Fire Engines Photos

Pete, another beautiful ALF photo perfectly captured, you and TheFireman are doing well, keep it up, thanks, , , ,

Added by Pavel - Western Australia on 29 December 2007.

Isn't it amazing how stylish and cool looking the old fire trucks looked back in their day, escpecially American La France trucks and the old Cadillac ambulances. Now, you can't distinguish one make from another. All the modern fire engines and ambulances are all just enormous ugly camper-like boxes with chrome wheels, huge reflective orange stripes, and chrome running boards. Today's cooky-cutter style stamped out fire trucks don't turn heads or wow children with inspiration like the old timers did. One of the reasons I wanted to be a fireman growing up in the late 1960's was because of the look of the firetrucks in my home town. They were all open cab American La France pieces ranging in years from 1951 to 1971. They included a 75' Ladder (1951), later replaced by a 1971 100' ALF Tiller Ladder, and six La France pumpers in 800, 900, and 1000 series. We also had 6 (six) red and white two-tone Cadillac ambulances in those days, at different times, four were high-top Miller-Meteors and two were Superiors (check out photo gallary at www.aetnahhl.org to see what I'm talking about). It's true what they say: nothing lasts forever.

Added by Mark Atwell on 04 May 2008.

Amen to that!! I have been for years you can't tell them apart. Mark those were the days!Boy do i miss them.

Added by George on 20 November 2008.

Well, the current ALFs are a bit distinctive, at least to spotters like us. Then there are things like the Pierce Quantum, which (in my opinion) are ugly beyond belief.

Maybe the European rigs are a little easier to distinguish, because they're all on commercial truck chassis. But none of the modern closed-cab rigs can match the old ones for exciting elegance.

Added by Mike Feldman on 14 December 2010.

Anyone know about a fire truck given by Redwood CIty, Ca., to Tijuana in 1974? Can't find anything in archives. Need for library history room.

Added by Jim Clifford on 14 July 2011.

Pete, she's a 700 series with a 800 appearance and features, the raised bumper on the 800 series suggests this, but all ALF ladder trucks were still classed by ALF as 700 series. The later 800 series had the direction indicators that were common on the 900 series applied. The 700 series was produced between 1947-1959

Added by Andrew Middleton on 07 September 2011.

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