that you could scan the Mack tanker photo to them? The webmaster is John Galla and he is always

looking for N.E. fire photos.

bulldogboy

Hey, Vlad, better wear your hard hat when you venture outdoors. Seriously, that meteor crash in Russia was unreal. Hope that everyone

heals quickly and that the damage will be repaired soon.

bulldogboy

Back in the early 1970s when the "MB" model fire engine was introduced, many small, volunteer fire departments operated apparatus mounted on

commercial chassis such as Ford, GMC, IH, etc. The Mack "MB" was an entry into the "custom" fire apparatus world for these departments. Departments now

had an affordable engine that incorporated the safety of a jump seat plus other "big city" features. Later, these departments could move into Mack "CF"s,

Spartan, ALF, and other custom apparatus.

While the "MB" was a commercial chassis, Mack made the fire apparatus version a "custom" by adding fire department features such as dual ignitions, beefed

up suspensions, electrical systems, safety features, etc. required by the NFPA. This was also done to "custom" "R" model fire apparatus.

bulldogboy

yarnall:

Whose Mack "AC" fire engine are you hauling?

bulldogboy

Law Motor Freight has had the NH Liquor Commission warehouse contract for many years. Recently they lost the bid to DHL. This was a large part of their

business so what happens to the company from this point is unknown. They are contesting the bids but who knows how that will play out? Law's Mack "A"

model roof ornament is a local landmark. It is just west of the current Nashua Motor Express terminal on Amherst Street (Rte. 101A). When I was a kid, LMF

was known as Law & Ingham Trucking. They, along with Nashua Motor Express, Nashua Corporation, Improved Machinery Inc., and many others, had all kinds

of Mack "A", "L", "B", "R", "CH", etc. tractors and straight trucks in operation. Along with the fire department's fleet of Macks, it was a great time to be a Mack fan.

bulldogboy

Nashua Motor Express from Nashua N.H

Bigdog:

Nashua Motor Express; still in business and still running "R" and "U" model tractors. I think that their newest tractor is a "CH".

bulldogboy

Nashua Motor Express today announced it is shutting down its trucking operations after 92 years in business. The company will be involved in logistics only.

They will lay off all their drivers and sell their 20 tractors, mostly "R" and "U" models. Too bad, another New England trucking company goes away joining

St. Johnsbury, N&B Express, Holmes, etc.

bulldogboy

Perfect timing!

I write a note on my calender so I don't forget to to change it or at least take a look at its condition.

Along the same line, take a look at the lint trap on your clothes dryer and clean the hose all the way to outside. A friend hadn't done it for a long time and had a little fire the other day. Luckily he was still at home and grabbed a fire extinguisher. If the system is kept clean, the clothes dry faster too.

And, after you change your filters, clean the lint trap and vent hose, don't forget to clean the fins underneath or behind your refrigerator. These often get overlooked, get very dusty

and your refrigerator will not work as efficiently as it should. Oh yeah, don't forget the bathroom fan needs cleaning; could be a fire hazard if not cleaned regularly. Lots of

household advice here today!!

bulldogboy

And a couple more from the interweb....

Drew

The one with M.F.D. on the hood is probably from Minneapolis, MN.; they had Mack "B" sedan cab pumpers. Later, they purchased pumpers on IH and Ford "Louisville" 4 door

chassis. Another department that bought "B" model sedans was Port Jervis, NY. The "squirrel tail" suction hose set-up on the Memphis engine was once popular in the TN

and MO. area. It made for a faster drafting operation or to use a hard suction on a hydrant if needed. I never had to hook a hard suction to a hydrant; our hydrant pressure

and flow was sufficient for a soft suction hose.

bulldogboy

When this classic was in Tunbridge it was privately owned by the late Peter Jorgensen who published a fire apparatus magazine, "Fire Apparatus" I think was the title.

He also owned a Mack "CF" that was lettered "Engine 3" but neither of these trucks was owned by the Tunbridge Fire Department. I'm sure that someone on these forums

will fill us in on the history of this beautiful truck. That's the great thing about these forums; there is always someone with the correct answer.

bulldogboy

That's what I thought when I saw the red light on the roof; is (or was) this a rural fire department tanker?

bulldogboy